When compared to the alternative payment methods of our past — namely cash and checks — credit cards provide an unbeatable level of purchasing security. For instance, given the extensive fraud protection offered by credit card companies, you rarely need to worry about your credit card being stolen and used to put you in debt, as many issuers cap (or eliminate) your liability. Chip-and-PIN cards require a four-digit PIN for purchase verification. At the same time, no payment method is 100% secure, as fraudsters and thieves are constantly looking for new ways to get their hands on your money. Thankfully, you can look for a few security features that will help prevent unauthorized use of your credit cards. The most important thing you can do is ensure your credit card is sporting the latest processing technology — the EMV microchip — rather than relying on outdated magnetic-stripe technology. While the old mag-stripe cards carried static information about your account that anyone could duplicate, the newer EMV-chip cards generate a unique code for each transaction that makes duplication difficult.