Credit Card Signature

[Lewis Clark]

I write "See Drivers License" in the space.
While most times the card never leaves my paws, when it does a lot of clerks ask to see the ID.

I also do this. Unfortunately, in my experience, only about 20 percent of the clerks asked to see an ID.

 

[Lewis Clark]

Visa has now constructed a situation that requires us to turn over our cards (think restaurants and such) but does not allow us to reliably authorize the amount charged (no signature or PIN required). No friction, no protection.

When I was in Australia and New Zealand last year, the credit card never left my sight. The store clerk or restaurant server had a portable gizmo that allowed them to run the credit card right in front of me.

When I asked, I was told that it was the law over there. I wish it were also the law over here.

 

[yakers]

I used to write "PHOTO ID REQUIRED" in the signature block. No one ever asked for ID, but the US Post Office told me they could not accept the card unless I signed it, so I did.

I am very surprised that Bank Of America's policy of embedding a photo on the card has not caught on. I don't know of anyone else that has this feature.

My COSTCO members card has my picture, wish my HMO (Kaiser) would do that

 

[COcheesehead]

I got an Apple card.

Three things about it:
1. Its metal
2. It has no numbers on it.
3. It does not get signed.

 

[gwraigty]

My understanding is that Visa no longer requires a signature for authorization of charges. If you use a chip card you may be held responsible for any charge, even fraudulent ones, if the chip is used. If you use the card later for a nonfraudulent charge that is taken as proof that your card was not lost.

No, your blanket statement is incorrect. I've had my Fidelity Visa compromised a few times, unfortunately, both under FIA Card Services and Elan Financial. All were chip cards. The cards remained in my possession at all times. All fraudulent charges were reversed upon my reporting them. I wasn't held liable at all. The charges ranged from as little as $1 test charges to a $5,000 donation to some charity I'd never heard of. Some charges were made in the US, others overseas.

 

[Kwirk]

No, your blanket statement is incorrect. I've had my Fidelity Visa compromised a few times, unfortunately, both under FIA Card Services and Elan Financial. All were chip cards. The cards remained in my possession at all times. All fraudulent charges were reversed upon my reporting them. I wasn't held liable at all. The charges ranged from as little as $1 test charges to a $5,000 donation to some charity I'd never heard of. Some charges were made in the US, others overseas.

Was your chip actually used? That is, was your card physically inserted into a chip reader. I suspect that these were just stolen numbers for a chip card but only you can clarify that. What I have said applies only if your chip was actually used. I also can't say if it applies anywhere but Citibank.

 

[ivinsfan]

Was your chip actually used? That is, was your card physically inserted into a chip reader. I suspect that these were just stolen numbers for a chip card but only you can clarify that. What I have said applies only if your chip was actually used. I also can't say if it applies anywhere but Citibank.

So you give to card to a legit business, they step away to run your charge. A dishonest employee runs through a bogus unapproved charge (obviously without your knowledge) . they return your card. and somehow this is your responsibility? Either someone at Citi is uniformed or they make up their own rules....either way I'm done with Citi I have one card which won't be renewed.

 

[gwraigty]

Was your chip actually used? That is, was your card physically inserted into a chip reader. I suspect that these were just stolen numbers for a chip card but only you can clarify that. What I have said applies only if your chip was actually used. I also can't say if it applies anywhere but Citibank.

I used the compromised Fidelity Visa cards by inserting the chip physically into a chip reader whenever I shopped. The cards were never out of my possession. Therefore, I can only conclude that some database was hacked, or an employee of the bank servicing the card was able to sell the numbers, or something else. This allowed the thieves to make online donations/purchases in between my legitimate use of my physical card. That's why I said your statement in post #30 as follows:

If you use a chip card you may be held responsible for any charge, even fraudulent ones, if the chip is used. If you use the card later for a nonfraudulent charge that is taken as proof that your card was not lost.

It's absolutely true that my physical cards were never lost or stolen. Yet I wasn't held responsible for the fraudulent charges just because I continued to use my cards after the thieves did. Why wouldn't I have used my own card? I didn't know about the fraudulent charges until I got my statement in some cases. In the $5,000 case, I got an email advising me of the card-not-present charge, which I'd set up soon after the first time the card had been compromised. In another case, the bank called because they were suspicious of a cell phone purchase in another country. It would have been utterly ridiculous for the bank to hold me responsible.

 

[rk911]

I used to write "PHOTO ID REQUIRED" in the signature block. No one ever asked for ID, but the US Post Office told me they could not accept the card unless I signed it, so I did...

my buddy did the same thing and had the same response at our post office. of course this is the same post office that wouldn’t accept an envelope addressed to the IRS regional office in Hicksville NY without a street address despite me showing the clerk the return address in the IRS instructions.

 

[fatboymike]

I never actually sign the credit card, I write "Please ask for ID" in that space. Very rarely are signatures questioned and a cc thief would just scribble like most of us do anyway ....

 

[harwich]

Instead of a signature a friend of mine writes "This card is stolen". In ten years no one has questioned him.