Why it is Safe to Apply for Credit Cards Online
There is a lot of confusion regarding privacy implications of credit card applications online. Let's try to clear up the confusion and to explain exactly what is and what isn't safe.
APPLYING FOR CREDIT CARD VIA SECURE FORM IS SAFE
It is safe thanks to a combination of 2 factors:
- You will be applying directly with the issuing bank. Because of this, information from the application form travels directly to the bank. No one else (including us) will be collecting it. Our site (credit card menu) does not host applications - we simply refer you to the secure application on the bank's site. Thus, we don't have access to whatever information you supply.
- Your application form is secure. This means that your browser will be encrypting everything it sends to the bank, so in the unlikely case that some of this information is intercepted by a third party, it will be meaningless. All modern browsers come equipped with SSL (secure socket layer) capability. When you apply, note the "padlock" icon (in IE, it is located on the lower bar). As long as this icon is "lit up", your session is encrypted. We only list credit cards that offer secure application forms.
With that said, however, there are certain Internet-related things that you shouldn't do, for example:
- Sending your credit card number by email is NOT safe. You should never do it - even when you trust the person or organization that receives it, because a plain email (unlike information taken from secure application forms) travels unencrypted and can be intercepted by an unscrupulous 3-rd party.
- Submitting personal information (SSN, credit card number, etc) via UNENCRYPTED form is NOT safe. Again, this does not apply to secure forms because they will provide encryption protection, but if you enter your information into a "simple" web form on another site, it can be simply read as plain text.
