About 3/4 of my cards now have chips, but ironically the chips dont all work overseas (or there is something different in how the data is encoded in the barcode). I just got a new ATM card (bank sent it, I didnt request it) with a chip in it. I get asked for ID maybe 10% of the time. And when I do I thank the clerk.<<<
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That’s because the US is adopting a chip with signature card as opposed to the international chip and pin card. The US card will work in hybrid terminals in US centric places.
Do NOT think the new card you receive before October is the full chip card. It is easy to tell as if there is a magnetic stripe, it is the ■■■■■■■ US version. The real chip plus pin has no stripe.
Asking for ID is not meant to protect the cardholder. It is meant to protect the retailer against fraud charge backs. Of course your card agreement protects you, but how is a retailer supposed to protect themselves. They are the ones stuck with the loss…
And retailers have theft and loss insurance. If they want my ID, I’ll give it. I’m rarely shopping without it.
We have a local store here that wouldn’t let me use DH’s cards. I got used to that.
We own a retail store. Under our agreement with our processing company we have no responsibility to verify that the person who presents the card is the actual holder–which makes sense, since we have no way to reliably do so. Looking at an ID would be of little value to us since fake ID’s are rampant in the college community where we live. At busy times, checking ID’s would add too much time to each customer interaction. In any case, whenever we have received notice from our processor that a charge has been challenged, we’ve ended the discussion by providing a copy of the signed credit card slip and have never incurred a chargeback. I think checking ID’s is a waste of everyone’s time and an invasion of privacy for the consumer. (I also have never in my life been asked to present an ID for any credit card transaction.)
Last week I had an interesting discussion with another retailer, one whose individual sales are in the hundreds of dollars. He advised me that they charged a 5% fee for credit card transactions in order to recoup the fee charged to them by the processor. I had to tell him that such charges are illegal in our state (it varies by state), although a discount for cash is permitted. The proprietor in this case assured me that his attorney had okayed the fee, and I assured him that he needed a better attorney.
Since I am asked for ID all the time – I wonder what would happen if I refused? Would they refuse to sell to me? Call a manager? I’m debating whether I should say no the next time I’m asked and see what happens.
When my daughter was working at a sort of food place, she was taught to pretend looking at the ID when the card is given to her. When I go shopping, anything less then $50 will go through without signature even.
@VeryHappy You need to log on your Amex/Visa account to manage your security settings, paperless delivery, email and text notifications,… I guess each bank has different procedures and some banks may not offer these security management tools.
Am I missing something? I have no problem showing an id when asked. I look at it as protecting me. Anything that helps me not deal with the headache of fraud is fine with me.
“Still not sure why it is a big deal to simply show your ID
If I don’t have to show a document with my home address, height and weight to a complete stranger I’d rather not.”
LOL - you’re standing right in front of them. They can already tell if you are tall or short, and if you are overweight they don’t need to see your weight to figure that one out.
If you’re on a mailing list or loyal-buyer program they already have your home address. It’s ludicrous and paranoid to think that the two seconds they are looking at your ID, they are memorizing your address and noting your height / weight.
Since it’s so easy for a card skimmer to be used to snatch your credit card info, I have no doubt it will soon be as easy (if it isn’t already) for a dishonest cashier to use a similar device to record your ID info while looking it over. With both in hand, the possibilities for identity theft seem to me to be pretty good.
It seems that in most stores these days I run my card through the credit card machine myself and the cashier never even touches it, so I don’t see how an ID check even fits into the transaction. I guess it would be interesting to know whether vendors that require ID’s have a lower rate of fraudulent transactions. I would think that if it were truly helpful to require ID’s, all credit card processors would insist on it.
“With both in hand, the possibilities for identity theft seem to me to be pretty good.”
I never hand over my DL. It’s in a clear pocket on the outside of my check book which fits inside my wallet. I just show it to them.
“It seems that in most stores these days I run my card through the credit card machine myself and the cashier never even touches it, so I don’t see how an ID check even fits into the transaction.”
Reading this thread this am for the first time. When I use my Visa in my town I never get asked to show ID. If I use my American Express they ask for ID.
Yesterday my D and I went to a large outlet mall in Ca. We both noted that every single store asked to see ID. They also asked to see the card before we swiped.
@MommaJ, Thank you for the informative posts. They confirm what I suspected, that the ritual of showing ID is a waste of time. I have no doubt that if ID checking reduced fraud it would be required of merchants. And what proof do merchants now have that their hourly part-time cashiers are actually checking ID’s?