Do you ever save your credit card with online retailers?

One shoppers warning about storing your credit card information on retail websites could save you from becoming the next victim of online hacking.

Jerry Rouse said he discovered his Gap account was compromised when he woke up to a series of emails showing unauthorized purchases being shipped to California on his credit card.

"I woke up to a series of emails from Gap saying I had placed an order," Rouse said. "It came in at 4:47 in the morning, and then I got another email at 4:48 saying my order had changed its shipping address."

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Rouse immediately recognized the hack and is blaming himself, not Gap.

He admitted to using an old password and storing his credit card information on the retailer's website.

"They just got into my Gap account, and my credit card was stored on my Gap account," Rouse said.

WATCH: Online shopping customer shows how thieves got into his account:

Should you store your credit card info wit online retailers?

Should you store credit card information online?

Similar incidents of fraud actually surge after the holidays, according to Kristin Lewis, digital privacy expert and chief product officer for Aura.

"Part of it is the abundance of new data and transactions and accounts that get created in November and December during the holidays," Lewis said. "People forget about those accounts. Their new data is circulating, and scammers take advantage of that."

While most online accounts remain secure, she warned against saving credit card information for one-time transactions.

"When people have that information once, they can use it to target any type of account that you have," Lewis said.

When saving your credit card information in online accounts, Lewis strongly advised against using the same password across multiple retail websites and encouraged consumers to use password managers for better security.

"You wouldn't leave your house keys all over the place and not change your locks if you lost them," Lewis said.

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Potential fraud is not the only downside to think about:

Impulse purchases: Credit bureau Experian points out that when your credit card information is entered automatically, theres less of a barrier making it easier to spend.  The kid factor: When payment information is stored, tiny hands can make purchases, whether by accident or on purpose.   

What about two-factor authentication?

Rouse said he wishes Gap had offered a two-step login, or an extra security measure that would have required confirmation before processing the fraudulent order.

"There was no two-factor authentication," Rouse said. "There was never an email before that saying we noticed an unusual login."

According to the media and research company PYMNTS, only 53% of merchants use per-transaction two-factor authentication.

Without that additional security layer, Rouse said he will no longer store credit cards on retail websites.

"If you find yourself not seeing those extra security measures, I would think long and hard about storing that credit card on that website," Rouse said.

And that way, you dont waste your money.

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It has been a tough 12 months for coffee shops everywhere.

At Coffee Emporium, owners Tony Tausch and Eileen Schwab are working to keep prices reasonable despite on-and-off tariffs and rising costs.

"What's been the hardest of course is the roller coaster of just not knowing," Tausch said. "We're going to put the tariffs on, take the tariffs off."

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Rather than dramatically raising prices on cups of coffee, the shop has reduced the size of bagged coffee from 16 to 12 ounces to maintain affordability.

"We were kind of the last holdout in saying let's make the bag a 12-ounce bag, because it's still at a price range that's approachable," Schwab said.

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Abrupt price hikes

Coffee lovers are feeling the pinch as prices for their favorite beverage continue to climb. In the fourth quarter of 2025, the average price for ground roast topped more than $9 per pound.

Coffee prices in November rose nearly 19% compared to a year before. At restaurants, the median cost for a regular cup of coffee reached $3.59, according to the company Toast, though origin and quality can drive prices even higher.

Greg Peters of Talitha Coffee explains that lower-end, store-bought coffees have experienced the largest price increases compared to premium products.

"If you look at it from a percentage standpoint, the increase in the commodity price disproportionately is affecting some of those cheaper coffees," Peters said.

He explained that weather, tariffs, and the rising costs of shipping, labor, and production contribute to a more expensive brew.

Money-saving strategies for coffee lovers

Consumers and coffee shop owners are getting creative to manage expenses without sacrificing the caffeine fix.

Coffee Emporium, for example, is sourcing beans from alternative countries like Rwanda to keep specialty drink prices reasonable for customers.

In a recent report, Talitha Coffee offers this money-saving advice to consumers:

At home:

Brew at home on certain days instead of buying coffee out  Buy whole beans instead of single-serve pods 

At coffee shops:

Choose drip coffee over milk or espresso-based drinks  Bring a reusable mug for potential discounts 

Talitha Coffees report found more than half of coffee drinkers, 55.8%, have a limit of $6 to $8 for a cup of coffee.

"If you value that cafe experience and that high quality cup of coffee, maybe you make sacrifices elsewhere," Peters said.

So think about whether you need that high-end coffee beverage daily, or if you can swap for coffee at home, so you dont waste your money.

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"This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy._______________________"Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps").

Follow John:

Facebook: John Matarese Money Instagram: @johnmataresemoney X/Twitter: @JohnMatarese

For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com