What are the safety issues involved when an iTunes account is set up? Can the card number and the cvv number be stolen? Can false transactions take place? What if the device iPad or iPod or iPhone is stolen? Can the thief run up a large bill?

Number one: they need your password. Number two: like most, all that is left is your last four digits. As far as stealing your cc info or ccv, it's 98.6% unprovable. We aren't dealing with S**y. I have had an iOS device for two years now, I have lent my phone to some sketchy ppl, but never has anyone even tried to buy an app. (you need the psw every time you buy an app unless it's like within a minute of your last purchase.) worst case scenario, someone figures out your password, all they can buy is iTunes. Even in your account settings, you need the pw, and it only shows the last four digits. If they get through, they'll just know your billing address. I guess they'll stalk your bank statement.

Basically: NO WORRIES

Sent from my iPad 2 using iPF

There's no need to use a credit card on iTunes. Just buy an iTunes card. Easy to find at most stores.

If you only download free apps you don't to give credit card info.

Don't worry too much. If there is any fraud, your card issuer should reimburse you anyway.

Apple has had some form of CC on file for me since 2005 and I have had no issues with CC fraud.

Credit card theif is real and while you can be careful on your end, there is very little you can do to ensure the store you're giving it to will not lose it. Just about every major company (retail, and financial) has lost credit card data in some way. Some times it's stolen, some times they just post it on the internet, in any case it gets taken. Sometimes its not even the company that you are doing business with that makes the mistake. In most cases a company will have a clearing house company that handles the credit card part of the purchase and they screw up and lose your data.

Simple fact credit cards are not that secure, that is why banks do not hold you for false changes.

Security will improve on credit cards when the cost to add the security becomes less then the credit card fraud amount.

In Europe credit cards have smart chips in them, US banks will not add them due to the cost.

Fraud vs Security , which is cheaper and go with that.

I won't comment on the overall security of credit cards online. Obviously there is no such thing a perfect security. You can only look at a companies reputation, make your choise, and take your chances.

However, the cvv is not stored on a companies servers. The whole point of a cvv is that it confirms that you are the one approving the card. As such it is only passed on to the bank for approval. While I'm not sure of the legalities involved, Im pretty sure any company caught archiving cvv codes, especially if they kept them associated with the credit card, would find themselves on the very pointy end of someone's legal department.

Unfortunately, or not depending on you convenience vs security stance, it is obviously possible to make charges on a card without the cvv. I'm pretty sure a company has to submit it at least once, but after that they can use one-click style purchases.

But anyone stealing the card info would (should) not be able to do that. If they steal your identity at the store, that's another can of worms.

I have done business with Apple for a long time. A few years ago, I had some charges for a computer and other items that were charged to my credit card. It was detected by my CC company who then checked with me, especially since it was being shipped elsewhere. I do not know how it happened, but Apple and my credit card company took care of everything. My only issue was having to do without my credit card until a new one arrived. Nothing is 100% safe, but this appears to be limited to buying from Apple online. My feeling is when you deal online, the odds are that you eventually have a scare. It is up to you to take reasonable precautions. Use the minimum number of cards possible. Keep track of your accounts. Keep your maximum at a number you can live with if you hit it. You may have $10,000 credit line, but you can set your limit to $3,000 for protection. If you have to go past the limit you set, it would be easy to do a money transfer to pay your account down. There are other ways to improve your safety, but these are a good start. Apple is one of the better companies at protecting your account. It is one of only a handful that I will use my regular card with. With the other companies, if I had a need to buy from them, I will get a one time card number from my CC company.

Originally Posted by jimmy20

I wanna buy from amazon, hope be safe.

I have had my details with Amazon UK for years with no issues () so far.

Sent from Wales, using my iPad & iPF.

I guess you have to trust someone, and big companies like Apple, Amazon etc. Take security very seriously. Even if the worse happened, and your iPad was stolen, once informed, your iTunes account would be locked. Even if there was a delay in you discovering it was missing, the thief would still need your password.

I have accounts with Amazon, ITunes and many other companies, mostly in the music business. I have never had a problem with any of them.

Sent from my iPad using iPF