5 Tips For Safer Shopping For The Holidays

Nov 01, 2024 Holidays

The holiday season shouldn’t be a time to worry about fraud or identity theft. Use these five tips for safer shopping.

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The holiday season should be a time of joy and spending time with those we love. It shouldn’t be a time to worry about fraud, identity theft, or going over budget. Use these five tips for safer shopping this holiday season.

Safer Shopping Tips

#1: Download The A+ Mobile App

Do almost everything you need with the A+ Mobile App. Check your balances, pay bills, transfer money, and monitor your accounts easily with our free app, available for both iOS and Android devices.

#2: Monitor Accounts & Transaction

Easily monitor your accounts and transactions with eAlerts. You can set up over 20 different eAlerts within A+ Online Banking or the A+ Mobile App to help you monitor your accounts. A few recommended eAlerts for the holidays include:

Daily Balance – set up to receive once a day at the time you specify for whichever share(s) you choose

Large Withdrawal – decide what threshold and share(s) you want to monitor and get notified when a withdrawal of that amount or greater is made

Low Balance – set up an eAlert to let you know when your share balance drops below a specified dollar amount

Learn More About eAlerts

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Financial Tools To Assist You

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#3: Use Surcharge-Free ATMs

Holiday money should be spent on holiday items, not ATM fees. If you need cash, find one of the thousands of local and nationwide surcharge-free ATMs.

#4: Online Safety

When shopping online, it’s important to make sure the website you’re on is safe and secure before inputting your credit or debit card number.

Here are some important things to look for and keep in mind:

The website URL should start with “https” and not “http”. The “s” stands for secure and means the company went through a validation process.
In addition to the “s” in the URL, look at the address bar. No matter which browser you use, you should see some version of a lock icon. This means the website has gone through the highest level of validation.
If you’re on an unfamiliar website, there are other things to look for before purchasing. Look for a physical address and phone number, a return policy, and a privacy statement. If in doubt, don’t enter your information.
If you’re doing some form of “buy online, pickup in store,” make sure you’re getting the item you paid for and that no one else besides you can pick it up. Contact the store to see what their protocol is and how you can keep your information and purchases safe.

More Online Safety Tips

#5: Set A Budget & Track Spending

Following your holiday spending plan is even easier with our online Financial Tools.

After logging in to A+ Online Banking or the A+ Mobile App, select Financial Tools (listed above Accounts) and take advantage of these benefits:

Link external accounts to track all your spending
Create a specific holiday spending budget – or specific budgets for gifts, decorations, travel, etc.
Track and categorize your holiday expenses
Set up alerts if you get close or go over your budget