Shopping online can offer greater convenience, greater selection and in some cases better prices. And for busy mums and dads, it can be a godsend, freeing you from maddening supermarket queues and carpark nightmares.

But just like shopping in a store, or over the phone, there are some basic rules to follow when you shop online to ensure the best possible shopping experience. Safe online shopping is all about doing your homework.

If you’ve never shopped online, start with recommendations from family and friends, and always try to find out as much as possible about the company before you hand over your credit card details. It is also a good idea to stick with Australian sites because that way you know you are covered by Australian law if something goes wrong.

When you’re confident you’ve found a trustworthy site and you’re ready to buy, here are some tips:

• Check the description of the product, price — including delivery costs, currency and taxes — and warranty details. Good shopping sites should give you the opportunity to confirm or reject your order before you pay for it.

• Choose a payment method — credit card, cheque, money order, Bpay etc. In most cases it’s safest to pay by credit card — Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club and America Express all have chargeback schemes and won’t hold you liable for undelivered goods or unauthorised transactions. Check the exact terms and conditions of your credit card as schemes can vary, however.

• Confirm the site has a secure checkout— Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software is the most common technology used to secure shopping sites. It encrypts or scrambles your personal information as it travels over the web.

• Check where your details will be stored later — some online businesses store them on a secure server or destroy them once the transaction has been processed.