The Geographical Mall – BEWARE!

When you’re surrounded by the lights and glamour of shining billboards and company logos, it can difficult to resist reaching for your wallet. The full experience of consumerism can occur at your local mall. Companies develop all kinds of strategies to sap that money out of your pocket, so beware!

One of the best ways to avoid overspending is to simply avoid the mall as much as possible. Only make “intentional” trips to the store you need to visit, don’t go for the sake of “just looking around.” Trust me, if you go to just look around, you’re most likely going to come out with bags of new things that you’ll regret down the road.

Perhaps you’ve experienced the aggressive marketing style of mall kiosks. You know, those people who ask you if you want to try their new hand lotion or new flying gizmo? This can be especially dangerous to your wallet, as the pressure of someone trying to sell you something face to face can push you to do the transaction.

When you are shopping at the mall, consider the following tips:

1. Carry as few debit cards as possible. Notice I didn’t say “credit cards.” Who wants to actually pay more for an item anyway? By carrying a limited number of debit cards, you lower your risk of overexposing your personal information if it were to be stolen. You’ll have less banks to call to report the loss as well.
2. Carry cash whenever possible. Cash is the ultimate, non-descript form of payment. You’re most secure when you’re paying cash.
3. Put a limit on your spending. Only take a limited amount of money with you when you go shopping. Don’t spend a ridiculous amount of money for no reason!

The Mall In The Sky

The cloud. The web. The internet. Whatever you want to call it, the online shopping mall is becoming ever more popular. Think about it – you don’t have to get off the couch to order the latest and greatest. There are a number of advantages to shopping online:

• Filtered shopping experience. When you’re shopping online, you can filter your search results by merchant, item type, or price. This is a huge plus for those looking to control their spending! Simply type in what you want to find, and blammo! There it is! The eBillme website has this great feature and more. Check it out!
• Savings you’ll find nowhere else. Let’s face it – merchants hate paying for physical stores. They rather have you purchase items online and send your products directly to you. Often, they’ll pass the savings on to you! Look for the lowest price you can find online, you’ll be amazing at how much you can actually save!
• Security from theft. It is much more difficult to steal encrypted financial information online than it is to steal the wallet from your back pocket. Thefts and cons occur all the time to take your financial information. When you shop online, there is a certain level of protection associated with those transactions. eBillme has developed a great system to use your bank’s online bill pay to securely purchase almost any item you can imagine. You can shop safe with eBillme.

What are some ways that you protect yourself while shopping? Do you set a limit on your spending? Meet us in the comments!

Ever wondered What does ‘Live Debt Free’ Really Mean?

When you walk up to the counter in a store you have a variety of payment choices, be it the traditional credit cards, store branded credit cards, cash, debit, etc… and as the data is telling us, people are most comfortable with cash. Offering a variety of methods means giving customers comfort when it comes to the thing that matters most, their money.

Yesterday we saw an example of that with Apple and the iPad, the scenario was fairly straight forward, customer takes $600 to a store to buy an iPad, she is rejected, and the news is all over it.

When it comes to online shopping the payment mix is quite different. The majority of payments are credit or credit alternatives. Customers are clearly not shopping with their prefered payment methods.

Are some customers not buying online because you only offer credit?

The Answer is yes, and the amount was estimated by Javelin Research to be a staggering 21.1 Billion in 2008 alone!

Will giving people choice at the checkout get you a new customer?

The answer is yes. If you offer a secure cash payment option such as eBillme and allow consumers to pay with money they have without disclosing personal financial information, be it using online banking or walk-in (Similar to the iPad scenario) you are going to gain sales, and new loyal customers.

Do you agree that offering a secure cash payment method at the checkout will help you increase sales?

· Online: Card numbers can easily get “hijacked” and debit cards are more risky to use because they’re linked directly to your account.

· Buying “Big Ticket” Items: A credit card offers more protection, and in many cases will offer an extended warrantee with your purchase.

· Anywhere requiring a deposit: Pay with a credit card, and the store gets its deposit while you retain access to your money.

· Restaurants: Many restaurants approve the card for more with the intent that you’ll leave a tip. The amount frozen for this transaction could be more than your original tab!

· Recurring Payments: If you forget to deduct that automatic withdrawal one month, you could bounce an important check.

These are just some of the tips that they offer to keep you safe when using your debit card. Like they mention in their tips, sometimes an alternative payment option offers much more security when paying online. eBillme offers platinum buyer protection that covers the customer just in case, and furthermore you don’t have to supply any of your personal information to pay cash online. Visit us at www.ebillme.com to find out more about how eBillme works and discover debt free living.