How to Check for the Little Padlock Before Typing Your Credit Card on a Website
July 11, 2026 · by Porchswing Technology
A quick look before you hand over the card
Think about buying something at a small shop you've never been to. Before you pull out your wallet, you probably glance around — is the place tidy? Is there a real cash register? Does the door have a proper lock? You're just making sure it's the real thing.
Websites work the same way. There's a small symbol at the top of your screen that tells you whether the website has a proper lock on the door — meaning the information you type (like your credit card number) travels in a sealed envelope, not on the back of a postcard anyone can read.
That symbol is a tiny padlock, and it takes about two seconds to check.
Where to find the padlock
Open Safari (the blue compass icon) on your iPhone and go to any website — say, your bank or a shop where you're about to buy something.
Look near the very top of the screen, in the strip where the website's address is shown. Just to the left of the address, you should see a small padlock icon. It looks like a tiny closed lock, about the size of a comma.
If the padlock is there, the site is using a secure connection. That doesn't guarantee the company is honest, but it does mean nobody can peek at what you type on the way to them.
What to do if the padlock isn't there
Sometimes, instead of a padlock, you'll see the words "Not Secure" in that same spot. That's your iPhone waving a small red flag.
If you see "Not Secure" on a page that's asking for your credit card number, your password, or any personal information — stop. Don't type anything in. Close the page and either:
- Type the website address in yourself, carefully, in case you landed on a fake copy
- Call the company using a phone number from a bill or statement, not one from the suspicious page
- Skip it entirely and buy from somewhere you already trust
The padlock isn't a perfect guarantee, but the absence of one on a payment page is a clear sign to walk away.
A quick test you can do right now
Open Safari and visit two websites, one after the other. Try your bank's website first. Look at the top — you should see the padlock. Now try any random website you happen to know.
Getting your eye trained to notice that little lock takes about a minute of practice. After that, you'll spot it — or notice it's missing — without even thinking about it.
One more thing worth knowing
A padlock tells you the connection is sealed. It does not tell you the company on the other end is honest. Scammers can set up fake websites with padlocks too.
So the padlock is one check, not the only check. Also look at the web address itself. Real banks and shops have simple, familiar addresses — chase.com, amazon.com, target.com. If the address is long, full of odd words, or misspelled ("amaz0n" with a zero instead of an "o"), that's another red flag, padlock or no padlock.
Try this today
Next time you're about to type your credit card number into a website — even a familiar one — pause for two seconds and glance up at the top of the screen. Find the padlock. Read the address. Make sure it looks right.
It's the online version of checking the lock on the shop door before handing over your cash. A small habit, and one that can save you a great deal of trouble.
Need a hand with your technology? We're here to help. Give PorchSwing a call or book an appointment, and we'll walk you through it at your own pace — no rush, no jargon.