4 Tips to Shop Safely

Shopping safely. It is something to look, for now, both online and in-person, as just about every encounter where consumers and their finances meet the real world these days carries a risk.

Considering this, more than a few retailers have begun encouraging self-checkout and minimizing cash payments. There is no known risk of COVID-19 transmission from cash, and the World Health Organization has repeatedly debunked rumors to the contrary. But face-to-face interaction and hand-to-hand transactions is a different transmission risk altogether, and not just limited to cash at the checkout.

You see it most at large grocery stores, where food retailers have beefed up frontline hygiene and begun to limit human contact as much as possible, using technology and ingenuity to keep commerce active. Some are implementing line-free mobile checkout as a safer way to shop.

Actions are being taken at stores that see high customer foot traffic flowing through their cashier lanes. Customers in line are carefully distanced from each other with hi-vis floor markings, and one-way checkout.

Empeople has a role to play in this safety measure, too, and if you use a smartphone with a mobile wallet, we make paying with your Empeople credit and debit cards convenient and secure at checkout. No cash needs to change hands, no social distance needs to be shortened.

Secure, Contactless Payments

1. Mobile wallet payments are quick, easy, and secure when used on your mobile device. Mobile wallets can be downloaded from Apple Pay, G Pay, and Samsung Pay and can provide quick checkout options when shopping online through your mobile device or in-store at retailers who accept mobile wallet payments.

Here is how it works:

• Download the mobile wallet app from our website.
• Add your credit card or debit card information to the mobile wallet.
• At check out, open the mobile wallet and choose your card.
• Look for the Universal pay symbol.
• For an in-store purchase, hold your mobile device at the secure terminal.

2. Visa Checkout: Visa Secure Online Checkout is a mobile wallet for your personal computer. On sites displaying a click-to-pay button, cardholders that have enabled their Visa card no longer have to enter a 16-digit primary account number, look up passwords or fill out long forms to make a purchase. You can save your card information securely on the Visa Checkout website and use this technology to pay anywhere you see the Visa Checkout logo online.

3. Empeople credit and debit cards linked to a Empeople account can also be securely used with peer-to-peer payment systems, also known as P2P payments or money transfer apps. Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, and Cash App all allow users to transfer funds from online devices to each other through a linked bank account or card. While in use at some retailers, these P2P apps are mostly for small transactions between individuals. For example, splitting large restaurant bills with lots of friends or paying a neighbor for purchases at a garage sale.

Empeople also has its own Digital Banking App to manage both your accounts and your cards on the go and from the convenience of your own device – laptop, desktop, tablet, or smartphone – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With our online account management tool, we make this possible.

To make life even easier, we suggest enrolling in card alerts to monitor card activity and, for even more protection, we have already enrolled you in fraud alerts.

Empeople has a credit card to suit your needs, whether you prefer cashback, a low-interest rate, or a rewards program. We also offer:

• Trip cancellation/interruption coverage.
• Lost luggage reimbursement.
• Signature card auto rental collision damage waiver.
• Platinum and Platinum Plus card auto rental collision damage waiver.
• Cardholder inquiry service.
• Emergency card/cash disbursement.

Just so you know, during the application process we review your FICO score. It’s important for you to understand what goes into your FICO score, so please read more about them here. As always, please reach out with any questions you may have.