Signatures on Credit Card Receipts? No longer needed say MasterCard, Discover.

[MRG]

At restaurants in Mexico, they bring the POS to the table and you enter your PIN. Then they print the receipt and have you add the tip and sign it. In Europe, you have to ask them to add the tip before you enter your PIN. In Canada, the POS handles the tip that you add.

Next time you write a check, try putting Alfred E Newman as the signature. In my experience, the check will clear without incident!

Absolutely goes right through. I've seen the machines use to process checks. Humans only deal with the exceptions. If there's a signature it's good.

 

[Meadbh]

Same here. I also noticed that in Canada, the wait staff in restaurants bring the card machine to you, instead of you handing them your card. Your cards are never out of sight.

That’s generally true. In some restaurants (like my golf club) the patio is quite large and WiFi is spotty at the edges, so we just go to the terminal to pay on the way out.

 

[kcowan]

we just go to the terminal to pay on the way out.

In my experience, with a chip card, the card never leaves you. Either at a POS or the cashier, you enter your PIN.

 

[jollystomper]

Some of this is due to the credit card companies applying data/statistical analysis to the tons of data they have to determine predictive spending patterns. This is not just to detect fraud, but also for competitive purposes to make it easier on their good customers. For example, if they determine you have a typical spending pattern at certain stores and certain amounts, you likely will not be asked for a signature at those places to reduce the time you spend checking out (which is another metric measured for customer service).

 

[CaptTom]

Back when we used paper checks and waited in line at banks, my ex managed to "borrow" one of mine and made a purchase with it.

I told the teller at the bank that wasn't my signature. She tried to tell me it was my problem, and wouldn't credit my account. Eventually she called over a floor manager. He went to the branch manager and we all went back into the vault where the signature cards were kept. It was interesting listening to the branch manager explain to the other two that I was right, the signature didn't match and they had to credit my account.

I don't think anyone at the bank had ever checked a signature before. And that was before everything was automated. I wonder how that same problem would be dealt with today?

 

[Walt34]

Absolutely goes right through. I've seen the machines use to process checks. Humans only deal with the exceptions. If there's a signature it's good.

There doesn't even have to be a signature. See below.

It was interesting listening to the branch manager explain to the other two that I was right, the signature didn't match and they had to credit my account.

I don't think anyone at the bank had ever checked a signature before. And that was before everything was automated. I wonder how that same problem would be dealt with today?

Back when I was doing fraud investigations I saw several instances of checks clearing with no signature at all. No one looks at that unless there is an issue after clearing, it is all automated. If the machine can't read the amount a human might look at that part but no one looks at the signature unless out of sheer boredom.

It never came up but an interesting defense in court would be to claim "not guilty" because they never signed the check! There were normally many others anyway so it wouldn't have affected the outcome by much.

 

[audreyh1]

American Express has now also announced no signatures required starting April 2018.
https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/11...ress-signatures-credit-card-purchases-no-more

 

[45th Birthday]

I haven't placed my signature on either an electronic device or paper receipt in more than a decade. Sometimes I don't even make the squiggle with the same hand I normally write with. When the kids were young, I used to let them do it. Never used my feet to sign, though. Probably not very sanitary. For my feet that is.

 

[kcowan]

I don't think anyone at the bank had ever checked a signature before. And that was before everything was automated. I wonder how that same problem would be dealt with today?

Since the late 80s, progressive banks have maintained signature images in the branch on their servers. A teller can call it up in seconds.

However their check sorters did no signature verification because they were central and the images were in the branch.

 

[cranberryjoe]

Someone once told me she thought when you signed your signature on the credit card machine, your signature was transmitted to the credit card company, where a human compared it to your signature on file and approved the transaction. Whoa!

 

[mathjak107]

lately my chase sapphire reserve has been requiring no signature at all .

 

[DEC-1982]

At least at the grocery store, given how long it takes for chip card processing (compared to swipe cards), it's good to reduce waiting time by not having to sign.

 

[brucethebroker]

When I used my Lowes gift card (issued to reimburse me for a non-receipt return), the cashier asked to see my ID. When I paid by debit card, no request for ID, nor checking signature on back of card.

My guess is that Lowes is checking for gift card theft by ee's and that is why they are checking IDs on those cards.

I guess they are much more careful when it is their money at risk....

 

[braumeister]

At least at the grocery store, given how long it takes for chip card processing (compared to swipe cards), it's good to reduce waiting time by not having to sign.

When stores around here first switched to chip card terminals they were very slow. But in the last month or two they have all upgraded the processing and now they are just as fast as the old swipe terminals. Costco was first with the fast approvals, but even Kroger has it now. Maybe one or two seconds wait after inserting the chip card.

 

[gauss]

Hmmm....

My understanding is that one of the uses of the signature on a CC transaction was when a dispute is initiated by the customer especially on the grounds that "I didn't make this purchase".

If the dispute was raised in good faith, but the customer just did not recognize the billing name on the statement, producing a signature could help to jog their memory and the dispute would be retracted.

Many of the small merchants, that accept credit cards, agree to contracts where they are responsible and charged accordingly when a dispute is approved and the customers funds are returned.

The banks do not incur the loss in these cases.

A dispute processing fee is generally also accessed to the merchant under these cases.

-gauss

 

[audreyh1]

lately my chase sapphire reserve has been requiring no signature at all .

I still. This a VISA?

VISA hasn’t made an announcement AFAIK.

I notice that at Costco sigs aren’t required until the total exceeds $200.

 

[H2ODude]

About time they got rid of these silly signatures, IMO. As others said, I just put a squiggle in the box and carry on.

OTOH, I once had a young waiter chase me out of a restaurant because I signed the "customer copy" and kept the "merchant copy." Inexperience, probably, but funny!

I just wish Apple Pay would become more usual in my area. On Amtrak earlier this week, I used it on the outbound train's cafe car, but on the return trip the bartender refused to take it, saying it "doesn't work." They then admitted they didn't know, but as the line behind me was growing I just used plastic. I'm told the trick is to tell them you'll be using a card, and at the last minute to put the phone up to the NFC reader (if there is one). Lack of training, surely.

Once signed a customer copy slip and put the tip on it. When reconciling after the bill came in saw that the tip was NOT added in. It was for a party of six so tip was not insignificant. Went back and asked, they said tip could not be added if on customer copy (even w valid signature). Fortunately same waitress was there that day and we had lunch, gave her the tip for both meals. Not sure if that rule still exists, but now take care to "sign" correct slip, although usually illegible.

 

[Walt34]

When stores around here first switched to chip card terminals they were very slow. But in the last month or two they have all upgraded the processing and now they are just as fast as the old swipe terminals.

I've noticed that at the grocery store, which is about the only B&M store I go to anymore.