Writing “Ask For ID” on the back of your credit card isn’t an unimpeachable guarantee of security, but it could be the last line of defense between you and a fraudulent charge. Invoking perilously flawed logic, the Boston Globe argues: “the cardholder gains nothing by not signing the card or writing in ‘See ID’ on the signature panel.” Let’s dismantle this nonsense piece by piece.
First up:
I believe all credit card companies print “not valid unless signed” on the back of the cards they issue. The credit agreement is with the credit card company, so why would someone think they can circumvent this requirement? Many say they are protecting themselves against fraud.[...]
Technically, cards must be signed with the holders’ names, according to both Visa Inc. and MasterCard International Inc., the two largest payment networks, and cards with “See ID” or “Ask for ID” written on the back are not a valid substitute.
First flaw: though your cardholder agreement requires you to sign your card, there is nothing to stop you from signing your name and writing “Ask for ID.”
Next up:
Some customers may think writing the terms on the panel on the back of the cards would deter fraud or forgery. But Visa’s rules for merchants say that “In reality, criminals don’t take the time to practice signatures: They use cards as quickly as possible after a theft and prior to the accounts being blocked. They are actually counting on you not to look at the back of the card and compare signatures – they may even have access to counterfeit identification with a signature in their own handwriting.”
Second flaw: the deterrence factor doesn’t need to apply to criminals. “Ask for ID” is a command to the cashier that if followed, prevents fraud.
Some readers don’t like showing identification, which is fine. Nothing in the cardholder agreement forces you to take out your driver’s license.
“Ask for ID” appears on our card next to our signature. Few people ask for ID. The ones that do, though, almost always ask when we’re making a large purchase, the kind we don’t want surprising us on our credit card statement.
It doesn’t relieve us from protecting our card from misuse, but those three simple words make an excellent last line of defense.
What do you think? Annoying invasion of privacy, pointless distraction, or essential safeguard? Duke it out in the comments.
‘See ID’ phrase on back of credit cards doesn’t deter fraud [Boston Globe]
(Photo: Getty)
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i have it on my credit card, but no one checks my card at the gas pumps….i also don’t spend anything at best buy cause i never enter their stores….all in all, having ask for id is probably a good idea….
If you read the back of the card, it says, ‘Card not valid unless signed’. So, when people say ‘Don’t sign it they’ll ask for ID’ technically they just can’t accept it if it isn’t signed.
But most people are dumb anyway.
@petrarch1608: Yes it does void. I recall someone in HS telling me he’s wasn’t allowed to accept cards that had that on there per CC agreement and the store’s lawyers, who didn’t want to take the risk of someone misreading the comparison between ID and cc.
Think about it… does adding something like that sound like a good idea? No, didn’t think so.
Have folks noticed how easy it is to rub the signature panel off of CCs? I’ve had some of mine for a few years now and I was surprised to see that just from sitting in my wallet and being used from time to time, about 1/4 of the signature strip had just worn off.
What’s to stop someone from rubbing off the signature panel where it says “ask for ID” (or doing something else to make it unreadable)? As counterfitters have shown us, any protection scheme can be defeated through some use of technology AND social engineering.
Even if someone doesn’t do anything to tamper with your card they can still a) take it to a store where an equally shady friend works, b) go to a place with a self-check-out lane (assuming they acquired your card w/ your wallet/purse and they have your zip code from your D/L) c) take it to a store that they know has lax CC procedures.
Ultimately your best line of defense is vigilance. Check your balances as often as possible and really look at the charges that show up, don’t just assume they’re right (and this is true for anything, from your cell phone, landline, CC, bank statement etc…)
If you added “see ID” or “Ask for ID” or any other variant. Wouldn’t you also have to add that to your signature when you sign off on your purchase?
If you must do this, PLEASE be polite to your cashier, whether she checks your ID or not. I’m still smarting from the dressing-down I got at my college job from an unbelievably nasty woman with a “Check ID” credit card.
I always write ASK FOR ID on my cards. When cashiers do ask, I know it’s at my request, and I gladly show my license. Only about 20% of cashiers bother to ask, though.
@Matthew Hughes: I was thinking the same thing. It’s only ok for a cashier to ask for it when we want them to. This practice is asinine. I used to buy loads of stuff for my employer with his personal cards – and I’d sign my name, the company name, whatever. They never asked for ID, they never compared signatures. Most of the time they never even got a look at the card as I was the one swiping it. Never an issue.
So this practice give you:
no protection at gas pumps.
no protection online.
little to no protection in stores.
Sounds like a great idea. You should write it all over the front and back of all of your cards.
I’ve worked in retail for a very long time and have a couple of things to say about this. First of all, your card HAS to be signed for a retailer to accept it (if they are doing their job right). Just read the back of your card over the signature panel- it will say “void if not signed” or something along those lines. You agreed to this when you signed up for the card as part of the Ts and Cs. If you haven’t signed your card and instead just write “see ID”, I cannot take it for payment. I didn’t make up this rule, your credit company did and you agreed to it. Second, if you did sign it and write “see ID” also, be sure you actually HAVE your ID if you’re trying to buy something. If you come in with a card with “see ID” written on it, I assume that you wanted your ID checked EVERY time you use it. It amazes me how people will tell me “it’s my card, I just wrote that in case it got stolen”.
Is that baby holding an AmEx black card?
I agree that it’s pointless. Most stores have little stations that you swipe the card at and the cashier never even sees the card. Or Wal-Mart, with the self-checkout, where there is no cashier at all.
There are a million ways a thief can use your card and never worry about getting ID’d or signature checked. Your best defense is to not lose your card.
I was in line at H&M yesterday and this teenage girl was trying to use her Father’s CC and the cashier straight up refused to accept it b/c it was her father’s name on the card and not hers. The girl was pleading with the cashier too and she was like “sorry, nothing I can”. The girl left in a total huff, I was surprised to see a retail store take such a strong arm against that kind of thing.
When I worked in retail I never really checked the signatures. If there was no signature I would let the customer know and ask them to sign it.
@Xkeeper: Sorry to leave a bad taste in your mouth with my comment. No need to be a turd about it.
The point is that writing it really doesn’t solve problems. Like everyone else has said. For me, it causes problems, because I have to nag at a customer to FOLLOW THEIR CC CONTRACT, which they should have known to do in the first place.
I get a laugh out of this. A signature legally is not necessarily a person’s name or signed name. If you look to the statues at large then technically “See ID” is a signature as it is a mark and memorandum.
For Example: in Washington State a signature legally means “_any_ memorandum, mark, or sign made with intent to authenticate any instrument or writing, or the subscription of any person thereto.” (RCW 9A.04.110)
Comment on Writing “Ask For ID” On Your Credit Card Won’t Stop Fraud, But It’s Still A Good Idea A simple solution to the vast majority of credit card fraud would be to
require a pin code for every transaction just like is required for debit
cards. Places that accept credit cards already have keypads attached to the
machine and it wouldn’t be a big deal for web sites to add a box for a pin
code to their checkout in place of the ccid number on the back of the card.
The CCID isn’t allowed to be stored in the internet site’s database already.
@Bog:
Yea, as much as I hate retailers asking for ID when it’s against policy I gotta share this story in regards to your comment. I had a friend who signed everything “Lesbian Crackwhore”. He used his card at a retailer once and signed the receipt in his usual fashion. The clerk said THAT IS NOT A SIGNATURE, LET ME SEE YOUR CARD! He showed her the credit card with the signature Lesbian Crackwhore on the back and she suspected it was stolen. Instead of placing a Code-10 call she asked for photo ID. She said if this is truly your signature it will be on your license. He said no problem, whipped out his driver license with his usual mark, Lesbian Crackwhore. The clerk just looked at him and handed him his receipt.
@MelL: Yes, i use my CCs several times per day. If i had to show ID each and every time it’d add up over the long run.
Have you ever disputed charges before? All they do is have you circle which charges are not yours and mail it back. Done.
One of my cards was de-activated and I was without it for a week tops. So I had to go through a week using one of my several other cards. Most smart consumers carry several cards… and for many reasons.
One card gets me 5% back on gas, pharmacy, and supermarket purchases. Another gets me 5% back at restaurants, movie theaters and book stores, and etc. etc. So I doubt I’d be left hanging if I was without one of my cards for a bit.
and so yes. i’d rather not show ID because it’s a false sense of security and pointless.
After working retail for 2 years I began putting “Check ID” on the back of my cards.
Only once in the past 3 years have I had my ID checked because of it on the back, and that was at GameStop.
My mother had her credit cards stolen once, the crook went and bought all kinds of crap from a gas station, where they are not going to check ID.
I hate to show my ID to anyone. Why would you let someone violate little privacy that you have left if the LAW is on your side on this issue???
I hate when clerk tells me its for my protection.
Im fully protected by credit card issuer. If anyone uses my card without my authorization the bank will refund all the money that was taken.
Why give extra rights or information to clerks and corporations???
Private information sold and resold everyday between corporations. They study your shopping patterns and everything about you. DL number opens up a lot of doors.
In the airport you get searched and you pay for it.
Look back just 10 years back, all those changes all those fees. Everyone wants to look into you.
If anyone know where I can report those stores and clerks please let me know. (visa911 is not helpful)
THANKS FOR READING