When time is tight, sometimes you just do whatever works to find the best price. But before you pay, it’s worth thinking twice about the method you’re using.
It could help you down the road if you use a credit card—especially if you’re shopping online or dealing with a store you haven’t bought from before.
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Credit cards come with built-in protections thanks to the Fair Credit Billing Act.
Under federal law, you have 60 days from getting a bill to dispute a charge. That could help if what you ordered doesn’t arrive or doesn’t match the description online.
You’ll still want to give the seller a chance to fix the issue. But if they don’t, you have another option.
Another thing to be careful with is Buy Now, Pay Later options. Many shoppers use these programs, and they can help you pay something off over time, often with no interest. But, “if you miss a payment you could face steep penalties.”
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If you’re paying with a service like Venmo or PayPal, it can help to use their “goods and services” option. The seller will be charged a small fee, but, “if something goes wrong, that service is supposed to help protect your money.”
This story was originally published by Susal El Khoury with the Scripps News Group in Tampa.
