Using credit cards online nowadays has become the norm for most people. With most businesses offering a "pay online" feature, you'll probably find yourself being more inclined to take advantage of this convenience.

Today most anything can be paid for online, you can pay bills, utilities, college tuition, car registration and even renew your driver's license to name a few. Online shopping has exploded in popularity and while many vendors will still accept a check, this delays your purchase and using a credit card is encouraged and preferred.

All these options, but how do you know it's safe? Unfortunately theft is a very real concern when making credit card payments online. Sending personal information over a network carries a different risk than the traditional ways we've worried about using our credit cards. The good news is you can effectively reduce the risks of having your credit card number stolen when doing transactions online. This is done by making a few observations and taking a few preventative measures before entering your credit card number to complete the transaction.

If you are knowledgeable about the risks and understand how to protect yourself, you'll be able to reasonably protect your information. Here are some tips to follow to before entering your credit card number on a website:

*Are you familiar with the website? Is it a site you know to be reputable? It's important to assess the website you want to use your credit card on before entering any information. You'll want to make sure it's easy to navigate and that it has a professional look. If you see typos or several grammatical errors, this is a red flag that the website may not be a reputable one.

*Security. When you make your transaction with a credit card, there is always a "checkout" or "payment" page. On this page, look at your browser where the URL is (the webpage address) and see if the webpage designates HTTPS and not HTTP because the "S" indicates the site has been secured. Also look for a small padlock icon located in the lower right-hand side of your screen. These signals alert you that your information has been encrypted as its being sent. A note of warning though - even a reputable company sometimes will not have a secure website. Always look for these indicators.

*Never enter your credit card information on a public computer. If you can, try and use your own computer or the computer of someone else you are close with and trust. Also be sure to use a computer

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