Aspiring web designer's beginner's question

[MissDaBeat]

I'm at the point where people are expressing an interest in having little old me build websites for them. Mainly just simple pages for small businesses. My question will seem somewhat naive I'm sure to most of the people here who'll read it, but I just need a little guidance, so please bear with me!

I'm unsure about how to handle things once I have built a website for a client. I mean, I know how to build websites, by webspace and a domain name for *myself*, but when it comes to buying on behalf of a client, who wants a finished website which they can update via ftp, I'm unsure how to go about this. It's a security issue - they need password access to be able to ftp, but that will give them access to my credit card details which I have used to buy the space for them with.

I've got no aspirations to be a web host or anything like that. I just want to be able to produce websites for people that they can update as ands when they like. Is it normal for webhosts to offer the possibilty of having two (or more) passwords relating to some space that has been bought by an person - so, one password for all the account information, and another for ftp access?

This is such a basic issue, but I just don't know what the usual practice is. Please give me a pointer or two, anyone!

[transmothra]

i generally make clients buy the domain and hosting themselves. i've never run across a service that actually stores credit card numbers, though, so there hasn't been any issues yet with them giving me the FTP login details (knock on wood).

[fredricknish]

How could someone get your credit card details with a ftp password?

Most web hosts give your two passwords - one for settings/account info and one for FTP.Some hosts let you make multiple FTP usernames.

If your worried about your credit card details then just give your client the FTP password or make another username for your client if your host lets you make another username.

[MissDaBeat]

Thanks to both of you, transmothra and fredricknish. :)

trans, I would love to be able to do that, but generally the people requesting a site really want just to be presented with the finished site and not to have to go through the process themselves of buying webspace and a domain name with their credit cards. Thanks for indulging my naivety here!

fred, so far I have only payed for webspace once - until now I have been using freespace - and my FTP password has until now been the same as my account password. It's just the first time that I have had to face this issue. I am still fairly new to making websites for other people.

Indeed, the webhost I'm using does allow the creation of multiple FTP names - so I will investigate that. Thanks for pointing it out to me, I do appreciate it. :)

[leoo24]

i hold none of my client's credit card details (third party processor or direct bank transfer where it's me who gives out the bank details) and setup their accounts with passwords of their choosing.
Most hosts work in the same way.
All your clients would be able to do is 'update' the credit card details but not actually view yours.
Similar to when you update a password in many applications, you don't get to see the old one, ie:

old password: *********
new password: __________
repeat new password:____________

Ofcourse this can't be done through ftp but through the hosting control panel, which ther client will need access to to update any contact info etc, or when the amount of hosting you have prepaid for runs out and they ahve to enter their CC details.