Tips to wrapping up your holiday shopping safely

Tis the season for holiday shopping, which usually means making additional purchases from more merchants than you typically do the rest of the year. So while you’re out there getting gifts for your friends and family, your Community Bank debit card can help keep your purchases and personal information safe and secure.

Keep your card safe at brick-and-mortar stores

CBNA debit cards come equipped with advanced security features that offer peace of mind during your holiday shopping adventures, including:

• Chip technology : This provides added security by generating a unique transaction code for each purchase. It also makes it extremely difficult for fraudsters to clone or counterfeit your card’s information. Learn more about chip technology.

• Travel safeguards: If you plan to travel during the holiday season, using your debit card provides an additional layer of security because its chip has Europay, Mastercard, and Visa (EMV) technology built in. EMV is the global standard for card payments internationally, keeping your transactions secure virtually anywhere.

• Fraud monitoring: Unusual transaction activity can trigger a fraud alert—especially when there are new patterns of use on your card. Setting up text alerts can let you instantly know if there is any suspected suspicious activity on your card, so you can get ahead of it to avoid a potential decline situation.

• Zero-liability protection: In the event of fraudulent transactions, Community Bank debit cards come with Visa’s Zero Liability protection. This means that if you report unauthorized charges promptly, you are not held responsible for the fraudulent activity, ensuring that your holiday shopping remains secure.

Secure your online shopping experience

Your CBNA debit card will protect your information not only in stores, but also online. These security features are especially important during the holiday season, as there is often an increase in scamming and other fraudulent activity this time of year. Here’s how your card can keep you safe:

• Secure online payment gateways: Debit card transactions happen through secure online payment gateways via the merchant. These gateways protect your information during the checkout process. This encryption technology ensures that your card details are transmitted securely, minimizing the risk of interception by unauthorized individuals. See the other benefits of keeping a card on file with trusted merchants.

• Two-factor authentication: Many online retailers and financial institutions provide two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security. By linking your debit card to your mobile device or email, you’ll receive a unique code that must be entered during the online transaction, further verifying your identity.

• Digital wallets: Adding your debit card to digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay enables secure transactions by using tokenization technology, which keeps your card information confidential.

Keep everything under wraps

Beyond the in-store and online safeguards your CBNA debit card provides, follow these helpful tips to make sure you have the safest holiday shopping experience:

• Keep your card information safe: Avoid sharing your card details with anyone unfamiliar or storing them in easily accessible places, such as a notepad on your desk at work, sharing a picture of your card on social media, or with someone you feel uncomfortable with while you’re traveling. Always hide your PIN and keep an eye out for anyone who might seem like they’re watching you make a transaction.

• Monitor activity even more regularly: It’s always a good idea to check your account activity regularly, but it’s helpful to do it even more frequently during the holiday season. You can check online or set up text alerts to get the most up-to-date info.

Have a happy and safe holiday

From chip technology and EMV compliance to fraud monitoring and zero-liability protection, Community Bank debit cards offer the peace of mind you need during this busy shopping season—so you can just relax and enjoy time with those close to you.

We are committed to helping make sure your holiday shopping and travel experience are as wonderful as the joys of the season. If you have any questions or need assistance, contact your local branch or our Customer Care Center at 1-866-764-8638.