AMEX Merchant Compliance

Anonymous · ‎01-01-2009

I was at a restarunt last night and paid with my AMEX card. They have a policy from the owners that all individuals paying with a credit card are required to show a drivers license which they record the number on the merchant copy of the receipt.

I understand that in general you cannot require a person physically presenting a valid card to a merchant to show ID. I would like to ask AMEX to look into this. However, my question is does American Express do a good job with merchant compliance? In other words, if the policy is not permitted, will they even go after this place?

Thank you & Happy New Year.

Message Edited by jessep28 on 01-01-2009 09:12 AM

Mark_in_Pasadena · ‎01-01-2009

@Anonymous wrote:
I was at a restarunt last night and paid with my AMEX card. They have a policy from the owners that all individuals paying with a credit card are required to show a drivers license which they record the number on the merchant copy of the receipt.

I understand that in general you cannot require a person physically presenting a valid card to a merchant to show ID. I would like to ask AMEX to look into this. However, my question is does American Express do a good job with merchant compliance? In other words, if the policy is not permitted, will they even go after this place?

Thank you & Happy New Year.

Message Edited by jessep28 on 01-01-2009 09:12 AM

As far as I know, it is a CCC merchant policy to require that they verify your identity, such as asking for your driver's license. I don't know what the deal is with them writing the DL# on the receipt though.

The merchants that don't ask for your driver's license are actually the ones not following the correct policy.

Everytime I've used a CC in Mexico, all merchants INSIST on asking me my phone # and writing it on the receipt. The funny thing is that there's no way for them to verify that it's a real phone # you're putting on there!

Message Edited by Mark_in_Pasadena on 01-01-2009 09:18 AM

Anonymous · ‎01-01-2009

@Mark_in_Pasadena wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
I was at a restarunt last night and paid with my AMEX card. They have a policy from the owners that all individuals paying with a credit card are required to show a drivers license which they record the number on the merchant copy of the receipt.

I understand that in general you cannot require a person physically presenting a valid card to a merchant to show ID. I would like to ask AMEX to look into this. However, my question is does American Express do a good job with merchant compliance? In other words, if the policy is not permitted, will they even go after this place?

Thank you & Happy New Year.

Message Edited by jessep28 on 01-01-2009 09:12 AM
As far as I know, it is a CCC merchant policy to require that they verify your identity, such as asking for your driver's license. I don't know what the deal is with them writing the DL# on the receipt though.
The merchants that don't ask for your driver's license are actually the ones not following the correct policy.
Everytime I've used a CC in Mexico, all merchants INSIST on asking me my phone # and writing it on the receipt. The funny thing is that there's no way for them to verify that it's a real phone # you're putting on there!
Message Edited by Mark_in_Pasadena on 01-01-2009 09:18 AM

I'm pretty sure that - at least for Visa and MasterCard - the merchant agreement states that they are NOT supposed to ask for additional identification. I could of course be wrong, though!

Anonymous · ‎01-01-2009

From what I can recall on the merchant agreement they can ask for ID, but they can't require it for the transaction to go through (you can refuse)

Mark_in_Pasadena · ‎01-01-2009

@Anonymous wrote:
@Mark_in_Pasadena wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
I was at a restarunt last night and paid with my AMEX card. They have a policy from the owners that all individuals paying with a credit card are required to show a drivers license which they record the number on the merchant copy of the receipt.

I understand that in general you cannot require a person physically presenting a valid card to a merchant to show ID. I would like to ask AMEX to look into this. However, my question is does American Express do a good job with merchant compliance? In other words, if the policy is not permitted, will they even go after this place?

Thank you & Happy New Year.

Message Edited by jessep28 on 01-01-2009 09:12 AM
As far as I know, it is a CCC merchant policy to require that they verify your identity, such as asking for your driver's license. I don't know what the deal is with them writing the DL# on the receipt though.
The merchants that don't ask for your driver's license are actually the ones not following the correct policy.
Everytime I've used a CC in Mexico, all merchants INSIST on asking me my phone # and writing it on the receipt. The funny thing is that there's no way for them to verify that it's a real phone # you're putting on there!
Message Edited by Mark_in_Pasadena on 01-01-2009 09:18 AM
I'm pretty sure that - at least for Visa and MasterCard - the merchant agreement states that they are NOT supposed to ask for additional identification. I could of course be wrong, though!

With the advent of the RFID chip cards (Paypass, etc), they relaxed the requirement of no longer having to show ID on receipts totaling less than $25 at certain convenience retailers such as CVS Pharmacy, 7-Eleven, etc. They're still required to ask for proof of identity on higher total receipts.

Isn't it common sense? Why would they encourage theft by NOT requiring proof identity on items over $25?

haulingthescoreup · ‎01-01-2009

They're not supposed to ask.

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/fico/board/message?board.id=creditcard&thread.id=92340

* Credit is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. * Who's the boss --you or your credit?
FICO's: EQ 781 - TU 793 - EX 779 (from PSECU) - Done credit hunting; having fun with credit gardening. - EQ 590 on 5/14/2007

Anonymous · ‎01-01-2009

I've definitely seen the wording in the MC & Visa agreements that say merchants can't require additional ID in order to accept a card (i.e. they can ask, but if the customer can't/won't show ID, they can't refuse the sale based on that), but was nosing around to see if I can find anything similar from AmEx. A Nov 2008 merchant reference guide rather vaguely says that a merchant must (for sales when the customer is present) "verify that the customer is the cardmember", although it doesn't say how they should or shouldn't verify this. Would that mean AmEx DOES actually encourage asking for ID - or just that asking "is this your card" or "are you Ms. XXXX?" would be good enough?!

Anonymous · ‎01-01-2009

@haulingthescoreup wrote:
They're not supposed to ask.

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/fico/board/message?board.id=creditcard&thread.id=92340

Aha, thanks for posting that, Hauling - I hadn't seen that thread before. Reading now!