Today marks online shopping bonanza

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Today, Monday 3 December, is likely to be the most popular day to shop online according to the UK payments association, APACS.

The trade body for payment clearing made the prediction, along with the forecast that Christmas shoppers are expected to spend over £5 billion online this December, as part of its launch of a new advice website.

Sandra Quinn, director of communications at APACS, said: "We reckon that Monday 3 December is likely to be one of the busiest online shopping days of the year."

She added: "More and more of us are buying our Christmas presents online and the evidence suggests we like to do so about three weeks before the big day to ensure they are delivered on time."

APACS figures show that the number of adults shopping online has more than doubled in the last five years to almost 30 million and its recently released figures estimate that total spending on cards, cash and cheques will reach £53 billion in December, an increase of 4.2 per cent on 2006 figures.

Broken down, total spending on cards is expected to increase by 9.9 per cent this December (compared with last December). Spending on cards at online retailers is expected to increase by more than half (55.6 per cent) from £3.6 billion in December 2006 to £5.6 billion in December this year, amounting to over a billion pounds spent a week in the run up to Christmas.

The newly-launched APACS' Shop Safe Online website and the Paying Safely Online advice guide offer safety steps which online shoppers should take before they buy something over the internet. The guide provides top tips to be aware of when shopping online and gives helpful advice on what to do if things go wrong.

Quinn said: "Simple measures such as protecting your PC with the most up-to-date antivirus software can go a long way to ensuring your safety when using the internet. Similarly, registering your card with MasterCard SecureCode or Verified by Visa can provide extra protection when you shop online."

The new website shows how to sign up to these systems and contains a free-to-download copy of the Paying Safely Online advice guide.

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