Electronic trade and payment
In the following we shall give you some simple pieces of advice in connection with payment for goods and services purchased through the internet. The simplest rules to remember can be summarized as follows:

• Make sure the web store has given its physical address so that you may get in touch with the firm without using the internet. For Norwegian firms it ought to be possible to obtain their organisation number.
• Be cautious when asked to pay in advance. In most cases consumers are not expected to pay anything before receiving a product or service.
• If you are paying by card, i.e. stating your card number or other data when placing an order, you should make sure that the information given is transmitted securely.
• Never send cash in a letter.
• When making an order, print out a copy of the pages containing your order and the web store's order confirmation.
• If you are using the web store for the first time, you should find out if the payment and delivery terms are displayed. The site should also indicate how they handle personal data.

Forms of payment
Shopping on the internet is in many ways similar to mail-order shopping. The order is transmitted electronically, but the goods are sent by mail or messenger. If you order goods, the simplest and safest form of payment is probably cash on delivery. Still, as when ordering by mail, it may happen that you do not receive what you have ordered. If you order from unknown web stores you may run into difficulties when making a complaint.

In some cases the vendor may want you to pay by check or postal order, or by transferring the amount agreed on to their account. Neither of these methods of payment are advisable, as it means paying before you receive the goods.

If you use a credit card it is normally easier to stop payment, if the goods received are not up to standard, by making a complaint when receiving the bill from the credit card company. When you use a credit card, take care to ensure that information such as the credit card number and date of expiry are transmitted securely.

Most browsers use symbols to indicate that you are visiting a page where information is processed securely. In Microsoft Internet Explorer this is marked by a small padlock displayed in the lower right-hand corner of the frame round the browser programme. If you use the Netscape browser, a key is used, and the symbol appears in the lower left-hand corner of the frame round the browser programme. Another indication that an internet page transmits information securely is when the site starts with the letters https instead of http which you find at the beginning of the address of ordinary internet pages. Note that even these pages do not always provide adequate security.

Before paying by bank card on the internet, you should check the rules that apply to the card you are using, and also whether payment on the internet is mentioned in the user agreement.

You will find more general information on our data security page.
It is also important to be aware that both credit and payment cards are normally accepted. If a payment card is used, the account will be debited right away and it may be more difficult to make a complaint.

Marking systems
Several international marking systems exist in which an independent organisation guarantees that the web store complies with an ethical code, and to which complaints may often be directed. Such an arrangement, called Nsafe, has been established in Norway. This system is the result of cooperation between the Consumers' Council and the trade organisation eforum.