How to Pay on AliExpress by Credit or Debit Card. Is it Safe?

To shop online, you can choose one of the following payment methods:

• an e-wallet;
• a bank transfer;
• a bank card.

Just like other payment methods, there are a lot of different types of bank cards. For those wondering if they have to use a certain type of card to buy on Aliexpress, the answer is, no. Although exceptions do exist, the general rule is that today you can freely use any international card to pay for online purchases. Since there are several nuances to be taken into account, let’s talk more about this.

Visa and Mastercard are the most popular payment systems used by banks; they’re followed by American Express which is, however, a bit less common. For an average person, there is no difference between them. If we talk about online payment, Visa and Mastercard are fine.

Bank cards are divided into types (e.g., Electron, Premium, Gold, Platinum). In the past, the card type affected the ability to conduct transactions online, but that’s no longer the case. In the modern world, you can pay for purchases on the Internet whatever bank card you have.

! Anyway, make sure online payments are allowed for your card.

As a rule, your card has a daily spending limit on online purchases. For example, it may be set at 100$ in a 24 hour period. In order to increase or completely remove the limit, you can contact the bank with a corresponding request. There is also online banking giving you an ability to manage your account through the Internet so you can change your spending limit (and perform other actions) on your own.

! Please take into account that the difficulties that arise when trying to pay online using the Visa Electron card are caused exactly by the payment limits.

Cards for online shopping

There is a stereotype that buying online is not safe because fraudsters can steal the card data and use it for their purposes. This is an exaggeration. By following the simple tips below you can minimize the risks of online shopping and, therefore, sleep well at night.

Get an additional card specifically for online purchases and deposit the minimum amount of money you need to buy online. It’s a safe and convenient way to buy online since you can link this card to your account in online stores and be calm for the safety of your savings in other accounts.

Use virtual cards. A virtual card is card details that are necessary for making a payment or purchasing goods on the Internet. This is not a physical object, meaning that you cannot touch it, and is available for one-time purchase only. Virtual cards have advantages and disadvantages, but we will talk more about that next time.

It has to be noted that many banks and websites use 3D Secure technology that protects cardholders from fraudsters. The essence of the technology is that a user has to confirm any transaction with the SMS password that they receive on their mobile phone. Otherwise, the transfer is blocked.

Is there a reason to use non-US dollar currency while paying on AliExpress?

There is not. You can pay in USD without any problems; moreover, non-US dollar transactions are automatically converted in USD.

For example, if you pay on AliExpress with a Russian Ruble card, you will see the price of goods in Rubles and how much money will be withdrawn from the account.

Unfortunately, not all sites are as convenient as AliExpress. If you pay with a ruble card on a website where the prices are in dollars, the price is converted into rubles according to the exchange rate set by the bank. This is inconvenient, as you do not know exactly how much money you are spending.

Do I get cash back when paying with my bank card?

You always get AliExpress cashback, no matter what payment method you’ve chosen. You can withdraw money to your bank card, as well as to PayPal, WebMoney, QIWI, YandexMoney and other online wallets.

Have a nice shopping!