Credit cards and Debit cards question

[shouit]

Legally they have to be signed similar to a credit card. Remember most debit cards look exactly like credit cards. The reason behind this is it is kind of a contract between you and your bank. I don't know the technical legales of it. If it isn't signed, you can refuse to pay. Don't ask how I know.
Anyways, my wife signs hers and then writes over the signature to please see ID.. IT works for her. That way she gets the best of both worlds.

 

[andrew]

I'll let others comment on the laughable 'security' precautions of CHECK ID and not signing a card. (Do you really an unsigned card is somehow more secure than a signed one? It's blank!)

However, I'll offer this for your entertainment: Zug's Credit Card Prank

 

[Greatwyrm]

I sign mine and put "check ID" on the back, not that it does much good. Why on earth would I not sign it? If I stole your wallet, I'd sign the backs myself THEN make a fake ID to match the signature and my smiling face.

People don't pay any attention to the back, as long as it's signed. Heck, I was at the post office this morning. The lady looked right at my signature and the words "check ID" in big, bold letters, and then promptly handed my card back and asked me to sign the recipt. No questions, no ID, no nothing. And this is at the same post office where I witnessed last week a cashier asked a customer to go outside, sign the card, and come back in because they couldn't take an unsigned card.

 

[Goobermunch]

Well first off all if you had your id and everything matched then she was wrong. You don't HAVE to sign the card. What I do is write CHECK ID in the signature field of the card. If you leave the card blank then anybody who found/stole the card could sign your name and the signature would match when they went to use it.

I would have asked to speak to a manager. The cashier in my opinion oversteped her bounds. If I was her manager in the given situation I would have repremanded her for not taking the sale, AFTER verifying that your ID and card were under the same name. I do have retail management experience.

Heck most people look at the back of my card where it says in bold marker CHECK ID, and hand it back to me, they don't even bother to check the id. 1 out of 10 checks the id, but 7 out of ten will glance at the back of the card like they were checking the signature but obviously don't even read it.

She gave you poor customer service, even though her intentions were good. Makes me think of a 4 letter word that starts with A and ends with L

-FD

Actually, by the terms of you contract with your bank or your credit card company, that card is not valid without a signature on the back. When I worked as an LPM (loss prevention manager) for a computer store, I brought in representatives from credit card companies and local banks to make it clear to our employees that the credit card companies have no obligation to pay if the card isn't signed.

The signature actually has two purposes though . . . one is security, so the clerk can see that the signatures match.

The other purpose is that it acts as your signature on your contract with your bank. This is kind of important because it protects the bank from liability.

Sign your cards! Then write "Check ID" next to the signature.

--G

P.S. Re: Zug's credit card trick. As far as signing the slip is concerned, according to the UCC Article 3, a signature is "any mark or symbol executed or adopted by the author with the present intention of authenticating a writing." In other words, it doesn't matter what you sign, just so long as you sign it.

 

[Kastil]

Whether or not it is an agreement with the bank about signing the cards, I work in a place where only the military can shop. A lot of them are told, especially in bigger areas such as Norfolk, not to sign their cards but to put PLEASE SEE ID on the back.

I believe that a clerk should have to see some for m of ID when anyone uses a credit card but then again where I live there are self swipe terminals and my ID is never checked. If they should be checking, it's news to me.

 

[Aeolius]

Both my credit and debit cards have my picture on them. Problem solved.

 

[Mystic_23]

I don't use credit cards, but my debit card is signed. The nice thing is it has my picture on it as well, so it'd be harder for someone to use it (unless they have my PIN and use it at the supermarket or so forth.)

There are a couple of stores here in Boise that, even though it's a debit card, and I enter my PIN when making a purchase, still requires me to sign the receipt as well. It's odd, but it's good for security, so it doesn't bother me at all.

 

[Ravellion]

Unless PIN codes mean something different in Europe than over here in Texas, the move was made years ago. IIRC, I've had a PIN code protected debit card for something like 18 years.

Personal Identification Number. When I go to a shop I swipe the card through the machine (which faces the customer), I enter my PIN number, then wait for the clerk to enter the amount I need to pay. This comes in the little screen facing me and I confirm. I am given the product and leave.

I have to sign the card as well (edit: by my bank), but I've never been asked to show the signature by anyone working in a shop or restaurant.

Rav

 

[Arnwyn]

Yes, I sign my cards if there's a spot where you're supposed to sign. In fact, I've never heard of anyone *not* signing them (until now, of course).

 

[Goobermunch]

I didn't mention this before because I wanted to check my facts (I haven't done LP work in years).

Merchants are not allowed to ask you for your ID on credit card purchases unless the card is not signed. It is a violation of their contract with MasterCard, Visa, and American Express. You can read about it here.

For those of you who don't sign, that's fine, but you have no right to use a card that doesn't have the required information on it.

--G