Expect shipping delays. This time of year is always a busy season for shipping companies, and with most industries already behind on supply, that two day shipping could be more like two weeks. Best practice would be to plan ahead and buy early to get your gifts on time.
Ship to a secure location. With an increase in packages comes an increase in “porch pirates” or people who steal packages from doorsteps. If you won't be home for Christmas, your package might not either. Be sure to ship your packages to your office or another safe place to ensure it doesn’t get stolen after being delivered.
Shop on a secure network.
That public wifi may be convenient, but so is stealing information from people when you’re on it. Don’t let hackers intercept your data by staying on a private network when shopping online.
Look for the lock symbol by the web address in your browser. This means the website you are visiting has privacy protection installed and masks the data you share with them.
Don't buy from unfamiliar online retailers. Some websites exist only to get your personal information, and one way they draw people in, is with prices that seem too-good-to-be-true. Keep yourself safe and only shop with online retailers that are familiar. If not, at least look into the website to see if it’s legitimate before pressing “purchase”.
Be aware of the daily limit on your debit card.
If you know you’re going to be making some large purchases, make sure to call ahead and raise the daily limit on your debit card. This will prevent you from missing out on deals because your transaction is declined.
