Helpful Hint - Credut/Debit Card Signature

[Wayne Boatwright]

Ever notice how quickly the signature space on the back of your credit/debit card smears or fades beyond recognition, and how difficult it is to re-sign it? It usually happens because of moisture on the fingertips or natural skin oils.

A few months ago when I receivd a replacement card, I masked off everything but the are where the signature is signed. After signing it with a ball point pen, I sprayed two light coats of Krylon Matte Finish (suitable for plastic) over the siguature. The signature still looks like the day I signed it.

Other brands of similar sprays will certainly work, but it should be a matte finish (you can't tell it's there).

HTH

[leonard hofstadter]

I sign "ask for ID" on all my cards.

[Wayne Boatwright]

On Sun 24 Jul 2011 02:38:32p, Red Green told us...

BTDT. Some point of sale checkers don't like the presence of tape on the card. I was actually refused once. The matte spray is completely invisible.

[gfretwell]

Same here but I use CHECK ID

If you put it on there with a Sharpie pen it won't rub off.

BTW only about half the people actually do ask and I think most of them, ask everyone for ID. That is getting standard here.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, How come? Don't you use PIN? If you ever travel to Europe don't expect to buy something with your signature. Even at McDonald, KFC you need PIN. No time to sign.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, It depends on the amount you charge. Buying a cup of coffee you just wave your card in front of electronic reader. My neighborhood super market doesn't bother you with purchase amount up to 75.00.

[Charlie]

Have you ever got challenged because your card says "Not Valid Unless Signed"? Every card I have seen says that. It's the fine print near the signature panel.

I once had an A-Hole customer who was jerking me around. So when I looked at the back of the card (and this was for a trivial purchase) and saw that it was not signed I said to him "I'm sorry but ..."

Revenge they tell me is best served cold.

Charlie

[aemeijers]

Shrug. Almost all the CC uses I do are POS terminals, and the card never leaves my hand. And at a restaurant, they print the receipt and give my card back before I sign it, so they never get a chance to do a comparison. I've never had a card refused or even challenged.

[krw]

I had a card challenged at the local HomeDespot (a self-swipe system). The CC company must have been doing a random check. It's not happened since.

[gfretwell]

The Lowes here checks ID on all card purchases, even debits. I guess they got stung too many times.,

[Ed Pawlowski]

Only challenged once. I have a card that I use on vacation. It had not been used for months and we were in Virginia. We stopped for breakfast, then got gas, then bought something for my grandson. All within about an hour, a few hundred miles from home. At the last store, the cashier had to call the CC company. They asked me a couple of security questions and I was OK the rest of the trip.

[Larry W]

Weird. I've never had that problem.

[krw]

How do they deal with the self-checkout lanes?

[krw]

Different card, but once they shut mine off. We were in the process of an interstate move. I guess they were suspicious about my driving two cars. ;-) It took a while to straighten out. I had it happen just recently on a vacation, too. Apparently only one outstanding "hold" can be put on a card and I'd run through the second tank of gas before the first hold was resolved. PITA, I like all gas purchases on one card (5% cash back).

[gfretwell]

That store doesn't have them, probably for the same reason.

[Norminn]

KMart is the only store here that asks for ID...and they want my email and cell #, too. They keep trying to make me decide to shop at wallyworld. I don't need to sign for cc purchases unless over $50, and one clerk told me that I could draw a smiley on the table in place of sig and it would go through :o)

[Kurt Ullman]

Interesting, the Lowes here doesn't. In fact, if you are using the self-check out, you input the last four digits yourself. Never have understood the reasoning behind that.

[Joe]

Or packaging tape if you're brave.

Joe

[Wayne Boatwright]

On Sun 24 Jul 2011 05:20:46p, Tony Hwang told us...

Many restaurants in my area are not set up for the cardholder to enter a pin. The transaction goes through as a credit card. In that case, they invariably look for the signature on the back of the card.

[Wayne Boatwright]

On Sun 24 Jul 2011 05:25:38p, Tony Hwang told us...

90% of the time I use my card with a PIN. The remaining 10% run the card as a credit. I am aware of the electronic readers that don't require a PIN or physically swiping the card through the machine, although I haven't seen any in my area as yet.