Two of the biggest concerns posed by people who frequently use credit credits for their purchases were protection and security, with the latest concern centering on the safety of online shopping. Online shopping has remained an extremely popular choice for consumers due to the simplicity and convenience of it. Statistics from a research company has shown that online shopping has risen by 57 percent from 2000 to 2001.

The thought of hackers gaining access to consumer’s personal information has raised the fears of people who shop online. Online companies have developed a way to ease the concerns of their online consumers--disposable credit card transaction numbers.

Credit Card Companies That Offer Disposable Cards

• American Express was the first company to offer disposable transaction numbers
• Discover offers the "Deskshop Virtual Credit Card," which lets the customer purchase several items from the same online store
• Citibank offers a "Virtual Account Numbers Program," which protects the customer by providing them with a substitute number, which takes the place of their real number, each time they make a purchase

Experts said these cards could be useful for cutting down on the tedious and time-consuming process of having to get in touch with your credit card company and explain your situation when fraudulent situations occur. Another reason experts cited for disposable cards was to protect business owners who conduct the majority of their business online from deceitful customers who made fraudulent purchases.

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