Nothing kills the buzz of shopping online or via mobile app like having to get off the couch and dig your credit card out of your wallet. It’s tempting to save your payment information on that website so you can shop more quickly next time and check out with a single click.
But that convenience could be costing you money. A Bankrate survey found that 64 percent of people save their credit card number online or in mobile apps. And retailers know that if you save your payment info for next time, there’s much more likely to be a “next time” that you’ll visit their website and make a purchase.
Saving your payment info takes the pain-free experience of paying with plastic to a whole new level. Not only are you using a card, but you’re not even touching it or inputting the numbers. And that makes it easier to spend more than you’d like.
If you want to make it harder to spend on your favorite e-commerce sites, remove your saved payment information. Not only will it help curb your spending impulses, but it’ll also make your financial information safer. Businesses large and small have found themselves vulnerable to hackers and data breaches as online shopping has grown in popularity. Keeping your payment info private, even if a company provides encrypted, secure payment processing, is an extra step you can take to protect your personal information from fraudsters.