Signature on the backside...

RE: Signature on the backside.

Personally I have seen people use cards with no signature. It all depends on the clerk accepting the charge. Obviously, you can use the card over the phone or over the internet without signing it. In reality, the person accepting the charge should be comparing your signature on the charge with the signature on the back.

Profit from the experience.

http://www.creditsense.com

 

RE: Signature on the backside.

I don't know but if you read the fine print of the back of some cards, it states that the card IS NOT VALID unless signed. It says that in the back of my Providian and Citibank cards. I guess people watched that Today show when they talked about credit card fraud and how to protect yourself. They said one way to fight it was to write "See ID" on the back of your card. So everyone started doing that. But like I mentioned, on some cards they aren't valid unless signed.

Just last week I was at Macy's and I guess when an associate receives a card with out a signature, they are supposed to hand the card back to the consumer with this pre printed little piece of paper on why they cannot accept your card and why it's important to sign your card. I didn't read exactly what it said, I just saw the booklet sitting by the register. Maybe I'll stop by there today and get a copy of the paper. Also, unless it's a Macy's card, Macy's WILL NOT accept any card that doesn't not have a functioning mag stripe...period! That's posted all over the registers. I was told that one of the aspects of credit card fraud was that people were obtaining account numbers and expiration dates. Then they would use that information and make a card with a phony Visa or MC hologram sticker on it. The only thing was that the magnetic strip didn't work. After learning that piece of information, I have taken extra precaution with my credit card receipts.

I guess you can't go wrong if you sign your card and next to your signature write "See ID" next to it. Or get one of those photo cards if it's available to you. I have one on my Citibank card and it's signed on the front and I signed the back.

Besides, I've noticed lately that if I go shopping at 5 stores, only 2 will compare signatures on the card. Most of the time they just swipe it and hand it back to you. My friend wrote "See ID" on one of her cards and half the time they NEVER ask her for her ID. I found that interesting. My boyfriend for a while thought that if he didn't sign the card, that no one could use it (I have no idea why he believed this). Then when I explained to him that all someone had to do was find his card and sign HIS name themselves, then they could really use the card since the signatures would match. He signed his card after that. What's weird is alot of people believe that if they don't sign the card, that it cannot be used.