Paying safely online: which payment methods protect you

How you pay decides what you can do if an order never arrives. Some payment methods let you dispute the payment; with others the money is simply gone. Here is how the common methods compare, in general terms. The exact conditions are set by your bank or the payment provider, so check them there.

Credit card

With a credit card you can ask your card issuer to reverse a payment (a chargeback) when goods are not delivered or are clearly not what was ordered. There are time limits, and the issuer will usually ask you to contact the shop first. Many debit cards from Visa and Mastercard offer the same.

PayPal

PayPal has buyer protection for eligible purchases: if an item does not arrive or is significantly different from the description, you can open a dispute within the period PayPal sets. Paying a person through "friends and family" is not covered.

Pay after delivery

With services such as Klarna or Riverty you pay after the goods arrive. If nothing comes, report it to the provider and do not pay the invoice. Remember that it is a payment you still owe once the order has arrived.

iDEAL and bank transfer

iDEAL and a normal bank transfer move money straight to the shop's account. Neither has buyer protection built in. That is fine with a shop you trust, but with an unknown shop it means you depend on the shop to refund you. A request to pay into a private account, or into an account in another country than the shop says it is in, is a warning sign. A SEPA direct debit is the exception: you can usually have it reversed by your bank within eight weeks.

Crypto, gift cards and money transfer services

There is no way back once you have paid with crypto, gift card codes or a money transfer service. A webshop that only accepts these is a strong reason to stop.

Warning signs at checkout

• The shop shows card logos, but at checkout only bank transfer works.
• You are asked to send card details by e-mail or chat.
• The payment page is not on https or not on the domain of a known payment provider.
• A discount is offered if you pay by bank transfer or crypto.

Before you pay at an unknown shop, check it on CheckShop: we look at payment methods as part of 25 checks. And if you already paid and nothing came, read what to do when a webshop does not deliver.