Do you ever worry about credit card fraud? Are you concerned that an identity thief might get your credit card information and ruin your credit history? While identify theft does happen, you don’t need to worry. There are plenty of things you can do to protect your credit card information from unauthorised use.

Use these 7 tips to better protect your credit card information today.

1. Always know where your credit cards are.

Keep credit cards in your wallet or handbag (or another safe place) at all times unless you’re using them. Don’t leave them sitting on a table at a restaurant or on a checkout counter at a store for example. The less often your cards are visible to strangers, the less of a chance there is that someone will write down or photograph the credit card information (which is easy to do with the prevalence of camera phones).

2. Never give your credit card to someone else.

The moment you give your credit card to someone, you cease to know how it’s being handled (you might keep it safe, but the person you loan it to might not). If you have another authorised user, they should have an additional credit card of their own so they don’t have to use yours.

3. Don’t write your PIN on your credit card (or store it where you keep your card).

If you write your PIN on your credit card, someone could make cash withdrawals with it. Without the PIN, that isn’t possible. PINs are meant to be an added security measure, but they can’t do their job if you broadcast them to others. Choose a PIN that will be easy to remember (but not obvious to anyone else) so you won’t have to write it down.

4. Keep a copy of your credit card information.

You should have a copy of all of your credit card information, and it should be stored separately from your credit cards (for example, not in your wallet). This way if your wallet or credit cards are lost or stolen, you’ll be able to call each credit card company to quickly have the cards deactivated before they can be used by a potential thief.

5. Keep your credit cards on you or in a safe place when you travel.

When you travel it’s even more important than usual to protect your credit card information. They may be your primary funding source, making it difficult to enjoy the rest of your trip if they’re lost or stolen. Avoid having to deal with extra charges for rush replacements by keeping your credit cards on you at all times (or somewhere safe) while travelling. You might even want to keep credit cards in different places so you can’t lose all of your credit cards at once. For example, you might keep one card in your wallet and another in the safe in your hotel room.

6. Make sure websites are secure before providing your credit card information.

Consumers often worry about using their credit cards online, fearing that online shopping can expose their credit card information. It’s not really more dangerous than shopping over the telephone or handing your credit card to a waiter who could write down the information. But you still have to be careful. To start, make sure any online retailer you visit has a secure site during the order process. When you’re placing your order, two things to look for are https:// in the Web page’s address bar (instead of http://) and a padlock icon somewhere in your browser window (usually in one of the lower corners of your browser). A secure site encrypts your personal information while it’s transmitted to the retailer, better protecting you from online identity thieves and credit card fraud.

7. Review your credit card statements carefully.

The most important thing you can do to protect your credit card information against unauthorised use is to carefully review every credit card statement you receive. If you’re able to review recent purchases online in between statements, do that as well. The more closely you monitor your credit card activity, the more likely it is that you’ll catch discrepancies or unauthorised charges. If anything looks unusual, report it to the credit card company immediately. It can be the difference between a small charge and massive debt being run up in your name if the problem goes unchecked.

Credit card fraud is an unfortunate reality, but there are things you can do to protect yourself. The key is to be proactive. By putting these tips to use, you can keep your credit information out of the hands of thieves and better protect your credit history.