Use of a credit card?

I met a friend this morning for lunch. She loves to eat Subway, but I don't. I went to KFC, then we stopped at Subway for her. I gave her my credit card because she ran out of checks(I am very trusting). There was a long line, so I said I would wait in the car until she needed me to sign the receipt. Well, she handed the credit card to the clerk who swiped it without even looking at it & haneded the card back to my friend. She didn't even have to sign a receipt! What the heck!?!?! How comforting is it to know that someone could steal my credit card & wrack up a bunch of purchases?!?! I understand that most places aren't as laid back as that, but I think that is going way too far! I understand that we live in a rural area, but really, is it that hard to look at the darn card & get a signature!?!? When we were in Las Vegas, I had to hand them my ID every time I wanted to use my credit card. They thoroughly scrutinized it before they even would swipe the card. Here, practically any person could use my credit card! I called the Subway & told them one of their employees had allowed a friend of mine to pay for her food using my credit card without looking at the card or asking for a signature. I hope that isn't common practice there.

Does this sort of thing happen anywhere else?

Since when can you use a credit card at kfc and subway?

The first time we used a CC at a fast food place we noticed the same thing and were surprised also. We asked about it and the explanation we got was that for purchases under a certain amount a signature was not required.

Fast food restaurants are the worst with that! Most don't require a signature anymore, and I don't think that most of the employees care as long as the charge goes through.

How about those self-check out lines? I think you could sign anything to the little touch screens and it wouldn't care as long as it was signed.

It's actually kinda scary that most online stores offer more protection for your credit card than the brick and morter stores.

Thats crazy! Not very reassuring...
I know that over here there are several places designed for you not to have to sign for anything, like at Tesco Supermarkets, they have a fast track lane for your petrol, where you just put in your card and get your petrol. Also you can book cinema tickets over the phone and when u get to the cinema you just stick your card in a machine and out come your tickets.
I think its kind of crazy!! I once took a domestic flight from luton to edinburgh and all i had to do to get my ticket (which had already been paid for over the internet) was press a few buttons on a machine... no ID checked whatsoever. I know I wasnt leaving the UK or anything but I have felt so reassured since they introduced the ID thing for domestic flights too, it seems like in some places security is through the roof and you can be told your photo doesnt look like you and have to produce another form of id, or you signature doesnt match, and then in other places they just want your custom and thats it.

This really is a problem and rather unsettling all a person could so easily get away with through unauthorized use of our credit cards. There really should be more precautions in place.

They have that at Subway here too. If it below a certain amt, they are not required to get a signature. It is that way at Taco Bell and McDonalds too.

Where I get gas at, when I put my card in, it asks for my zip code as ID. But I do not actually have a credit card but a Visa debit card for my checking acct. I know it rediculous, but they don't want to be bothered with the few seconds it takes to sign the slip.

At fast food, I think if it's under $10, no signature. Doesn't make a damn bit of difference as far as I'm concerned. Two months ago I had 2 credit cards stolen and one was used at a Wal-Mart for $600. Obviously, signatures did not match; I'd bet that my name was probably even misspelled. Obviously, nobody asked for ID either. I remember from working retail that as long as you get an approval code, you are good to go.

It doesn't really matter if they get a signature or not, because the whole point of it is to see if it matches the signature on the back of the card. How many of you have actually signed the back of your card, and how many times have you seen someone checking? We don't use credit cards, but we use a debit card, and I sign for my roommate all of the time. Sometimes I just put an X.

When I worked at Target, we were told to check the signatures to see if they matched, and if they hadn't signed the back of the card we were supposed to ask them to. What the heck? If it was stolen, the thief would just sign the back of the card, right? Just like if the card was stolen, the thief would sign the receipt.

Sometimes they ask for ID, which is much better! I saw this site a few days ago about the signatures: http://www.zug.com/pranks/credit/ The guy signed all kinds of things and no one cared.

My mom just told me something rather stupid. Once the card gets wiped & approved, a signature isn't required. Once that goes through, the charge is on your card regardless of a correct signature or not. Credit Cards are wonderful things, but really, it would suck to get mine stolen.

The back of my card says check ID on it. I keep my credit card & my ID in seperate parts of my purse in case I lose one part.

So, what happens if someone steals my credit card & charges $10 in every fast food restaurant in town? That's at least $80 right there. This is our world of technological advances! The comment about being safer using a credit card online was right on the money!

As a retailer, we found out that if a charge is challenged, unless we have a signature and proof of id for that customer, they will charge it back to us. So yeah, they can put that through without a signature, but if you challenge it, and say, I didn't make that purchase, it would be up to the retailer to prove that you did.

I have had charges denied even when I had an approval code. All the approval code tells us is that there is enough credit on the card to cover the purchase. It does not protect us from the card holder saying that they didn't make the purchase and getting their money back.

I'll say that Capital One, my card issuer, was excellent regarding the fraudulent use of my cards. You would think that if someone was spending 600 bucks, you'd at least ask for an ID with the purchase. I know of some people who write simply SEE ID on the back of their cards, but recently in the US Post Office, their policy stated specifically that they would not accept credit cards with that statement on the back. Had to be signed.

what can i say - don't give your cards to someone else?

Originally Posted by valanhb

How about those self-check out lines? I think you could sign anything to the little touch screens and it wouldn't care as long as it was signed.

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This is true....when johns working..I just go the supermarket w/ his card, and go through the self-check out...no problem......

Originally Posted by Deb25

I know of some people who write simply SEE ID on the back of their cards, but recently in the US Post Office, their policy stated specifically that they would not accept credit cards with that statement on the back. Had to be signed.

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And I saw what Purr said about insisting that the card be signed happen at the USPS. Oh that lady was MAD! She told them that her credit card company had instructed the cardholders to not sign their cards for security (i.e. to force the checking of IDs), but they insisted. So she signed her card right there, and sure enough, the USPS employee diligently checked the card against the slip. Well, of course they matched since she signed both right there!

Originally Posted by Nebula11

This is true....when johns working..I just go the supermarket w/ his card, and go through the self-check out...no problem......

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Thats just so scary that someone could totally use your card like that if its lost or stolen, I really think more places need to check ID's and signatures for sure!!

that people can easily steal our information. i can understand everyone else's frustration. i had a friend who had her identity stolen and it was a nightmare for her. she eventually had to file bankruptcy and get a new social security card because of it. the companies even knew that she had her identity stolen, but they did not care and just wanted there money. that is what disturbs me the most. the best answer for cc is to pay cash whenever possible. no cash means no spending. i have found that it is the best and most difficult thing to do, but after about 6 months you don't even notice the difference.

That is why I try not to use our credit card unless absolutely necessary. I tend to use cash for most things. That way people with camera phones can't get my info since it is cash.

You don't have to sign it unless you spend more the $20. I eat at subway all the time because it's in the Walmart where I work.

I saw on the news recently that in the Del. Valley area some stores are implementing a new feature using a credit card called "blink". I don't remember the segment showing any major stores but it did feature Wawa. With this new card all you have to do is scan the card on a computer screen and the money is automatically charged to your credit card. It's instant and you aren't required to sign anything.

::censor::censor::censor::

I wonder how many of these cards are going to be stolen and used??? I use my credit card all the time and I can only think of one time when my signature was checked and that was at a Wal-Mart.

Originally Posted by Purr

Sometimes they ask for ID, which is much better! I saw this site a few days ago about the signatures: http://www.zug.com/pranks/credit/ The guy signed all kinds of things and no one cared.

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This cracked me up. My dad always had horrible handwriting and you could never make out his signature. Jokingly, he would sign his checks with different names -- Daffy Duck, Bill Clinton, Madonna. Noone ever said anything to him and they sure took his money.