• We hold ourselves to a higher standard than most online stores.  This means we do things to keep your credit card safe that other businesses don't bother with.  One of theses is 100% address verification and other "best practices."  
  • WHY WE REQUEST THAT YOU CALL YOUR BANK IF YOU WANT THE ORDER SHIPPED TO AN ALTERNATE ADDRESS.  In a recent case, we prevented thousands of dollars of fraud on a Florida resident's credit card and helped the police.  The thief (in New York) placed the order online, then called to ask us to rush the order.  He had the card holder's correct name and address.  He phoned us, claimed to be the cardholder, and asked us to rush the order to his work address in NY.  We contacted the bank and they told us there was no alternate shipping address.  We looked up the phone number for the FL address and found that the card holder didn't even own parrots.  Based on info we provided to the bank, they froze the card holder's account and removed the charges without the customer having to go though the dispute process.  He called us the next day to tell us there were several hundred dollars of fraudulent charges from online purchases.  We had enough info to determine the thief's identity and we provided the information to police through the FBI anti-fraud reporting site.  The New York theft ring made national news.  
• Visa best business practices for e-commerce.  We implemented all best practices for a small business.  These procedures protect your credit card number and your privacy.
• Address verification.  We confirm that your shipping address is the same as the billing address for your credit card.
  • Option of alternate shipping address. You can ADD shipping addresses (such as a work address) to your credit card file by calling the customer service number (listed on the back of your credit card).  This does NOT change the address where your statement is sent.  We contact your bank to verify the alternate address.
• Only "last 4" on receipt.  If your package is lost or stolen, your credit card number is not on the receipt.  Only the last 4 digits are shown.
• Option to call us with your credit card.  Even though our shopping cart encrypts your credit card (very safe, SSL encryption), we give you the option of calling us (toll-free) with your credit card number.  PLEASE never e-mail your credit card number to us or anyone (your number is not secure that way).
• Paper Files.  We don't keep your credit card number on a computer.  The files are paper only.  If you enter your credit card online, your card number is encrypted.  Decoding the number requires decryption software and a user ID and password.  We carefully control the user ID and password.

Visa's Zero Liability Policy

It's simple. When you use your Visa card to shop online, in a store, or anywhere…you're protected. With Visa's new Zero Liability policy, your liability for unauthorized transactions is $0. Shop safely and confidently with Visa.*

* U.S.-issued cards only. Visa's Zero Liability policy does not apply to commercial card or ATM transactions, or to PIN transactions not processed by Visa. See your Cardholder Agreement for more details.

Suggestions from Visa:

1. Shop with merchants you know and trust.
2. Be sure to read delivery and return policies and privacy statements on any sites you shop.
3. Always use a secure browser and look for signs of security (e.g., secure URL [https://] or locked padlock) so you know you're shopping in a secure environment.
4. Never send payment information via email.
5. Never provide your card number as proof of age.
6. Keep a record of your transactions.
7. Pay with your credit or check card.

MasterCard's Zero Liability Policy

Have peace of mind knowing you won't be responsible for unauthorized purchases.

Receive the benefit of not being liable in the event of the unauthorized use of your U.S.-issued MasterCard. As a MasterCard cardholder, coverage extends to purchases made in a store, over the telephone, or on the Web.

Zero Liability is provided under the following conditions:

• Your account is in good standing.
• You have exercised reasonable care in safeguarding your card.
• You have not reported two or more unauthorized events in the past 12 months.

Credit Card Security. 

When you place your order online, our shopping cart software encrypts your credit card number and sends it with your order. Credit card orders are processed through our merchant account with Bank of America. This allows us to use the latest anti-fraud tools available to protect the security of your credit card.

Decoded Credit Card:  Your decoded credit card number is NOT stored electronically. The only decoded record of your card number is on paper.  This paper copy of your credit card on file in a locked, secure area of our office.  If a hacker was able to break into our records, your credit card number is not available.  It makes more work for us, but we think it's worth it.

Name and Address Verification:  We verify the name and address on your order against the bank's records.  We don't process the order unless everything matches.  If you want us to ship to an alternate address, contact your bank to add the information.  If you share a card with a family member, please be sure your name is on the account.

Credit Card Verification Number: The purpose of the credit card verification number is to prevent thieves from using your credit card with online and telephone merchants who are not able to compare the signature on the charge ship with the signature on your card.  This is a fairly new internet security mechanism and many people don't know about it.  

The security number is a random number added to your card by your credit card issuer.  When we submit your information to get authorization for the charge, we send the security code in addition to your shipping address. Your card issuer looks to see if your card has enough available credit and also if the verification number and address match their records.  

If anything doesn't match, it's reasonable to assume either there is a typo or the person using the card is not you.  (We will contact you to verify the information.)  Even though there might be enough credit available to process the purchase, it would not be wise for us to process the purchase.  

The verification number is printed in the signature panel on the back of your card following.  There are other numbers; all or part of your card number.  The verification value is the last three digits. 

MasterCard has the same info as Visa but they show the last four digits of your card number, then the 3-digit security number.

Here's info from Visa on card verification value:
http://www.visabrc.com/doc.phtml?2,114,42