Found a store you have not used before and want to buy from it safely? A few quick checks, done together, will tell you most of what you need to know before you hand over any card details.
This guide gives you a short pre-purchase checklist and the steps to work through it. You can also run the store through our free check below to cover the technical parts automatically.
Paste an address for a free safety check: encryption, malware and phishing, domain age and more.
No single test proves a store is safe. What works is checking several things together: is the checkout page encrypted, how long has the store existed, is there a real business behind it, and what do independent shoppers say. If most of those look good, the store is probably fine. If several look off, walk away.
Our free safety check covers the technical signals for you in seconds, but remember it confirms a site is technically sound, not that the business is honest. Pair it with the human checks below.
The checkout page address should start with https and show a padlock. This keeps your card details private in transit, though on its own it does not prove the business is honest.
A store that has existed for years is more reassuring than one registered a few weeks ago. Brand-new domains selling well-known brands cheaply are a common warning sign.
Look for a company name, a physical address, a genuine contact method, and clear returns and privacy policies. Vague or missing details are a red flag.
Search for reviews on sites and forums the store does not control. A store with no trace anywhere outside its own pages is worth treating with caution.
If a price is far below everyone else, ask why. Deep discounts on in-demand items are a classic way to draw people into a fake store.
Prefer a credit card or a service like PayPal. Be wary of any store that only accepts bank transfer, gift cards or cryptocurrency.
Two things make people trust a store they should not. The first is the padlock. HTTPS only means your connection is encrypted, and scammers can get a certificate for free, so a padlock alone is never proof of a real business. The second is a slick design, because a professional-looking template can be bought or copied in an afternoon. Judge a store on verifiable signals, not on how polished it looks.
Check several things together: that the checkout page is encrypted, how old the domain is, whether there is a real business with contact details and clear policies, and what independent reviews say. Our free safety check handles the technical parts, and a quick search covers the rest.
Not necessarily. The padlock and https only mean your connection to the store is encrypted. Scammers can get valid certificates for free, so a padlock protects your details in transit but is not proof the business is trustworthy.
Use a payment method that offers buyer protection, such as a credit card or a service like PayPal, so you can dispute a charge if something goes wrong. Be cautious of any store that only accepts bank transfer, gift cards or cryptocurrency.
Very low prices are not proof of a scam, but a price far below every other seller is a common tactic to draw people into a fake store. Compare the price with other retailers, and if it seems too good to be true, do the other checks before buying.
It tells you whether a store is technically sound, for example whether it is encrypted, how old the domain is, and whether it is flagged for malware or phishing. It cannot prove a business will treat you fairly, so combine it with reviews and the human checks in this guide.
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