Comments on: Should You Sign Your Credit Card?

By: Renee

Renee — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:34:31 +0000

I work at a retail store and I always ask for Id when a customer is using a credit or debit card. Most of my customers are thankful, and some get annoyed or mad, but my purpose is to show I care for them as a customer and it’s for there protection.

By: Yvonne

Yvonne — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:07:02 +0000

I have search far and wide and NEVER seen anything anywhere where it was against the law or in breach of the merchant credit card agreements for a merchant to request to see an ID. To record data from the ID yes, but to ask to see it, no. True the sale cannot be declined if the cardholder refuses to provide ID but I have read the merchant agreements with Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express and no where does it say I cannot ask to see the ID.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:07:51 +0000

I agree with Frank. And, in fact, I just talked to our “credit card guy” (I manage a bookstore) and he says this:
The merchant is to prevent fraud as well as they can. The merchant may, and IS ENCOURAGED TO, always ask for ID, whether the credit card is signed, says “check ID” or is blank. ALWAYS. When I told him of what Nick said as the first response here, he told me that as a merchant I MAY ALWAYS VERIFY A CARD WITH A PERSON’S ID.
Also, it is not my business as a merchant to “inform” or “educate” my customers on the virtues of signing or “check id” or leaving the card blank–all are acceptable for a merchant. (Even a blank card.) However, he did point out that if you leave your card blank, what’s to prevent a thief from signing your card and even creating a fake ID? …the signatures would be a spot-on match.

By: Frank

Frank — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:19:30 +0000

I work in retail and I was informed by a gentleman that (I asked for his ID even though the card was signed) I was not allowed to check his ID if his card was signed. It turns out that he was right, i apologized to him and went on with my day.

Thinking back, i thought, what is the worst thing that could happen if I ask for ID when the card is signed. Worst case scenario, I waisted 10 seconds of somebodies life, big whoop. Best case scenario, i avoided a fraudulent charge that could be traced back to my store.

Now i realize that according to MC and VISA that I am not suppose to ask for ID when the card is signed, but WHAT IS THE HARM. I have never once in 5 years of retail had anybody frown upon me for asking for their ID (except twice when i stopped a fraudulant charge). 7 out of 10 times, i get thanked for it.

I sure as hell know that if my card were lost, i wouldn’t care if it was signed or not, i would want somebody checking the ID of whoever had my card, possibly giving me the extra time needed to realize that it was missing, and for me to suspend the card.

I guess my point/question here is WHAT IS THE HARM. Another thing, if anybody works in retail, you should have some kind of guide as to the process of accepting credit cards. I looked mine up and it says to compare the signature on the card to the signature on the drivers liscense. I’ll bet if anybody out there is in retail and looks up their cred card acceptance policies, yours will say the same thing.

I know i keep rambling on, but let’s play this scenario and see if somebody can answer this.

SCENARIO:
I step out of my store for a smoke break and see a gentleman walking down the sidewalk toward me. I see him bend over and pick up a credit card that was laying on the ground. He comes into my store and want’s to use it to buy something and the back of the card IS signed. What should I do.

As you answer that question, picture this, I stepped out for my smoke break to see the guy pick up the card, what i didn’t see was him walking by the first time and dropping the card. So in reality, the card is his, but all i saw was him picking up the card. I didn’t know that he was tracing his steps to find the card that he lost.

So to me, this looks fraudulant. How do I remedy this, I ask him for his ID.

Now i know that somebody is going to say, “well if you think it’s fraudulant, then you have the right to check his id”. Well even if i think it’s fraud, aren’t i violating the MC and VISA merchant agreement?

Well that’s about all I have to say, if anybody has any feedback on this, please share.

By: Jack Skywalk

Jack Skywalk — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:16:08 +0000

How about if you have a dispute on a transaction and then notice after wards you forgot to sign your credit card.? The merchant never checked my card that it was not signed and frankly I didn’t realize it either at the time. Some now this merchant in China has used the smaller transaction I made of $150 and then changed it somehow to a larger amount of $2500. Amex sent me the copy of the slip and it has a roughly copied version of my signature on the slip and now saying I am liable for the $2500 charges even though I said it was not my signature.It was only after this that I noticed my card isn’t signed. Does this mean I can contest Amex, or the Merchant is liable for the charges? Unfortunately I have misplaced the original $150 slip so Im in a bind so far. (still searching for the slip) Does anyone know for sure the rules on this? (Please do not just send guess work like I read a lot on this forum do so far)

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:49:16 +0000

I know this is an old thread but just wanted to give my 2 cents.

I am one of those who do not sign the card and instead have written please ask for ID.

I have never had a problem with any cashier – they have ALWAYS looked at it and requested my ID. Not one has ever refused the card. I work in retail and it is pretty even in the bookstore business – about 50% sign and about 50% write ask for ID. Back in 2006 this was just starting to take off and now, I would say it is about dead equal as to what I see every day.

By: Paolo

Paolo — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:47:33 +0000

If a thief comes across your unsigned credit card, can’t the thief simply sign your name himself, and then proceed to easily make purchases, sign the bills as he signed the card, without being asked for ID – since the signature on the bill now matches the signature on the card?!

By: dontsign

dontsign — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:45:07 +0000

You lose your cc –> gets misused –> report it lost –> get statement –> realize it’s been misused –> report misuse –> bank checks signature on purchases –> it matches your signature –> low probability of getting refund by bank…. however, if signature does not match your signature on bank’s files –> store is liable against bank –> you get refunded by bank

By: steve

steve — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 23:32:35 +0000

I had a sale that turned out to be a stolen credit card and i had looked at the name and then when he signed on the pad and compared them and it was the same. the feeling sucks.

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:32:42 +0000

I never sign my credit cards. What’s the point? Nobody ever really checks it anyway. And when I sign the receipt, I *NEVER* sign my name. I’ve signed it as George Bush, Osama bin Laden, Cher, and a nice picture of a tree with a swing. If nobody is even looking at the receipt to see if I really sign my name as a tree or if I really am bin Laden, what’s the point in signing?