PayPal recently introduced a new service as part of their PayPal Plug-In. The plug-in lets you create what they call “Secure Cards”, which act as normal credit cards that you can use at online retailers. You can request secure cards that are only valid for a single purchase or that are only valid for a specific time period. The cards can be created and deleted on the fly from their website in real time.
If you already have a PayPal account, you can use these single use credit cards for free. Here’s a link for PayPal users to find out more information about the service:
- https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_vdc-hub&show_page=Help
Note you have to be logged into your PayPal account before the above URL will work.
This seems like a great way to add some extra security when you’re purchasing stuff online.
Have you used anything like this before? Do you have other tips for securely shopping online?