How secure is bill paying over the internet?

If using Internet Explorer, look for a little lock in the lower right of your screen when accessing a bill payment page. If that is there, you are on a secure server that is nearly always safe for transactions. Any respectable website, such as your bank, will have this feature.

I am a banker. There is more identity thief than ever before. You are actually more secure using your bank's bill paying system. As noted, make sure you see the little padlock. Also, inquire if your bank is using a multi-fascited log in (most are). Current statistic shows more identity thief occurs from front-line employees using or selling your information gotten off your personal check or credit card which they are handling than from a reputable internet site.

Wrong, wrong, wrong !!!!! She is correct. The bank server may be secure but getting there is not. You cannot depend on any internet cafe to have secure computers. Any computer could have spyware installed which could capture any keystroke -- you accounts numbers, pass words, etc. How are you going to judge "respectiable" internet site? Even a repectable site could be compromised and they would not necessarily know it.

Even if you are using WiFi, the connection is still encrypted using standard web security. Given the choice I would rather use a personal laptop. connected to the internet via WiFi, rather then an internet cafe. At least with your own PC you know that there isn't any keyboard logging software installed;assuming you have virus protection of course. But even if you do use an internet cafe, the risk fairly low. As was mentioned before, most fraud occurs with very low-tech methods like rummaging through garbage cans, and store clerks writing down CC numbers.

As a retired computer security person, I agree with the poster urging caution. While transmission between your computer and the bank may be secure, the connection between your brain and the program's encryption may not be and the most likely point of attack (given someone is not looking over your shoulder) is a keystroke logger. Bring your own machine.
If you must use a computer other than your own, look to see that between users, the system logs off the previous user; the browser (i.e. Internet Explorer) is configured not to remember things; the system prohibits you from saving files (especially applications) on the machine; and if you bring up task manager, you don't see any unusual applications.

For someone there for a long time, talk to the people at the internet cafe about their policies to protect users (i.e. allowing saving of files and resetting IE. Set up a separate account with minimal money to use as needed and recharge it by phone to your bank.

I'm a telecommunications engineer. Wi-Fi or Internet Cafes are not secure places to pay bills. Several stories have been on the TV where the reporter and a hacker sit outside a Wi-Fi place and can view where anybody inside is visiting online. They can see their keystrokes. They can't hack their computer but they can see what you are doing. It's most foolish to use credit card numbers and passwords in such a place. Internet Cafes are sometimes hardwired and sometimes Wi-Fi. I wouldn't trust either. I travel frequently and never check my banking accounts or pay bills online outside of my home and my secure router. Sorry to be so paranoid but you're vulnerable out there.

On paying credit card bills online, you not only look for the padlock, you look at the URL and see if it begins HTTPS://. The S stands for secure. It's a special secure site.

Any suggestions if you must use an internet cafe and type in your credit card info? I'll need to purchase train tickets online for a saver fare while in Germany a few days in advance of a trip between Salzburg and Zurich.

I check my bank account almost daily via the internet when I'm traveling. Even in the unlikely event that someone did get a hold of my password there is not a lot a thief could do with it. My credit union only allows me to check activity, balances, and transfer money between checking and savings. So even in if someone did steal my password, the worst they could do is transfer money between savings and checking; annoying but nothing to loose sleep over. Same goes with the site for my credit cards. Again even if someone did get the password, what are they going to do with it??? Pay my bills with it; not even my entire credit card number appears on these site. I think there is a lot of over the top paranoia about this topic. In fact there are a couple trip I've taken where some minor financial emergencies occurred at home, if I didn't have access to my account on the internet I would have had to cut my trips short to fly home and take care of it. For me it's a risk I'm willing to take.

I agree with Michael Schneider - I am more than willing to take the "risk" of checking my bank accounts & paying bills on my bank's website while I am away from home (Europe or elsewhere). I even send my credit card info in emails to the smaller hotels that I wish to book. I have never had a problem but I will say that I check my balances and credit cards pretty regularly (via the Internet of course) so if anything fishy turns up I could take care of it.

A local financial "guru" has said that people should be more worried about giving their credit card - the actual card with the expiration date, security #, etc. to a complete stranger who will take it away and be gone for several minutes behind closed doors - i.e. your waiter - than they should be about using the Internet.

Of course I may be a pretty adventurous person - I also show up in Europe with no Euros to begin with and "take a chance" at the many many ATM's that are located all over the International Airports...

We heartily "give" our cc# over the internet to little hotels to book our room, but we're afraid of paying our bills on line?

Check to see if your bank or merchant you are paying will allow you to set up payment ahead of time. For instance, I can program my AMEX bill to be paid on Dec 25th even though today is Nov 1st.

Many internet cafes will "time" you out after you are done with your transaction, erasing any cookies, etc. I have checked my credit union throughout Europe and (knock on wood) have not had any problems.

You can also do your bills the "Old fashion" way.. mail it before you depart. That does mean getting 41 cents stamp and writing a paper check! LOL