Some merchants do, some don't.....

[magyar123]

check IDs when a customer pays with a credit card. Earlier today I went to the post office and bought two books of stamps for $16.40. Used credit card. No ID required. Down the block was a pizza joint, ordered one - less than $15. ID required.
What makes some merchants ask for ID, but not others?

[WantToBeDebtFre]

I always wondered that too. I'm not sure...

[HRx]

Most likely just laziness, or the merchant doesn't have a policy on verifying ID's on credit card purchases. While verifying ID's on CC purchases can be inconvenient for everyone at times, it's very good practice and can prevent a lot of headaches for everyone.

[SinkingFast]

It's even gotten to where if it's below $X, they don't even have you sign any more. At least it's that way for Debit Card use.

And the $$$ amount varies from place to place. One place it'll be $10 limit. Another place it's $50 before you have to sign.

[magyar123]

It's even gotten to where if it's below $X, they don't even have you sign any more. At least it's that way for Debit Card use.

And the $$$ amount varies from place to place. One place it'll be $10 limit. Another place it's $50 before you have to sign.

If you use your debit card as a debit card youjust enter your PIN anyway.

[WantToBeDebtFre]

When I go through McDonalds they don't even have me sign at all.

[SinkingFast]

If you use your debit card as a debit card youjust enter your PIN anyway.

I was actually thinking of Drive Thru's.

Like at Mickie D's. We can grab dinner for right at $10. Off the "Dollar Menu", a bag of double cheeseburgers and fries.

McD will run the Debit Card. No PIN input. No signature. No nothing.

Another Drive-Thru at a different restaurant,........... Relatively the same price spent,............ And they make you sign for it.

No rhyme or reason to the madness!

[HeatherB]

While working at Lowes I wondered the same thing. Heck, with he credit card machines, the customer usually swiped it. I asked upper management how exactly we were supposed to handle credit cards (asking for ID or not) and was told that if they hand you the card and it isn't signed, you can ask for ID or if for any reason you had to take the card and swipe it at register/punch in numbers. I was told if they don't hand you the card then you had no right to ask.

I had a few people say, "you didn't even ask for my ID". And then I would ask, but really I was told not to unless we physically had the card in our hand. I did have a few people that would hand me their card and I'd ask for ID and they got upset..... and also a few people who thanked me.

In the 4 years I worked there, I do remember 2 different people coming in about charges they did not make in the store. If I remember correctly, the manager told them that they had to call the police and then the police would do an investigations (which I know included looking through the tapes).

OT a little - a wierd thing is that we were allowed to accept american express cards only if they were "swiped" through the machine. We were instructed not to manually type in the numbers. It had something to do with AM EX charging the company so much for every card we typed in..... strange, eh?

[tinroofrusted]

Actually it is against Visa and MC policies to ask for ID.
They are breaking their merchant agreement by doing this.

They can only check the back of the card to make sure the signature matches, and that is IT.

[HHM]

Actually it is against Visa and MC policies to ask for ID.
They are breaking their merchant agreement by doing this.

They can only check the back of the card to make sure the signature matches, and that is IT.

Actually, that is half true.

Merchants are not precluded from "asking" for ID as part of a transaction, BUT the merchant cannot refuse to process the transaction if the customer refuses to provide identification. Moreover, in many states, the merchant cannot write the personal information of the customer (i.e. address, etc) on the receipt.

Merchants can ask for the customer's zip code as part of a POS (point of sale) transaction, and can ask for an address for a MO/TO (i.e. telephone) and e-commerce transaction.

If shipping of merchandise is involved, the merchant can request the address and verify it accordingly.

In short...merchants can ask for identification...but if you refuse to give it, the merchants cannot refuse to process the transaction.

Note, merchants can also do a "code 10" call if the identify of the customer is suspect. The merchant calls the card issuer for further instructions.

[AMISLANDER]

THere is a comedy site, zug.com, where they went out & did a whole number on the cc/no ID thing...check it out....

You can basically draw a picture of shamu on you cc bill and it doesn't matter.