Here are 6 of the safest ways to pay online and in-person

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Any time you tap, swipe or dip a credit or debit card at checkout or enter your card number online, you expose yourself to all sorts of risks, from financial fraud to identity theft. A January 2026 Nilson Report study found payment card fraud losses totaled $33.41 billion worldwide in 2024 and are projected to rise to $41.06 billion by 2030.

Both digital and physical payment methods involve a degree of risk, but knowing how to navigate them could save you money and stress. Below, CNBC Select reviews the most secure payment methods as well as ones you might want to avoid to better protect yourself while shopping.

E-commerce sales in the U.S. have continued to grow over time, according to U.S. Department of Commerce data. An estimated $326,740,000 was spent in 2026, a 9.8% increase from 2025. As online payments continue to trend upward, it's critical to protect your information.

Digital wallets

Digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal are growing in popularity. Globally, digital wallets are already king, accounting for 56% of online spending and 33% of in-store spending in 2025, according to research from Global Payments.

In the U.S., digital wallets accounted for roughly 40% of online spending in 2025 and just 17% of in‑store spending, but this is expected to grow 10% annually, across both online and in-store purchases. Digital wallets offer many layers of security, like encryption technology, passcodes, biometric security and tokenization.

Tokenization offers improved security by essentially taking all the sensitive card information and replacing it with a one-time use "token," which is what is provided during the transaction. Even if someone intercepts your card's token, they will be unable to use it, as it will have expired (and it contains no personal information, rendering it useless to the perpetrator).

Credit cards

Credit cards are the next most popular online payment method, with the average American having about four credit cards, per Experian data. Credit cards offer features like encryption and fraud protection to help keep your personal information secure. In addition, credit card users are protected by federal law and can only be liable for up to $50 on fraudulent charges.

For example, the Citi Simplicity® Card, one of CNBC Select's top no-annual-fee credit cards for balance transfers, offers $0 liability on unauthorized charges and access to the ID Theft Protection program by Mastercard.

Many major credit card issuers now also let you request randomly generated virtual card numbers to further protect yourself when shopping online. For example, those with a Capital One card, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, can request a virtual credit card number through the browser extension Eno. The virtual card numbers are merchant-specific, and you can lock, unlock or delete them at any time.

ACH payments

The Automated Clearing House (ACH) is a federally-regulated electronic network that facilitates money transfers from one bank to another. All U.S. banks can use ACH, and all you need to receive a transfer this way is a bank account and routing number. If you've ever received your paycheck via direct deposit, you've taken advantage of the ACH network.

ACH payments go through clearinghouses that enforce strict regulations, making it a secure payment method. ACH also typically offers lower fees because it's all digital and eliminates many of the processing fees associated with cards or checks. ACH payments are great for consistent transactions with trusted people or services, such as your monthly utility bills or internet, but shouldn't be used frequently with untrusted billers, as there is possible to expose routing and/or account information.

The financial services industry has made strides in making in-person transactions more secure, so it's important to keep up with the latest security features. Most modern credit cards these days, regardless of your exact payment method, use a form of "tokenization" to ensure that each transaction has a unique one-time use code to prevent counterfeit fraud and ensure that no customer data is part of the transaction.

Contactless payment options

Contactless payments, such as tap-to-pay credit cards and mobile wallets, allow you to make safe, touch-free in-person payments using near-field communication (NFC) technology.

Most newly issued and renewed credit and debit cards now include contactless technology. For example, all newly-issued Wells Fargo consumer credit and debit cards, such as the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, and almost all Chase cards, such as the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees), are contactless.

You can check to see if your card is contactless by looking for a wave-like symbol on the front of your card.

Chip-enabled credit cards

When contactless payments are not an option, consider using a chip credit card, also called an Europay, Visa and Mastercard (EMV) credit card. These are the credit card companies that spearheaded the development of this process, resulting in the little chip in your card helping make your payments safer.

Instead of swiping your credit card to make a payment, you dip your card into the payment terminal instead, sometimes being prompted to enter a personal identification number (PIN) to verify card ownership. Chip cards generate unique codes for every transaction and are much harder to clone compared to magnetic stripe cards.

Many of the top rewards credit cards are equipped with EMV chip technology. For example, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a great pick for safe grocery shopping, offering 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%) and a built-in chip.

eChecks

Electronic checks, or eChecks, are very similar to ACH payments and even use the same ACH network, but there are slight differences. An eCheck is essentially a digital version of a check but is commonly used for one-time expenditures, while ACH payments are often for recurring things such as rent payments. eChecks can also garner higher fees as there is more behind-the-scenes work required compared to ACH payments.

Electronic checks are inherently safer than physical checks as they cannot be lost or stolen, and any eCheck also gains the encryption provided by the ACH, as well as the ability to reverse your payments under certain circumstances.

While no payment method is perfect, there are a few that are significantly riskier than others.

Cash

Some people prefer using cash over cards because they believe they may be more conscious of their spending. However, using cash can be highly risky. Cash can be easily stolen or lost and is difficult to trace. Cash also provides no warranties or purchase protection that some credit cards or other payment methods offer.

In addition to the risks, when using cash, you also miss opportunities to earn valuable credit card rewards and build your credit score. One of the only positives about using cash is that you don't have to swipe your card, potentially exposing card or account information at a location you don't have full trust in.

Debit cards

Debit cards are a step above cash in terms of security but are still a relatively risky payment method. Debit cards could leave you liable for funds lost to fraud, provide criminals direct access to your bank accounts, expose you to overdraft fees and risk tying up your money in hold charges. While credit cards offer a lot of built-in protections, with debit cards, how much you're liable for depends on how quickly you report your incident. If it's more than two days from when you learned about the loss or theft, you could owe as much as $500.

While there are a few instances when paying with debit over credit is useful, it's not as secure as other payment methods and shouldn't be relied on regularly.

Payment apps and peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers

While using apps such as Venmo or Cash App, or bank features like Zelle, aren't inherently "unsecure," what they often lack are the consumer protections that other payment methods offer.

Zelle's website recommends using it to send funds to and from other users you know and trust, but not using it if you don't "know the person or aren't sure you will get what you paid for." Cash App follows a similar style, saying that Cash App payments are typically instant and can't be canceled, so you should only send to those you trust.

While it does differ depending on the service, it's likely going to be significantly harder to get your money back if you use many of these P2P apps. These can be great for instantly sending or receiving money, as banks often have a several-day delay, but should only be used with trusted contacts.

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