Is It Safe to Pay Over the Phone With a Credit Card?

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What are the risks of over-the-phone credit card transactions?
- Your name as it appears on the card.
- Your card number.
- The expiration date.
- The card's security code, or CVV.
- Sometimes your billing ZIP code.
Know your protections
What you can do to protect yourself
- You call them, not the other way around. Never provide your credit card information to representatives who call you unexpectedly. Criminals can claim to be from your card issuer or bank and ask for your personal information. To this end, provide necessary card information only to merchants you've called directly. And before making any transactions, confirm that you've dialed the vendor’s correct phone number.
- Double-check the charge before hanging up. When making purchases over the phone, you can't physically see the products you're buying. So after you’ve placed your order, ask the merchant to confirm what you’re being charged for and the exact amount of the transaction. You can also ask for an order confirmation number.
- Monitor your account. Review your credit card statement often to check for any fraudulent or suspicious activity and to make sure your transactions are being charged correctly. You might even want to log in to your card account immediately after placing an order to ensure the correct charge appears as "pending."
- Use your card's prevention tools. Take advantage of your card's additional security settings. Features like virtual card numbers and account alerts can help ward off fraud, and card lock can help if you find you've been victimized.
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