about 12 years ago i've seen them stamped, and the magnetic code programmed separately..
Once I actually got to the govt, it was about 5-6 years ago, and then card printers\programmers were widely available, and starting from around 700$. When I was leaving that job, these devices were available for as low at 100$, and blank cards were about 50$ a pack.
Scary stuff.
Yeah, that's what I meant by the ease of fraud being so tempting. I researched CC fraud after I got a notice in the mail from my insurance company telling me how I need to get identity theft insurance because over 98% of CC fraud cases go unsolved. In less than an hour I knew how to do it myself for under $1500 by searching in google. Very, very scary.
A few retailers (way too few) will ask to see my ID when I swipe my credit card. I always thank them when they do. It makes fraud harder. Not impossible, just harder. Things are too easy these days.
Do you have your Signature on the back of your card? Or did you write CHECK ID?
According to the merchant agreements you have to sign to get your own Merchant #'s, one of the agreement is that the customer has to sign the back of the card. I am completely within my rights as a merchant to deny your purchase if you have not signed the back of your card with your LEGAL name. Does that happen? Not often, unless the purchase is for a large sum. ( I own a retail hardware store, so we do approx $25,000-30,000 a month in Credit cards)
A few retailers (way too few) will ask to see my ID when I swipe my credit card. I always thank them when they do. It makes fraud harder. Not impossible, just harder. Things are too easy these days.
do you guys (U.S.) still have to sign when using a CC?
do you guys (U.S.) still have to sign when using a CC?
Depends on the merchant and the transaction amount. Most won't require a signature when the transaction is under $25 or so. The merchant banks have set up a tiered system of fees where you pay a lesser percentage if you reduce the fraud risk (requiring the CV2, seeing the signature on the card, getting a signature on the sales slip, etc).
do you guys (U.S.) still have to sign when using a CC?
US is way behind on electronic payments. Like you said, in Holland we don't have checks for years. Most places don't like credit cards because of the commission, so you have to use a direct debit card or cash which is still good.
In UK, you don't sign with a credit card unless you have Amex - you use a PIN and hardly anyone takes Amex because of the commission and reportedly lousy service to vendors (customer is always right which means good service for me).
If I took a check instead of cash I would bank it ASAP. When you write checks you have to be either over eighty or a credit risk - a European perspective
...
In UK, you don't sign with a credit card unless you have Amex - you use a PIN ...
even in other countries now; I travel a lot for work and I can't even remember last time I actually signed for a CC payment. I've lived in the US for over 4 years but it still is funny to me to see all these small differences
Wow, it's neat to read about what's going on in other parts of the world. How is fraud prevented on those systems?
It's the same card, I believe, but a signature is not used anymore (I can still use my card in the US when I'm there). Instead a PIN number is entered, like on a debit card. Credit cards are rarely swiped, but instead you insert it, and the machine uses info from the little chip-thingy on the front instead of the 'strip' on the back for payment. 'Skimming' is a lot harder this way supposedly. Debit cards are going this way as well. Next step is 'contactless' payment, which is on trial internally at some banks now.
The little chip-thingy on debit cards is also a 'digital wallet'; You can fill it up with money from your account. You need a code to get money on there, but once it is on there but it is 'unprotected' basically. I usually have a few euros on there. It is used for small amounts and only requires a 'yes, I agree' button to be pushed, a pin-number is not required. You can use it at the store for small amounts, but mostly it is used for parking meters, public transport in some regions, some vending machines, etc.
Do you have your Signature on the back of your card? Or did you write CHECK ID?
According to the merchant agreements you have to sign to get your own Merchant #'s, one of the agreement is that the customer has to sign the back of the card. I am completely within my rights as a merchant to deny your purchase if you have not signed the back of your card with your LEGAL name. Does that happen? Not often, unless the purchase is for a large sum.
If a merchant won't accept my card with a SEE ID instead of a signature, I won't do business with them. That hasn't happened so far.
I would definitely prefer use of a PIN instead of a signature on credit cards.
And it's truly sad to see how few merchants even look.
The first day of sales, both of us were a bit rusty with the order filling out, and occasionally forgot to write down the payment section of the order form. So I now have two orders, both bigger than the average, that im not even sure if they paid or not. How would you handle this? Would you just ask them if they paid yet? Or ask for their receipt *if they kept it* from the payment?
This was sloppy on our part, and since the first day weve been doing it right with the right notes on the order forms. We just hadnt done a mass sales session like that in about a year and worked a bit to fast. live and learn.
Comments
Once I actually got to the govt, it was about 5-6 years ago, and then card printers\programmers were widely available, and starting from around 700$. When I was leaving that job, these devices were available for as low at 100$, and blank cards were about 50$ a pack.
Scary stuff.
My Site
My Facebook
Want faster uploading? Vote for FTP!
Do you have your Signature on the back of your card? Or did you write CHECK ID?
According to the merchant agreements you have to sign to get your own Merchant #'s, one of the agreement is that the customer has to sign the back of the card. I am completely within my rights as a merchant to deny your purchase if you have not signed the back of your card with your LEGAL name. Does that happen? Not often, unless the purchase is for a large sum. ( I own a retail hardware store, so we do approx $25,000-30,000 a month in Credit cards)
Penny
www.ivarborst.nl & smugmug
Depends on the merchant and the transaction amount. Most won't require a signature when the transaction is under $25 or so. The merchant banks have set up a tiered system of fees where you pay a lesser percentage if you reduce the fraud risk (requiring the CV2, seeing the signature on the card, getting a signature on the sales slip, etc).
Lakewood, Colorado, USA
My Pictures | My blog
Facebook | Twitter
US is way behind on electronic payments. Like you said, in Holland we don't have checks for years. Most places don't like credit cards because of the commission, so you have to use a direct debit card or cash which is still good.
In UK, you don't sign with a credit card unless you have Amex - you use a PIN and hardly anyone takes Amex because of the commission and reportedly lousy service to vendors (customer is always right which means good service for me).
If I took a check instead of cash I would bank it ASAP. When you write checks you have to be either over eighty or a credit risk - a European perspective
www.ivarborst.nl & smugmug
Want faster uploading? Vote for FTP!
The little chip-thingy on debit cards is also a 'digital wallet'; You can fill it up with money from your account. You need a code to get money on there, but once it is on there but it is 'unprotected' basically. I usually have a few euros on there. It is used for small amounts and only requires a 'yes, I agree' button to be pushed, a pin-number is not required. You can use it at the store for small amounts, but mostly it is used for parking meters, public transport in some regions, some vending machines, etc.
www.ivarborst.nl & smugmug
I would definitely prefer use of a PIN instead of a signature on credit cards.
And it's truly sad to see how few merchants even look.
--- Denise
Musings & ramblings at https://denisegoldberg.blogspot.com
The first day of sales, both of us were a bit rusty with the order filling out, and occasionally forgot to write down the payment section of the order form. So I now have two orders, both bigger than the average, that im not even sure if they paid or not. How would you handle this? Would you just ask them if they paid yet? Or ask for their receipt *if they kept it* from the payment?
This was sloppy on our part, and since the first day weve been doing it right with the right notes on the order forms. We just hadnt done a mass sales session like that in about a year and worked a bit to fast. live and learn.