Do You Sign Your Bank Card?

[Louisifer]

I've never signed my cards, in fact my signature strip just says VOIDVOIDVOID because I don't use a wallet and it wears out quick.

Cashiers never need to touch my card with Chip and Pin / Contactless and that's how it should be.

[techbeck]

I usually put "see id" on mine.  Doesnt matter tho.  They rarely even look at the back of CCs these days.

You do realize the entire point of signing the back of the card is so that it is ALWAYS compared against a signed photo ID, where they match up the signatures and the photo to the person before them.  If you go into any store (US) and hand them your card and they don't ask for a photo ID, whether you signed the card or not, should always raise a red flag and you should say something.  Either the clerk is slacking or the business willingly accepts any card, including stolen.

 

Signing a card should not save you any time.  You should always be asked for a photo ID - taking the same amount of time to verify.

 

When I use my card, more often than not, I am not asked to see my ID or they do not compare the sigs.  Retailers are lazy these days.

[+Warwagon MVC]

The one thing that annoys me about my Debit card is if I select "Debit" on the machine I have to enter my 4 digit pin for it to be used... which is great. But if someone swipes my card they can just select the "Credit" option which bypasses the need for a pin all together. How dumb is that!?

[TAZMINATOR]

The one thing that annoys me about my Debit card is if I select "Debit" on the machine I have to enter my 4 digit pin for it to be used... which is great. But if someone swipes my card they can just select the "Credit" option which bypasses the need for a pin all together. How dumb is that!?

 

That's because of security risk.... you want people behind you hear your PIN number when cashier asks you?

 

That's the reason cashier use credit for your protection... If you want to use debit, then use the card reader in front of you.

[techbeck]

The one thing that annoys me about my Debit card is if I select "Debit" on the machine I have to enter my 4 digit pin for it to be used... which is great. But if someone swipes my card they can just select the "Credit" option which bypasses the need for a pin all together. How dumb is that!?

 

Pretty dumb.  Why I have an alert on my account.  Any transaction more that $1, I get an email.

[+Warwagon MVC]

That's because of security risk.... you want people behind you hear your PIN number when cashier asks you?

 

That's the reason cashier use credit for your protection... If you want to use debit, then use the card reader in front of you.

 

We never vocally tell them our pin, We punch it on a keypad.

[TAZMINATOR]

We never vocally tell them our pin, We punch it on a keypad.

 

You should have told the cashier that you want to use debit before she/he press the credit button.

[+Warwagon MVC]

You should have told the cashier that you want to use debit before she/he press the credit button.

 

I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about someone getting my debit card and running it as credit, bypassing the 4 digit security pin.

[TAZMINATOR]

I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about someone getting my debit card and running it as credit, bypassing the 4 digit security pin.

 

some stores here that cashiers ask "debit or credit"... 

 

some stores here that you choose on your own and swipe the card.

[+Warwagon MVC]

some stores here that cashiers ask "debit or credit"... 

 

some stores here that you choose on your own and swipe the card.

 

Ya I know. It's just the principle of the thing.

 

Its like wearing a bullet proof vest, but person shooting you can decide whether or not you are wearing one.

[+Random Stranger Subscriber¹]

I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about someone getting my debit card and running it as credit, bypassing the 4 digit security pin.

 

and it actually charges your account?   that is retarded, i would complain to the bank and get that fixed.

[+Warwagon MVC]

and it actually charges your account?   that is retarded, i would complain to the bank and get that fixed.

 

I don't think they can fix it. I think its the nature of debit cards.

In reality, one of the only differences between running a card as debit or credit is the time in which it takes the transaction to flow through to your account. When a PIN is entered, the money is immediately deducted -- or debited -- from the account, whereas if credit is selected, the payment goes through the credit card network and the payment is withdrawn within a few days.

 

I recently spoke with Jason Oxman, CEO of the Electronic Transactions Association. He said that selecting credit or debit simply affects "how the transaction is submitted to the network." In essence, the distinction between credit and debit at the point of sale has no bearing on what rights a consumer does or doesn't have. Instead it only changes the "rails" on which the money transfers from the consumer's account to the merchant's.

 

 

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/01/22/what-selecting-credit-when-you-run-your-debit-card.aspx

 

I guess that makes a bit more sense, but still...

[+Random Stranger Subscriber¹]

I don't think they can fix it. I think its the nature of debit cards.

 

so it is not. credit part should have its own pin on it.  unless your bank messed something up.

[TAZMINATOR]

so it is not. credit part should have its own pin on it.  unless your bank messed something up.

 

Credit: no pin

 

Debit: 4 digit pin

[techbeck]

I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about someone getting my debit card and running it as credit, bypassing the 4 digit security pin.

 

I do that if I dont want to punch in my key.  I just let them run it as credit.  I dont even have to sign anything.  And they never ask to see my ID.

[xTdub]

so it is not. credit part should have its own pin on it.  unless your bank messed something up.

 

A lot of banks provide their debit cards through credit card companies. For example, mine is through Visa. If I run it like a debit card it requires a pin and immediately debits my bank account. However, running it like a credit card does not immediately charge my account and gives me the same fraud prevention as any ordinary credit card.

[Thomas the Tank Engine]

I'm in Canada, and I sign my debit card. We also have the chip on our debit cards here, as well as tap.

[compl3x]

I do, but it is more out of habit than necessity. My card is chipped so I never have to sign anything.

 

The signature is pointless anyway. How is some 16 year old cashier going to be able to determine if the signature is forged or not? It's pseudo-security.

[+Random Stranger Subscriber¹]

I do, but it is more out of habit than necessity. My card is chipped so I never have to sign anything.

 

The signature is pointless anyway. How is some 16 year old cashier going to be able to determine if the signature is forged or not? It's pseudo-security.

 

 

i also have had a friend, who would go on a week holiday to carrebians, and then use his wife card (who was here WITH HIM) and go out every night. he would sign the bills instead of his wife.

 

after the trip he managed to get $3000 returned to him to the cards, since his wife made a claim.   even though she was there!

 

 

there is no way for them to check.    

 

 

 

 

however, if there is no claim, if does not matter what it says.   i always sign my name as Mickey Mouse, in case they don't have the right machine and i am made to sign.   

NOT ONCE ANYONE GAVE ME ANY ISSUES. and with my writing it is pretty obvious it says Mickey, and my card has my real signature!  not once anyone cared to check.

 

i probably spend over $1000 and had 20-30 purchases, where i signed my name as mickey mouse without problem.

[Kazama Levi]

The one thing that annoys me about my Debit card is if I select "Debit" on the machine I have to enter my 4 digit pin for it to be used... which is great. But if someone swipes my card they can just select the "Credit" option which bypasses the need for a pin all together. How dumb is that!?

 

I'm just glad you can't do that over here, you always have to enter the pin in the card reader. On some rare instances, they also check your signature (which is why I sign it), but this is getting more and more rare.

[astropheed Veteran]

Canada: No

Australia: No

 

I've never signed a card in my life and no one has ever pointed it out. I also use my Wife's card very frequently, which is also not signed and no one has ever cared that my name is obviously not Jessica.

 

I'm aware they say it's for "my safety", but when no one ever checks it, it doesn't matter. Besides, I'd rather that the person who steals my Bank card doesn't also know my signature. Seems like a stupid place to put it.

[compl3x]

 my name is obviously not Jessica.

 

 

 

Not by day, but by night, at the local drag club, you take on the identity of "Jessica" 

 

 

 

 

Card security does seem to be going backwards to some degree. Tap and Go seems like it could be rife with abuse. Banks install the technology on most new cards & you can't request a card without the functionality.

[jnelsoninjax]

US, no I write See ID, but 99.9% of the transactions are made at a pos/pin pad, never have to show it to a cashier

[Ambroos]

Belgium. I should, but never have. All transactions here have been with a PIN for as long as I can remember, so there's just point to the signatures.