Online shopping with Paypal or Debit?

[snapdragen]

I'd never be comfortable using my debit card online.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/20...it-cards_x.htm

[CyclChyk]

I can't begin to tell you how many purchases I have made online and for how many years. Easily 10 or more. Many of those purchases were/are with debit card. The thing you have to be wary of is to make sure its a secure website (look for the lock) and its a seller you are familiar with. I will order from Home Depot all day online but lets say its "House Depot" - no way! Never heard of 'em and I'm willing to bet their website would not be secure/encrypted. (Just making "House Depot" up as an example).

I've had one problem in where there was a charge that showed up on me from the Este Lauder warehouse (I think its in NY). I disputed the charge and of course it was promptly refunded to me in full. After research, it was discovered that only employees and family members of the employees could purchase from the warehouse and my card number was not obtained from an online transaction, rather from a local transaction I completed in person. I had that debit card cancelled and was issued a new one and never had another mishap.

[SalsaMTB]

I would highly recommend going the debit card route. It just gives more options than paypal. I had my card # stolen before, around the holiday season, who knows if it was from online purchases or now. The bank promptly refunded all the charges and it was hassel free. My mother also had hers stolen and she NEVER purchases online. I think now adays though, banks have adapted to the problem and it's not much of a big deal. If the card gets stolen, you report it, tell them what charges you didn't makes, they refund it, and I think there is one form to fill out. Not bad. I'm guessing the process is basically the same as with a credit card.

[xeney]

That article is pretty old and I think a lot of banks have followed B of A's lead on the debit card issue. My debit card number has actually been swiped three times now ... once it was used in Australia while I was in California, once it was used to download a bunch of ring tones and cell phone games and some Norton software, and once the bank just canceled the card because they said it had been "intercepted" during an electronic transmission. (I am not sure I buy that one, since I had not used it online during the relevant time, only at Safeway and at an autoparts store.)

But I have never lost any money from any of those transactions, all of which were with B of A. With the Australia thing, they credited my account immediately when I reported the problem, and then I had to sign an affidavit saying that it wasn't me, I was in California at the time, etc. With the ring tones and the Norton software, I contacted the online retailers and they credited me, and of course I also called the bank and canceled the card. And the bank rep told me that if I had any problems with the credit from the retailers, that the bank would credit me since the charges were fraudulent.

I have actually had less trouble with that than friends have had disputing fraud on actual credit cards.