Safe cross-border online shopping: 5 essential tips

Safe online shopping comes down to making smart, security-conscious choices. This includes shopping on legitimate websites, using secure payment methods, and following basic cybersecurity best practices.

Ever added something from an international shop to your cart, then hesitated because your gut said it wasn’t legit?

Shopping online gives you access to products available in-store or locally. But, when you’re on a site that’s unfamiliar or in another language, it's natural to wonder whether the checkout is secure or the seller is reliable.

Shopping internationally doesn’t need to feel risky. Here are five tips to help you shop across borders with confidence, knowing your payments are protected all throughout the process.

Table of contents

• 1. Shop on secure websites
• 2. Use a secure payment method with buyer protection
• 3. Use cybersecurity best practices
• 4. Know your consumer rights and protections
• 5. If in doubt, don’t buy
• How PayPal can support safer international shopping
• Frequently asked questions

1. Shop on secure websites

A secure website helps protect your personal and payment information, so it’s worth slowing down for a quick check before you buy, especially during cross-border payments.

The first step is checking for HTTPS in the URL and a padlock icon in the address bar. These say your data is encrypted, which means anyone trying to intercept your details will only see scrambled, unusable information.

Then, dig deeper into the brand. Look at their website information, contact details, and most importantly, domain extension.

Red flags when shopping online

A common scam is registering look-alike domains. Scammers either fake the domain name with a typo or replace the domain extension with a different one (like co.uk instead of .com).

Other warning signs can include:

• Strange currency conversions
• Checkout pages in a different language than the rest of the website
• Product descriptions that seem AI-generated
• Missing return policies
• Broken links
• Generic reviews that repeat the same thing

All of these are signs to step back and verify the legitimacy of that shopping website.

2. Use a secure payment method with buyer protection

A secure checkout refers to the process of protecting a shoppers personal data from unauthorized access when making payments online.

Here’s how this works: During the final stages of a transaction, a secure checkout transmits sensitive information, such as credit card details, securely using advanced encryption.

Secure checkouts typically include a trusted payment gateway and processor with PCI compliance to help protect payment information, validate transactions, and prevent potential fraud.

Some ways to identify a secure checkout include:

• Buyer protection
• Third-party trust seals or certifications
• Verified payment methods
• PCI DSS compliance
• Transparent contact information for customer support and returns

If you want an additional safety net, consider your digital wallet’s security benefits and risks. For example, benefits can include real-time fraud alerts, financial encryption, or safety features, like PayPal Buyer Purchase Protection.¹

With the latter, eligible transactions may be refunded if an item doesn’t arrive or is different from the one described on the seller’s website.

3. Use cybersecurity best practices

Safe online shopping is as much about choosing real and honest sellers as it is about protecting your devices and accounts. Scammers can spoof real brands and mimic legitimate order updates, so you need to practice cybersecurity protocols to ensure you don’t fall for their ruse.

Cybersecurity tips to ensure your online shopping experience is safe:

• Don’t click on suspicious links: Avoid links sent by unknown senders, pop-ups, or unexpected emails claiming there's a problem with your order. These often lead to phishing sites designed to steal your login or payment details.
• Shop on a secure network: Public Wi-Fi can expose your data to anyone on the same network. That’s why it’s always best to browse on private Wi-Fi or use a VPN, especially when sending money online.
• Use passkeys or a strong password: Passkeys remove the need for typed passwords and are extremely hard to compromise. And if passwords are your only option, then make them long, unique, and store them in a password manager.
• Update your software: Set up automatic updates so your devices and apps run on the latest software version. These help protect your device from hackers by patching security vulnerabilities.
• Don’t share sensitive info: Avoid sharing card details over the phone or through messages. Requests like providing your one-time password (OTP) might sound urgent, but it’s almost always a scam. Legitimate companies won’t ask for that information.
• Enable multifactor authentication (MFA): MFA adds a second verification step, making it much harder for someone to break into your accounts even if they know your password. Whenever a shopping platform or payment service offers this feature, enable it.

4. Know your consumer rights and protections

Another tip for secure online shopping experiences is knowing your consumer rights. In the US, federal laws like the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) protect you from unauthorized credit card charges and allow you to dispute billing errors.

Here are two options to protect yourself if you suspect fraud:

• Report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

For international shopping security from cross-border scams, you can file a report with econsumer.gov. It’s a partnership of more than 65 consumer protection agencies globally and supports nine languages.

Another option for cross-border commerce-related disputes is Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). In this solution, you ask a neutral third-party to settle the dispute between you and the seller.

5. If in doubt, don’t buy

When you shop online, you’ll run into “too-good-to-be-true” deals all the time, especially on bidding or classifieds sites like eBay or Craigslist. The listing might have the perfect price or picture-perfect photos, but something still feels off.

Some red flags of these listings are big discounts, stock-like images, and unusual payment requests. You may also notice the seller is using a brand-new profile or isn’t providing enough information to verify who they are.

When a deal gives you that uneasy pause, it’s usually a sign to step back and skip the purchase.