Is it possible to have your CC set up to require your pin by default?
I used to work fast food and some people's cards had to have a PIN, even when ran as credit.
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EDIT: I accidentially said debit not credit LOL
My Barclaycard and Citi cards both say "Authorized Signature / Not valid unless signed" on the back of them. That's the biggest reason I sign them. Also, it's part of your cardmember agreement, which is the contract you have to agree to in order to use your card. Big reason number 2. Reason number 3 is that showing your ID to random people puts you at risk for identity theft. You just showed your DOB, DMV customer number, and mailing address to someone for no reason other than you didn't want to sign your card. Also, if a theif picks up an unsigned card, they can easily sign their signature to the back of your card so that it will match to the people who actually check. That's reason 4.
So I have a MUCH better question: Why DON'T you sign the back of your cards?
@Mike_C wrote:I always write "See ID" on the backs of my cards. Most of the time this is ignored and the card is swiped, but I always am grateful to those that ask to see my ID.
Which is a violation of your card agreement. Visa also has this mentioned on the merchant site at http://usa.visa.com/merchants/risk_management/card_present.html#anchor_6
If the card has a “See ID” in place of a signature…
- Request a signature. Ask the cardholder to sign the card and provide current government identification, such as a driver's license or passport (if local law permits).
- Check the signature. Be sure that the signature on the card matches the one on the transaction receipt and the additional identification.
Basically everything in the current system revolves around the signature. If your card isn't signed the merchants aren't supposed to accept it unless you sign it.
As for ID, I report all merchants that ask for ID. Visa and Mastercard both have online reporting forms just for that. Their merchant agreement says they only need to look at the signature and make sure it matches what you signed. The current rules say I don't need to prove who I am to make a purchase as long as the card is signed.
This is why chip and PIN is needed in this country. Too many people not following the rules.
@Startome wrote:Is it possible to have your CC set up to require your pin by default?
Most US banks don't provide a PIN function for credit cards at all. Some do, but they usually allow a signature to override the need to supply a PIN anyway which defeats the purpose.
I asked Chase recently about adding a PIN to my cards with them and they said their system doesn't support it.
I hardly sign the back of my cards personally because I don't believe it helps with anything, but places like the post office will not accept the card unless signed, thats why always try to use the self serve machine when possible. And while you are supposed to sign the back of your cards as all of you have shown us in the credit card agreements, its also in the merchant agreements the last time I checked, merchants aren't supposed to ask for any ID with any transaction with a signed credit card and also not supposed to deny any transaction if the CC user decides to not provide ID but they do, why does no merchants follow this Merchant Agreement rule? Almost every time I use my CC I am asked to provide valid ID. But thats a topic to be discussed in a different thread.
