|
The creditcard numbers are used for verification only, not to bill anybody. So the actual number doesn't have to be stored. There are checksums you can calculate which would be unique for every creditcard number but are impossible to generate the original creditcard number from. The checksum would be stored, not the original creditcard number.
This same system is commonly used for passwords. So there's no reverse algorithm. Even when someone would hack into the database he wouldn't get any useful information. So no, you won't have to give your creditcard information to a link-site, only to a billing party that can verify your card. I'm sure there's a billing company what will drop me an e-mail with an offer now ;-)
|