Sending Credit Card Information Over The INTERNET
We now accept
American Express

Using our SECURE server to place an order ensures the safety of your personal information. Major corporations are transacting financial data via a SECURE link daily. You will be using the same technology when placing an order with us.

We have added Name | Address Verification to all of the credit card transactions thus improving credit card security to the next level.

The following is an excerpt from an article that appeared in Internet World.

How Safe Is It To Use My Credit Card On The INTERNET ?

I always get a kick out of people who are wary of typing their credit card number into a SECURE Order Form on the internet. Many of these same people wouldn't think twice about giving their credit card number over the telephone to buy flowers or to order something from a mail-order catalog. And they certainly wouldn't worry about paying a restaurant check with their card. But the chances of someone using your credit card number are as great - if not greater - in either of these situations than when you send it in a SECURE encrypted message over the internet. In fact, credit card fraud over the internet is the least pervasive form at this time. You're as safe posting your credit card information on a company's SECURE Order Form as telling it to a Mail Order operator over the telephone.

Think about it; when you give your credit card number over the telephone to an operator for that item you saw on that infomercial program, you don't even know who you're talking to (as a word of caution, always request the name of the person you give your credit card data to and write it down on your copy of the order form). You trust whoever it is not to buy themselves a new wardrobe using your MasterCard. You also can't be sure that someone else isn't listening in to your conversation. How many times have you heard other conversations while on the telephone, thanks to "crossed wires"? How do you know that isn't happening to you when you're talking to "Tracy at Time-Life"? And the problem is compounded if you use a cordless or cellular phone, where someone with a police scanner might be able to tap into your call and....

This material originally appeared in Internet World
Volume 6, Number 10, pp. 18.
Copyright Mecklermedia Corporation, 20 Ketchum Street, Westport, CT 06880;
(203) 341-2802; info@mecklermedia.com;
http://www.iw.com. All rights reserved. Slightly modified. Reprinted with permission.


There are several ways to confirm that you're in a secure area. All SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) capable browsers have a symbol to indicate secure mode. Specifically:

Browser Symbol Location Normal Mode Symbol Secure Mode Symbol
Netscape 7.0 Lower Right
Open Lock
Closed Lock
Internet Explorer 6.0 Lower Right
NONE
Closed Lock
You can also tell when you're in a secure area because the URL to the left of the colon changes from 'http' to 'https' to signify that a SSL protocol is being used to communicate with the server. (http = HyperText Transport Protocol; https = HTTP with SSL.) In most browsers you'll also see a solid blue line in the upper portion of the browser's window ­ another visual aid that lets you know you're browsing a secure area.

One additional note: some browsers give you a warning when you go from a secure area to a regular area. The aim is worthy enough ­ to ensure that people know when they've left a secure server. But in practice, the message is often a bit startling, and makes it look like you've done something wrong even though you really haven't.
If you have any additional questions don't hesitate to contact us via e-mail.