Because your card is MY responsibility

[Screamarie]

So I decided that I would post again tonight, out of the blue and with no warning! Anyways, the store where I worked has since closed down and I am now unemployed. But that's not the reason why I'm here. Something I read earlier made me think of this little gem.

So for those of you who don't remember I used to work in a movie rental store and one glorious day two well-dressed women somewhere in their mid-forties walk in. They move about the store unassisted and I pay them little mind since they didn't ask for assistance and they seem to know what they're doing. Well guess whose register these two lovely ladies walk up to. MINE! YAY!

So I go to my register and I'm ringing them up. They are talking amongst themselves, fairly lowly as if passing secrets of the universe back and forth, and I'm fine with that, means I don't have to pretend that I give a rat's patoot what they have to say. Everything is going well, I ring them up, tell them the total and one of the women hands me her debit card and I run it. Here comes the good part.

SW-Sucky Woman
SWF- Sucky Woman's Friend

SWF: You know I've noticed that these people never check your ID when you use your card.
SW: Yes, they really should be more careful.

Now I'm a nice person and generally I'm extremely passive. I rarely care enough to deal with the confrontation that results from standing up for myself, call me lazy, so for this reason I decided to not say anything, but...for anyone that it's not clear YOUR card is not MY responsibility.

I don't wish identity fraud on anyone, but unless you're someone I personally know...I don't care. Do you know how many people walk into the store using someone else's card? Spouses use their spouses cards, parents send their brats in with their card, friends loan out their card to get movies while they're busy. Irresponsible? Maybe, but that's their decision. Hell, my mother has it to where the bank will accept MY name on HER checks.

So since it is not the company's policy for me to check ID, I don't. Even if they did, the company isn't doing if for the customer's safety, they're doing it for the COMPANY'S safety, so they don't care about you and guess what ladies...neither do I!

[AquaGirl]

I love it when people are passive aggressive. They really should be more careful or someone will pie them in the face for their stupidity.

[Cancer_Rat]

Preach It!

[Mystic]

A company can be reported to the credit company if they demand to see ID anyway since it's against the terms of service in the Merchants Agreement that every merchant must agree to in order to have service from that credit card company...

Essentially, they are talking about something that could get the store in a lot of trouble.

I personally don't mind when people ask to see my ID, and I don't mind when they don't. What pisses me off is when they try to scan my ID without asking. I've bitched at more than one cashier who has tried that in the past.

That's a whole other issue that could lead to a fratch though.

[bainsidhe]

...Scan ID...? You mean for an alcohol sale? I don't see that around here, so I don't quite get the context.

[nicolecj]

With discover card, if you ask to see the id you are in breach of the contract and the store can be fined.

[Gaki]

I had a woman try this exact same thing but she was a little more acidic about it. She was talking to her daughter or something and she said it like "You know these people never check my ID, I can't believe they don't, how do they know that's even the right card!?"

I don't give a flying copulation.

As I handed the card back to her I said, "I don't check ID unless the card says CID on the back. You didn't even sign yours."

I believe her next words to her daughter as they turned to leave were, "What did she just say to me???"

Whatever.

[thansal]

Wait, WHAT?

It's against the merchant agreement to check ID?

That's flipping INSANE!

But, well, the CC companies have merchants by the short and curlies, and it isn't like the CC company is going to be out of cash when a charge is reversed.

[lordlundar]

Wait, WHAT?

It's against the merchant agreement to check ID?

That's flipping INSANE!

But, well, the CC companies have merchants by the short and curlies, and it isn't like the CC company is going to be out of cash when a charge is reversed.

Yup.

Also according to the agreement a merchant is not allowed to refuse a card for any reason. It could be the most blatant fake in the world, but if it reads correctly, a merchant has to accept it.

Personally, I think it is the worst goddamn system out there security wise. No wonder there's so much credit card fraud.

[tollbaby]

As I handed the card back to her I said, "I don't check ID unless the card says CID on the back. You didn't even sign yours."

Did you know that according to most cardholder agreements, an unsigned card (even one that has CID on the back) is invalid?

[Teskeria]

A company can be reported to the credit company if they demand to see ID anyway since it's against the terms of service in the Merchants Agreement that every merchant must agree to in order to have service from that credit card company...

Essentially, they are talking about something that could get the store in a lot of trouble.

I personally don't mind when people ask to see my ID, and I don't mind when they don't. What pisses me off is when they try to scan my ID without asking. I've bitched at more than one cashier who has tried that in the past.

That's a whole other issue that could lead to a fratch though.

Umm not ALL credit card companies. Some require them to ask for id.
And Tollbaby is correct. You are supposed to sign the card or it is invalid. Merchants are supposed to refuse to accept unsigned cards. They can have it signed in front of them so long as there is a picture id to compare the signature with (DL, Id ect).

[Jacen]

In defense of them, this is something that has alarmed me for a while.

I live in Australia. We have a pin or pen system set up (Google it). The purchaser is free to choose if they want to type in their pin or sign for it (!!!). I've noticed that not all companies ask which i want to do and just make me sign and when i sign, most of them don't check the signature (!!!) or ask to check ID. Its pretty alarming.

I have a pin on my card for a reason, my card is signed for a reason, and my card has "check id" on it for a reason.

I'm not holding it against the employee as its probably just company policy thats lacking, or even Visa's policies.

/endrant. Sorry.

[Android Kaeli]

I think, but not sure, that some stores won't take the CC if it has "Ask for ID" on the back of the card -- it may have to do with the card still not being signed.

I still don't give a rats behind either way, I just let the customer use the card.

[code-monkey]

Also according to the agreement a merchant is not allowed to refuse a card for any reason. It could be the most blatant fake in the world, but if it reads correctly, a merchant has to accept it.

You may want to check yourself on that one.

If your job requires you to accept cards, you should probably have some basic ability to spot a fake, for example, if someone said they were paying by card and handed you a phone e-top up card (i.e. a cloned card), then you are not required to accept it.

Visa cards tend to have at least one of these features:
Itallised "V",
Micro-Printing around the visa logo (Looks like a Blue line around the Electron logo),
First 4 digits of PAN Printed on fron of card,
Holographic dove at some place along bottom of card on along the right on the rear,
3 digit security code (CVV) on signature strip (Surprisingly some fakes dont have these),
Embossing.

Mastercard tend to have one of these features:
Stylised "MC" Character (Older cards),
Full-Colour Logo
First 4 Digits of PAN printed under embossed numbers,
Mastercard hologram, or hologram magstripe,


If you do work in retail, ask you manager how to process a "Code 10" authorisation.

[mattm04]

Did you know that according to most cardholder agreements, an unsigned card (even one that has CID on the back) is invalid?

At my store the customer has pinpad to swipe the card themselves. Every once in a while i get SC who hands me a card and ID. Usually they have CID on the back. I can and do tell them the nee to find another payment method as it is not a valid card. If they had just swiped it I would have never known know and they would be in their merry way.