Choosing the Right Card
Safe card use starts even before you get one. It's wise to think carefully about whether to get a debit card, a charge card, or a true credit card. With a credit card, it's easier to spend beyond your means.
Your first payment card should definitely be a pure debit card, so charges come straight from your bank account. Only when your finances are stable and in good shape is it time to get a charge or credit card, where purchases are billed on a statement.
Keeping Your Card and Its Details Safe
You should take good care of your physical payment card. This duty also covers the card's details, such as the card number and PIN. If you store card details in, for example, a computer browser, make sure others can't access the saved information.
Carry Only the Cards You Need
It's good to have several payment cards, especially for travel. In everyday life, you shouldn't carry them all in your wallet; one card plus a backup is enough. An even better approach is to use Apple or Google Pay day to day and keep only one physical card in your wallet.
Curve Pay is an excellent service that consolidates multiple payment cards into a single physical card.
For a trip, however, you should take more than one card. In that case, spread the cards across different places to minimise the risk of loss or theft.
Only Pay by Card at Trusted Places
You can use your card without special concern in well-known brick-and-mortar stores and major online marketplaces. Especially abroad, many shops that seem unreliable still accept cards, and the internet has plenty of stores that don't inspire confidence. Some of these may exist solely to phish for information.
If you can't be sufficiently sure the seller is trustworthy, or something else raises doubts, pay in cash. Online that's not possible, of course, so look for an alternative online store or pay with, for example, PayPal, which adds extra protection for purchases.
For suspicious-looking sellers, it may be wise to get a separate debit card with only a small balance in the account. For example, N26 issues a fee-free Mastercard.
Set Withdrawal Limits and Geographic Restrictions
Many card issuers let you restrict card use to specific geographic areas and block internet use entirely. You can also set euro-denominated usage limits to the sizes you want.
It's sensible to set low limits and restrict the geographic area to your local surroundings only. If needed, you can change the limits temporarily, for example, for a trip.
Google Pay and Apple Pay Improve Security
When you pay with Google Pay or Apple Pay, the merchant doesn't receive your real card details—only a virtual card number. The real details sit on Google's and Apple's servers. They're not stored on your phone, so losing the phone isn't a significant risk.
Google Pay and Apple Pay make it harder to steal and misuse card data. If the phone is lost, you must still contact your card issuers immediately so the virtual cards used by Google Pay and Apple Pay can be cancelled. You don't need to cancel the actual payment cards, since their details aren't stored on the phone. You can continue using Google Pay and Apple Pay on a new phone without worry, because new virtual numbers are created for them.
Know Your Card's Insurance Terms
Payment cards often come with various insurance perks. The terms are usually more complex than the marketing suggests. For example, insurance is valid only in certain situations.
It's absolutely crucial to understand the conditions under which the insurance is valid. You shouldn't head out relying on a card's travel insurance without carefully understanding what's included.
The no-annual-fee Komplett Bank Mastercard offers comprehensive insurance.
Pay Big Purchases on the Credit Side
Always pay for flights, hotels, and other expensive purchases on the card's credit side. That way, it's clearly more likely you'll get your money back if the ordered product or service can't be delivered, for example, due to bankruptcy.
Some debit cards also offer bankruptcy protection or safeguards for failed purchases. We recommend checking out the free Curve Blue Card.
Keep the Credit Limit Low
Avoid using a credit card's credit feature, as the interest rate is high. Pay the bill in full by the due date at the latest so you don't pay interest. Credit is unnecessary for many cardholders, yet a credit card typically has a credit limit of at least €1,000.
Set the credit limit as low as possible; often, the best option is to set it to €0. If you want to keep the card's credit feature active, consider the limit size carefully: don't leave it unnecessarily high.
Put Bills on Autopay
One of the worst mistakes with a credit card is forgetting to pay the bill. The card is then usually blocked at least temporarily, and in the eyes of the lender, your reliability drops. Paying on time is a card user's most important duty.
To avoid forgetting, it's recommended to set up an e-invoice and put it on automatic payment in online banking. That way, the payment won't be accidentally missed.