Mastercard vs Visa for online transactions

[mish3v]

Hello there. I would like to ask which one is more appropriate for online transactins. I think that VISA is better than MC on this field. MC is more of an ATM card. Correct me if I am wrong. Even PayPal accepts only VISA for withdrawals.

[Cossette]

Originally Posted by mish3v

Even PayPal accepts only VISA for withdrawals.

Are you sure? You mean to say that you can only withdraw funds from paypal if your card is Visa?

[Ms_Margaret]

Visa and MasterCard have developed authenticated payment capabilities to improve online transaction security. By creating a virtual signature in the form of a password chosen by you when you sign up, Visa and MasterCard hopes to provide a safer online commerce experience for Cardholders.

Verified By Visa and MasterCard SecureCode enable two parties (card holder and card issuer) to authenticate each other by exchanging digital certificates (electronic identifications) before proceeding with an online transaction, assuring the Cardholder that he is dealing with a legitimate merchant and providing the merchant with proof of participation of the real Cardholder. This gives both parties the confidence to proceed and creates a digitally signed record of the transaction that can be verified afterwards.

[leonshvip]

I use both without a problem. ;-)

[Ms_Margaret]

The only way you can minimize the risks of using a Credit Card (be it a Visa or MasterCard) online is by staying vigilant and cautious.

1. Check the reputation of the online seller
2. Read the small print - All reputed online shopping sites have information about their privacy and returns policy. Also ensure the site allows you to return the product if you aren't satisfied with it or if it is defective.
3. Buy only from secure sites - One way of identifying a secure site is to look for a small padlock icon that appears on the bottom right-hand corner. Else, Take a look at the address bar: a secure site starts with 'https://' (with an additional 's', instead of the usual 'http://').
4. Use an Internet-specific credit card - If you still don't feel confident about using your credit card online, keep a separate credit card for online use with specified transaction limits.
5. Beware of those who go 'phishing' - If you have suspicions about the URL being sent in the e-mail, don't use it. Instead, go directly to the company Web site and log in from there. Never ever send personal information to sites you don't know much about; more important, don't send confidential and sensitive information through e-mail.
6. Be wary of shared computers - Avoid cyber cafes or other public terminals for online shopping or banking.
7. Be vigilant - Keep constant track of your online transactions. Make sure the payments that have been recorded in your statement have indeed been made by you, and take printouts of your transactions. Notify the bank immediately if you find anything fishy.
8. Protect your password - Don't use a password that's predictable, like your surname or your birth date. Using alphanumeric characters (alphabets and numbers). If possible, use a password that is a mix of lower case and upper case characters.
9. Use separate email IDs - Most online activities, such as shopping or subscribing to newsletters, will require you to provide an e-mail ID. Don't use your primary e-mail account for these activities. Create a separate e-mail ID.
10. Keep your machine secure - Install anti-virus software. If you can't afford one, there are many free anti-virus such as Avast and AVG.

Regards

[sudipto]

me used VISA card..without any issue...i think VISA is more better than MC..its my opinion maybe differ with others..

[id62000]

Both are almost same - both cards are accepted by an equally large number of merchants. If you already have one, its good to get the other, though its not necessary. If you find one store not accepting one of them, there's sure to be a similar store that accepts the other one.
Both are equally good, and you cant go wrong with either of them.

About Paypal, i cant understand what's wrong. Even though they do say they support MC, they reject the cards because MCs cant be loaded from paypal (and ask you to load a different visa/MC/AMEX...???). For what reason, i cant imagine...