Now that's a weird story, (not to doubt you Cat). Imagine a company like Visa being so concerned about losing 2 cents (their commission on a $7.95 sale) that they cancel the entire contract with the whole establishment and lose it all. Looked at another way; suppose Visa loses 1/10 of 1% of my sales because I (a buisness owner) had the audacity to card the poor little ole mistreated customer. Am I to assume that Visa will cancel my contract and lose the OTHER 99.99% of my business? Or, suppose Visa came along and said "don't card anymore or we'll pull our contract". So I say "go right ahead. I'll card whomever I chose, and you can shove your contract" You actually wanna tell me they really would? I regularly tell the IRS to stick it where the sun don't shine. Think Visa is tougher to deal with than them? LOL Like I said, I own a business, and I was born at night, but it wasn't LAST night.
Re: Re: they ask for ID with CC!What 2 do? Can I just ask why you request ID? You have made the sale and VISA has authorized it. How does getting ID help you if the signatures match? Kim
Re: Re: they ask for ID with CC!What 2 do? CARD SIGNED SIGNATURES MATCH AUTHORIZATION NUMBER OBTAINED How does the ID make you get paid faster...or the lack of an ID make payment slower??? MOST companies are PAID in about 72 hours or less... HOW DOES THE LACK OF GETTING AN ID MAKE AN APPROVED SALE BECOME DENIED AT THE POINT OF SALE???
Re: Re: they ask for ID with CC!What 2 do? What really is the big deal ? It takes a whole second to show a cashier your ID. I'd be happy to know the cashier was actually asking for idetification, it'd make me feel like they were doing their job correctly. They are also deterring fraud by asking for my ID- hell let me sue over that! If you don't like it don't shop at that store, its pretty simple. And I highly doubt Visa/Mc has such policy of mentioned above. "Hi Mr Manager, I feel violated because your cashier asked for my ID on a visa transacton, you'll be hearing from my attorney."
When I worked retail (women's clothing) I always asked for ID when: there was no signature on the card, if the customer making the purchase looked very young (in that case, if it was her parent's card, we, the store, required that they have some sort of note with the cardholder's signature authorizing their child to use the card) or if there was something "off". I know that something being "off" can be hard to determine at times, and unfortunately subject to one's own prejudices... But, I never asked for ID to harrass or inconvenience anyone - honestly, I've had a card stolen before, and it was a nightmare, and I see it more as a courtesy than I do a hassle. With our store, it was kind of a customer service issue - we weren't trying to give anyone a hard time, but felt we had a responsibility to help protect our customers from fraud and theft. And, yes, merchants also have a responsibility to the credit card companies to take appropriate measures to prevent fraud and theft. As identity theft is becoming such an enormous "enterprise", I think you will find many merchants taking additional precautions that they might not have taken in the past. I did have a lot of customers who somehow had the idaea that not signing the card helped prevent identity theft - their reasoning being that if there was no signature then a theif wouldn't be able to forge it on a charge draft.... Um, hello? If there's no signature, the thief just signs the card him/herself and then trying to copy the signature is not a problem!! And please do not categorize all cashiers as bumbling 18-year-old minimum wage earners, and even if many/most are - everybody's got to start somewhere - I did.
Re: Re: Re: they ask for ID with CC!What 2 do? I don't Kim. I don't own a retail shop either (nor would I want to). I'm a Financial Planner so I do have my own practice but I don't use Visa. I have MANY store owners as clients who do. I'm in a unique position to address this issue because I have MANY companies/owners I work with, as opposed to being the ownwer of just one company. We live in America and no Visa or Mastercard punks are gonna tell me how to run my operation. My point remains. We need to distinguish the gulf between what's illegal and what's "store policy". There is no law being violated here. Therefore it's a contradiction in "company policy". No Visa CSR (probably making $6.35 per hr) is going to tell me (the owner of the business) that their policy takes precedence over mine, although granted, they may very well tell YOU that, and I have no doubt they did. This doesn't even pass the "utterly laughable test" folks. That's also not to say that Visa might pick up the phone and say, "Hey we have complaints about you carding customers. It's OUR policy that you not do that". To which I reply; "What's your point? It's MY policy to card whomever I chose".
Ever see the commercials for the VISA check cards. They advertise that you should use your check card because you do NOT have to show ID as opposed to writing a check. Remember Kevin Bacon getting all the people to vouch for his ID or Bob Dole. Why do they advertise that you don't show ID if you do? Kim
Re: Re: Re: they ask for ID with CC!What 2 do? My store follows MY policy... Signed card~~NO ID if signature matches Unsigned card~~ID required Name on card MARY SMITH...it's a "GUY"~~ID required If the guys name really is MARY SMITH...fine...if it is JOHN SMITH...SALE DENIED
Re: Re: Re: they ask for ID with CC!What 2 do? Butch, thanks for the moral support! To a few others in this thread I'd like to say only this: Folks, I really have no dog in this race at all -- I'm not advocating for one side or the other -- rather, I'm just telling it like it is. Please call VISA, MasterCard, and AmEx, and ask this question: "Are merchants prohibited from requesting identification?" You may be surprised to hear that your heartfelt beliefs may be dashed, LOL. Somehow the issue of ID may have become confused with a different one: A merchant may not CHARGE YOU MORE for using a credit card. Of course, I've come across some who do (one antique store I've frequented in particular), but they really are endangering their account with Paymentech (the national VISA/MC/Amex clearinghouse). That said, YES they CAN ask for ID. Frankly, I appreciate the fact that they sometimes do so. As an aside, I've gotten to the point that I simply present my card and my drivers license at the same time every single time. More often than not, the very act of presenting my photo ID voluntarily surprises them, and they quickly say, "Oh, no problem" or "No need for that" and don't look at it. I guess card thieves aren't in the habit of voluntarily presenting photo ID, lol. Doc
Re: Re: Re: they ask for ID with CC!What 2 do? BTW - all that said, and before you guy's get all po'd at me, I will tell you I agree with George. If I did own a retail shop I would not card the customer unless I suspected something. My point people is that it's up to the business owner to decide. In reply to Georges "Your Loss" comment, my attitude is and would be "my business does not rise and fall with what YOU decide to do". Or do you think I depend on your $20 worth of business? Actually we both lose, truth be told. I lose your $10, and you get to drive across town to buy from someone else. I never sign my cards. It's against my "policy". LOL So I always get carded. At first it made me mad but thanks to Doc's advice, not anymore. Today I just keep my DL behind my cards and pull it out automatically. I hold the card so they can "see" it but they may NOT take it out of my hand. When they try I pull back. Then THEY get the attitude. This allows ME to be the winner of this silly struggle and solves the problem. And I never have to get all po'd and drive across town like George. ~
Re: Re: Re: they ask for ID with CC!What 2 do? Well ... see, there ya go. Both Doc and Butch have solved the problem.
Re: Re: Re: they ask for ID with CC!What 2 do? I am not advocating ID'ing everytime a consumer makes a purchase with a credit card. Its up to the cashier to use good judgement as to when and when not to ask for ID. And I have NO problem with showing them my ID. Some of the ones here complaining about being carded when using visa, saying "SIGN AND GO, NOT SIGN , SHOW ID AND GO", etc - Well it would be a different story if you lost your wallet , than someone finds it and maxes out all of your credit cards. You'd come here venting over "why didnt the #$*#$* cashier ask for an ID." It's all protection for us, so why complain.
Re: Re: Re: they ask for ID with CC!What 2 do? If you don't sign your card then the card is invalid I don't care if you have your dl or not . read the back of card.
Re: Re: Re: they ask for ID with CC!What 2 do? According to Visa's web site if the back of the card says "see ID" the merchant cannot accept it even if the customer has ID. Kim
