Credit cards are versatile financial tools. They can be used to buy items online through retailers, auctions and other websites. They can also be used offline to make purchases at stores, restaurants, gasoline stations and other businesses. Credit card use is relatively safe, both online and offline, if you take certain precautions to protect your information. However, offline use has its own special advantages.
Control of Your Information
You have more control over your credit card when using it offline versus entering the information into a form online and submitting it to a website. You watch what the clerk does with the card when you hand it to him, scambusters.org states. This gives you the opportunity to immediately call him out if he does anything suspicious, like handling it in a way that makes it look like he's running it through a skimming device to steal the information. You do not see who is on the receiving end of an online purchase, and you have no way of knowing whether a criminal might have intercepted the information.
Absence of Hidden Terms and Conditions
An offline retailer will generally give you a receipt and other paperwork that spells out the terms and conditions of the purchase. You can read it and ask questions before handing over your credit card. Websites often hit you with several pages of fine print that you might not read thoroughly. Then you might find you have agreed to buy some other service or to sign up for a monthly membership by clicking the "submit" button, the Daily Money Dish financial site explains. Your credit card company can refuse to reverse the charges because you agreed to the terms by making the purchase.
Ease of Filing a Complaint
You can always return to a store or business where you have used your credit card offline if you need to make a complaint. You'll be able to speak to someone face-to-face rather than trying to reach a complaint department via email or over the phone. You can bring back an item for a refund without incurring the additional expense of paying shipping charges to send it back to an Internet retailer.
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