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card imprints

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bichonmom
Senior Contributor

Re: card imprints

You must be young. Smiley Happy  There's nothing wrong with taking an imprint. It used to be done all the time. It's the same as swiping your card thru a reader.

 

Merchants get different rates from their bankcard processor, depending on how they take cards. If they have the physical card (e.g. swiped thru a reader or imprinted), they get a lower rate than if it's a phone order (or over the internet for that matter) and no physical swipe/imprint of the card was done. It also helps the merchant/store to help eliminate fraud, since you have to have the card in your posession to use it (as opposed to just giving a number). That's why they get a lower rate when then swipe or imprint the card.

 

Also, concerns about the number being on carbon are outdated, since no one uses carbon anymore. It's all NCR -- one copy to the merchant and one copy to the customer. It's perfectly safe, and actually protects both the cardholder and the merchant. Smiley Happy

 

 

 

EQ FICO 750 | TU FICO 761 (Walmart) | EX FAKO 767 | Goal: 800+

Edits, funky spacing and spelling due to my iPad not getting along with the forum editor!

Message 11 of 19
improvingmycredit
Valued Contributor

Re: card imprints


@pipeguy wrote:

@Lambo23 wrote:

Do you guys allow any businesses take imprints of your credit cards? This totally sketches me out. Especially when the pizza guy could easily write the numbers down. I usually just hand over the card in order to prevent an awkward situation. I know that some places require taking an imprint and I feel bad giving them a hard time about it. I think for now on I will refuse to let them do it. What are your thoughts on this?


 

You have a bigger issue with restaurants and service people using hand scanners IMO - fraud will happen, but cards protect you from false charges. An imprint will not show the CCV number from the back panel, a hand scanner will.

 

Much to do about nothing IMO.

+1

The reason for the imprint:  the establishment has to have some proof that the card was in fact present at POS.  These days, with out a swipe or imprint, anyone can dispute a charge and virtually pay nothing for services rendered.  I hate it really but there is no other recourse for businesses if the POS system is not functioning properly or a card was used over the phone for a delivery order.  With out it, the business get stuck with the tab for real services rendered by unscrupulous individuals. 

You are protected against fraud with virtually all credit cards now so I wouldn't worry about it too much.  JMHO.  Smiley Happy


Starting Score: 642
Current Score: EQ 773, EX 780, TU 777 (All FICO)
Goal Score: 800+

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Message 12 of 19
bichonmom
Senior Contributor

Re: card imprints


@improvingmycredit wrote:

@pipeguy wrote:

@Lambo23 wrote:

Do you guys allow any businesses take imprints of your credit cards? This totally sketches me out. Especially when the pizza guy could easily write the numbers down. I usually just hand over the card in order to prevent an awkward situation. I know that some places require taking an imprint and I feel bad giving them a hard time about it. I think for now on I will refuse to let them do it. What are your thoughts on this?


 

You have a bigger issue with restaurants and service people using hand scanners IMO - fraud will happen, but cards protect you from false charges. An imprint will not show the CCV number from the back panel, a hand scanner will.

 

Much to do about nothing IMO.

+1

The reason for the imprint:  the establishment has to have some proof that the card was in fact present at POS.  These days, with out a swipe or imprint, anyone can dispute a charge and virtually pay nothing for services rendered.  I hate it really but there is no other recourse for businesses if the POS system is not functioning properly or a card was used over the phone for a delivery order.  With out it, the business get stuck with the tab for real services rendered by unscrupulous individuals. 

You are protected against fraud with virtually all credit cards now so I wouldn't worry about it too much.  JMHO.  Smiley Happy



+1 I have an online business and have had this happen to me twice. I provide services, so I have lost hours of work done for individuals who, in effect, stole from me. And there is no recourse because the laws are skewed towards the consumer.

EQ FICO 750 | TU FICO 761 (Walmart) | EX FAKO 767 | Goal: 800+

Edits, funky spacing and spelling due to my iPad not getting along with the forum editor!

Message 13 of 19
crunching_numbers
Valued Contributor

Re: card imprints

Taxi drivers also will do imprints sometimes.

 

You guys are making me feel old, being worried about a CC imprint.  many store cards did not even have swipe strips on them. It was the way ALL cards were processed before technology caught up.  There was a bank copy of the multi-part slip that a merchant submitted as a deposit for Visa/MC to get their money.   The big book they mentioned earlier was usually a combination of lists of "bad" cards and  do not accept checks from these accounts/people lists because tele-chex and POS software did not exist. Calling in an approval only happened for big value charges. The carbons were the issue back before they were NCR paper forms and people would steal the carbons for the account numbers. Times were different, and for those of us who are older (and I am not talking THAT old, either) taking an imprint is a normal activity and think nothing of being asked for an imprint.  I bet those same people who feel weird giving an imprint think nothing of keying their number in for an online purchase and keying in their security code with it.


Starting Score: 693 TU FICO, 679 EQ FICO
Current Score: FICO 8 = 844(9/15) EQ, 827 TU, 811 EX (7/15); mortgage FICO= 758 (9/15)EQ5, 797 TU4, 748 EX2 (7/15)
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Message 14 of 19
JaysonT
Regular Contributor

Re: card imprints

Card imprints are a way to confirm the card was actually presented.  If the number is just written down it may not have actually been present.

 

Since you guys are talking imprints, I need to share this story.  Years ago we had opened a restaurant and received our imprint device.  The very first transaction with a credit card, my mother was excited to use the imprint device.  She loaded the card and the paper and slid the mechanism across.  The card apparently was not inserted properly but she forced the slide across.  The card snapped right in half and shot out of the imprint device.  She then had to bring the card to the customer who immediately thought it was declined and was shocked and embarrassed.  She explained the mistake and luckily he had another card for her to use.  She assured him the new card would not be imprinted by her as she was too afraid she would break another one.  She was embarrassed by the incident and was quite leery of using the imprint device from then on.  He kept coming back as a customer so apparently the whole incident was not too much for him.

Message 15 of 19
bribro
Valued Contributor

Re: card imprints

I had the first and only CC imprint of my life a few months ago. It was at a restaurant in Vegas and their POS system was having difficulties. It's nothing to worry about, and you're still not liable for fraudulent activity.

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Message 16 of 19
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: card imprints

Now that was funny, it is a shame you were not video taping it.  You probably would have won one of those funniest home videos Smiley Tongue

Message 17 of 19
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: card imprints

I wouldnt have any problem if a merchant needed an imprint of my card. You are protected from fraud just the same from an imprint as a swipe transaction. They are definitely a good thing for a business to have if the network is down just in case.

 

This reminds me of a hotel review I read on trip advisor when browsing new york city hotels. Someone was up in arms that the hotel front desk needed to make a copy of not only their credit card but their drivers liscense as well. Making an imprint or copy of a credit card is fine, no reason to make a copy of the drivers liscense as well. Way too much personal info together there and there is no reason any hotel has any business knowing what is on someones drivers liscense.

 

Message 18 of 19
Lambo23
Frequent Contributor

Re: card imprints


@Anonymous wrote:

I wouldnt have any problem if a merchant needed an imprint of my card. You are protected from fraud just the same from an imprint as a swipe transaction. They are definitely a good thing for a business to have if the network is down just in case.

 

This reminds me of a hotel review I read on trip advisor when browsing new york city hotels. Someone was up in arms that the hotel front desk needed to make a copy of not only their credit card but their drivers liscense as well. Making an imprint or copy of a credit card is fine, no reason to make a copy of the drivers liscense as well. Way too much personal info together there and there is no reason any hotel has any business knowing what is on someones drivers liscense.

 


The drivers license copy is basically for emergencies or incase you are some kind of criminal. If someone locks themselves out of the room without proof of who they are than you can look at the copy of their ID to identify them. Most hotels take the copy electronically and it goes into the computer system. I never saw a big deal about letting a hotel make a copy of my license. 

 

Lot of good points by everyone else. I guess it is not as bad as what I thought. I still get a little weirded out though. Watching this guy scratch my CC numbers onto the receipt and then walk off with it just does not feel right! Smiley Tongue

Message 19 of 19
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