The internet is an exciting place to shop. From the comfort of your own armchair you can browse for literally anything, from a new camera, to a holiday or flight. You are not restricted to the stores in your local town, or even country and you can pick up deals at great prices on a whole range of products.

Shopping online is just as safe as handing over your credit card in a store or restaurant. However, it is worth remembering a few basic points:

• Never respond to an email request for credit card details. All reputable companies will conduct transactions with you over a secure website connection.
• Only buy from trusted brands and websites.
• Check a website's returns and privacy policy before going ahead with a purchase.
• Check that you are entering your details through a secure payment connection.
• Beware of deals that seem too good to be true.
• Beware of the limitations of the internet. The internet may not the best place to buy clothes or other products you need to see, touch or try on.

  All reputable websites use secure payment systems. These are either a company's own system, such as the one used by www.virginmedia.com, or a 3rd party system such as Worldpay or Paypal.

When conducting a transaction over the internet, look for the yellow padlock in the grey status bar at the bottom of your browser page. This is an indication that the transaction is being conducted over a secure connection.

You should also notice when you click through to the transaction page of a company's website that the URL in the address bar begins https:// (instead of the normal http://). This is the standard encrypted communication mechanism on the internet and means that your credit card details are being sent securely.