I can't tell you how many times in a day I have a customer that has not signed the back of their credit or debit card. If you don't sign it, I can not use it as one of the pieces of ID for you to withdraw money out of your account. I constantly hear "Oh, it's not safe to sign the back of your card." Really? I am the bank, I am telling you that your card is not valid unless you have signed it. And, hello, anyone can steal your card, sign your name to the back, and walla - it matches the receipt.
If you are a non card signer - please help me understand why you people live like animals. Only kind of joking.
Putting "check id" or "see id" rather than your actual signature is very likely a violation of your credit card agreement that invalidates the card. And is stupid. Surely you guys know that, no?
I sign "see id". I don't know how that would count as a form of id though.
I work at a bank, if you come in and want to withdraw a large dollar amount from your account, you need two pieces from our list. One is a credit/debit card with a signature on the back. If you don't have one then I can't take that for your ID.
I just put "Check ID" on my debit card. I've never had a problem.
But why? Like who told you to do that and why did you decide that that is better then signing it?
My 72 year old MIL told me to do that because she saw it in an email forward that was going around the senior citizen crowd. It's a thing. A stupid thing.
I just make sure that my credit card information always gets stolen while I am still in possession of the card, so it doesn't even matter who signs it.
Putting "check id" or "see id" rather than your actual signature is very likely a violation of your credit card agreement that invalidates the card. And is stupid. Surely you guys know that, no?
Thank you! Someone please insert a standing ovation gif.
But why? Like who told you to do that and why did you decide that that is better then signing it?
My 72 year old MIL told me to do that because she saw it in an email forward that was going around the senior citizen crowd. It's a thing. A stupid thing.
My mom's been doing it longer than email has been around. It's not stupid, anyone can forge a signature. Not many people will have a fake id made up to go with the stolen cc.
Thank you; being called stupid is surely going to make me change my mind NOW. lol.
When I use the card, most times the cashier actually does ask me for my ID. Which I kind of like. I don't make it a habit to withdraw massive amounts of cash from my bank, so I guess I'm safe.
This.
And when they ask to see my ID, I actually thank them for checking. I've never had a problem doing this.
I just put "Check ID" on my debit card. I've never had a problem.
But why? Like who told you to do that and why did you decide that that is better then signing it?
I read to do that years ago. Not sure of the source though. I think the idea is that anyone can forge a signature but not a face. The best was at the post office the lady wouldn't accept it so I signed it and then she did.
After getting hassled a few times I don't do it any more.
My 72 year old MIL told me to do that because she saw it in an email forward that was going around the senior citizen crowd. It's a thing. A stupid thing.
My mom's been doing it longer than email has been around. It's not stupid, anyone can forge a signature. Not many people will have a fake id made up to go with the stolen cc.
But it doesn't even help because most retailers don't look at the back of the card anyway.
I'm working a part time retail job, and we *always* ask for id because the shop is one of those that people would want to scam with a stolen card (costume shop). Even the people that have "see id" on the back of their cards are startled when I ask for ID.
Post by birdistheword on Oct 30, 2014 16:19:02 GMT -5
I sign the back of my cards, but I have very, VERY rarely ever had anyone check the signature on my card against the signature on the receipt. It doesn't make me feel safe from having my info stolen, lol.
Thank you; being called stupid is surely going to make me change my mind NOW. lol.
When I use the card, most times the cashier actually does ask me for my ID. Which I kind of like. I don't make it a habit to withdraw massive amounts of cash from my bank, so I guess I'm safe.
Just clarifying that I never called you stupid. I know that that is why people do it, but I guess I don't get how come it has become what people do rather then sign it. Forging a signature on the spot is practically impossible. But like V said, it violates the terms of agreements - which I am assuming most people just don't realize.
My 72 year old MIL told me to do that because she saw it in an email forward that was going around the senior citizen crowd. It's a thing. A stupid thing.
My mom's been doing it longer than email has been around. It's not stupid, anyone can forge a signature. Not many people will have a fake id made up to go with the stolen cc.
Yes, it is stupid.
Here's what Visa and Mastercard tell merchants to do with "see id" cards (spoiler alert -- merchants are supposed to make you sign the card, or decline the transactions):
My 72 year old MIL told me to do that because she saw it in an email forward that was going around the senior citizen crowd. It's a thing. A stupid thing.
My mom's been doing it longer than email has been around. It's not stupid, anyone can forge a signature. Not many people will have a fake id made up to go with the stolen cc.
But if you have "Check ID" your credit card company can decline to pay any losses you may incur if your card is stolen, as your agreement with them is invalidated.
But why? Like who told you to do that and why did you decide that that is better then signing it?
I read to do that years ago. Not sure of the source though. I think the idea is that anyone can forge a signature but not a face. The best was at the post office the lady wouldn't accept it so I signed it and then she did.
After getting hassled a few times I don't do it any more.
That exact thing happened to me at my post office as well. I had gotten a new card and just put it in my wallet. She even handed me the pen to sign it lol.
I'm also LOLing at the idea that a signature can be adequately matched to that bullshit little signature you can manage on the back of a card. I'm not saying it's not true that it's required, but LOL that a signature is needed for "verification."
I match them all day long. Against the document the customer gives me and a DL. Sometimes a signature card if necessary. I rarely have much discrepency from the ID and the credit/card.
Looking online, it seems there's a lot of debate about this particular topic. There doesn't seem to be a clear consensus one way or another. Experian says it doesn't matter; Visa says sign it. Visa also says if the card is unsigned, the merchant will just ask you to sign it in their presence, so no big deal.
Being that Visa is the card issuer, don't you think that their policies govern the use of their cards?
This is what Visa says:
Unsigned Cards
While checking card security features, you should also make sure that the card is signed. An unsigned card is considered invalid and should not be accepted. If a customer gives you an unsigned card, the following steps must be taken:
• Check the cardholder’s ID. Ask the cardholder for some form of official government identification, such as a driver’s license or passport. Where permissible by law, the ID serial number and expiration date should be written on the sales receipt before you complete the transaction.
• Ask the customer to sign the card. The card should be signed within your full view, and the signature checked against the customer’s signature on the ID. A refusal to sign means the card is still invalid and cannot be accepted. Ask the customer for a different signed Visa card.
• Compare the signature on the card to the signature on the ID.
The words “Not Valid Without Signature” appear above, below, or beside the signature panel on all Visa cards.
“See ID” US
In the U.S., some customers write “See ID” or “Ask for ID” in the signature panel, thinking that this is a deterrent against fraud or forgery; that is, if their signature is not on the card, a fraudster will not be able to forge it. In reality, criminals often don’t take the time to practice signatures. They use cards as quickly as possible after a theft and prior to the accounts being blocked. They are actually counting on you not to look at the back of the card and compare signatures; they may even have access to counterfeit identification with a signature in their own handwriting. In this situation, follow recommended steps listed above under Unsigned Cards.
Post by speckledfrog on Oct 30, 2014 16:28:01 GMT -5
This seems like a good place to share this story, which is only tangentially related. Back when I was working retail, I had a woman paid with a check. However, it only had her husband's name on the check. The address matched her license, but since her name wasn't on the check I couldn't accept it. I called the manager over and she tried to rip us both a new one, but we couldn't take it. Sorry, lady.
I put my signature teeny tiny, above the CCV code, so I'm complying with banks and the post office, and put CHECK ID in the large space. If they're going to bother looking for whether I've signed it, I want them to check my ID. And I ALWAYS thank them when they do.
Huh, when I was a teller, we never asked folks for a form of ID that required a signature except for the DL which always needs one. Someone showing us a signed credit/debit card doesn't prove much but DL + seeing face to face + SS # was the way we went. I've never actually heard of withdrawals requiring a signed card besides requiring a signature on the credit card for an advance.
My signature is an A and a squiggle. There, now you can all forge it!
Most of the time, cashiers don't even ask to see the card.
I think a lot of stores have a $ threshold for asking for the card. I don't know if that is a merchant or card policy though. Kind of like how you don't even have to sign for purchases below a certain amount at some stores.
This seems like a good place to share this story, which is only tangentially related. Back when I was working retail, I had a woman paid with a check. However, it only had her husband's name on the check. The address matched her license, but since her name wasn't on the check I couldn't accept it. I called the manager over and she tried to rip us both a new one, but we couldn't take it. Sorry, lady.
That is EXACTLY how my drug addict father stole THOUSANDS of dollars from my mom.
He even signed his OWN name, even though his name wasn't on the address line.
Post by miniroller on Oct 30, 2014 16:32:44 GMT -5
Can I just say from the post title- I thought you were referring to cards attached to a gift? Thinking like for your kid's Bday. And I was all- sheesh, is this a thing now?! She can't open the G'damn card to see who gifted her kid something??? Like you just wanted to be able to flip through the stack to write perfunctory TY's. Needless to say, I was very relieved @ my dopiness
A friend of mine had a sorority sister steal her CC. She then practiced her signature and then went and racked up a bunch of charges. It was hard to get the CC company to back off the charges (actually, I'm not sure they did) since the signatures matched. That is why I have 'Ask for Id' on my CC's. I've never had a bank not allow me to withdraw money because of it. If they ask for ID, they can then verify that the name on your license is the name on the credit card. If my friend had 'Ask for ID' on her card, her sorority sister couldn't have made all of those charges.