A WOMAN from Sidcup has revealed her fear of paying online – believed to be more common than arachnophobia.

Linda Stubberfield avoids paying for things online at all costs, known as paynuphobia.

More than a quarter of 2,000 people asked by the Payments Council said they suffered from the fear, with fewer respondents afraid of spiders.

Mrs Stubberfield said: “I’m happy to bank online, but paying for things online frightens me. I know it’s silly, but it makes me feel really unsettled.

“People always say that buying things online or using new ways of paying can sometimes save you money, but I get too worried.”

The 60-year-old was put off when her card was declined while trying to book a holiday on the Internet.

He added: “I had to talk to both my bank and the holiday company as it said the transaction was still going through. “I ended up sorting it out through the shop on the high street.”

The research was carried out by the  Pay Your Way campaign: http://www.payyourway.org.uk/