Credit Cards...To sign or what?

[Mr Magoo]

I've just received my new card and remember somebody advising to put "Photo ID required" on the card instead of my signature. Any ideas about what is better? We are doing a lot of overseas travel and I always worry about handing the card over with my signature on it.
Thanks

 

[wywk]

Most credit cards would have a disclaimer on the back of the card that says "Not valid unless signed", so I assume you have to sign it.

I have a chip card and a pin set-up on it. So whenever I shop in Australia, I just swipe and use my pin instead of signing it. I'm not sure what options you have in other countries but when I was in the US earlier this year, they always asked me to sign.

The Hotels in Las Vegas always asked me for ID (Passport) as well when I used my credit card and they always asked me to sign, never got the option to use my Pin there. I assume because it's a foreign card, they need to check...and they seemed to be checking for name and signature match each time.

Also a good habit is to always make sure you have the card in your sights at all time if you have to hand it over, as it only takes a few seconds for someone to copy it. It's happened to my friend a few times and she still hasn't learned her lesson She always hands her card and wait for the receipt to sign...at restaurants, shops, everywhere...and she had her card copied several times.

I've just received my new card and remember somebody advising to put "Photo ID required" on the card instead of my signature. Any ideas about what is better? We are doing a lot of overseas travel and I always worry about handing the card over with my signature on it.
Thanks

 

[Dave Noble]

I've just received my new card and remember somebody advising to put "Photo ID required" on the card instead of my signature. Any ideas about what is better? We are doing a lot of overseas travel and I always worry about handing the card over with my signature on it.
Thanks

Whoever told you that gave you bad advice. The only thing that you should hav ethere is your signature; things like that and you risk having the card removed
Dave

 

[mosanator]

I also remember reading a few months ago when there was all that skimming problems at Macca's etc that security people were advising people to sign and not use their PIN as the machine could have a skimmer or be recording your PIN:!::?:.

 

[notzac]

Whoever told you that gave you bad advice. The only thing that you should hav ethere is your signature; things like that and you risk having the card removed
Dave

Agreed - the merchant agreements for VI and MC both state that "check ID" or similar is not an acceptable substitute for a signature.

See http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/sign-or-write-see-ID-1282.php for more info.

 

[v8Statesman]

I've just received my new card and remember somebody advising to put "Photo ID required" on the card instead of my signature. Any ideas about what is better? We are doing a lot of overseas travel and I always worry about handing the card over with my signature on it.
Thanks

I have not signed the back of a VISA/AMEX or MCARD for over 3 years. I write in black marker "PIN or D/L" and I have never had a problem with using it here or in the USA and ASIA.

It also helped with a fraud charge in Thailand as the idiot signed the slip "PIN or D/L" (I was mailed a photo copy of it as part of the investigation. Both I and the bank investigator had a laugh over it.

 

[Mal]

It also helped with a fraud charge in Thailand as the idiot signed the slip "PIN or D/L" (I was mailed a photo copy of it as part of the investigation. Both I and the bank investigator had a laugh over it.

If I was a merchant, unless you signed the slip with "PIN OR D/L" I would refuse the transaction. How am I supposed to know that it isn't your "mark"/"signature" and that I should ask to see your ID? You could theoretically chargeback later and claim the opposite of the situation above claiming the signature on the slip didn't match the one on the card.

Oh, and I have read through what Visa (USA) has in it's guidelines for "SEE ID" transactions (ie request other ID/ask for card to be signed), but that does shove the liability back onto the merchant.