Credit Card Info

Consumer fraud is relatively rare on the Web (only about 6 percent of all reported cases in 2007 originated online, according to the Federal Trade Commission), but it’s still smart to guard yourself.

Make all your purchases on one credit card so you can easily spot unauthorized activity.

Avoid using a debit card. Although the Fair Credit Billing Act limits liability to $50 for any billing errors on a credit card, you could be responsible for $500 or more in unapproved transactions on a debit card.

Choose “Bill Me Later” if you prefer not to reveal your credit-card number. With this option, you verify your address, your birthday, and the last four digits of your Social Security number to establish credibility; then you’re billed by snail mail or e-mail.

Register your info with a third-party service, like PayPal or Google Checkout, and it acts as a middleman so you don’t have to reveal data to other sites.

Promotion Code

A promotion code is like an insider coupon — one that you may need to search for. What you’ll get for your (minimal) trouble is anything from free shipping to a discount. (Caveat: Codes do expire, and some are good only for first-time customers.)

Before you complete an order, open a new browser window, then type in the site’s name and “coupons” to see what turns up, says Jason Khoury, a spokesperson for Yahoo Shopping.

You’re sure to find codes for major e-tailers, such as Target and Bluefly, on www.couponcabin.com and www.retailmenot.com.

The site www.cheapuncle.com will not only scout for discount-code websites but also compare prices on select sites.