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I used to not-sign...
Then I found a couple local merchants who were adamant that they WOULD NOT accept a credit card without a signature... "It's the Credit Card Companies rules".
And, it does say on the back "Not Valid Unless Signed".
I finally gave in and signed it... not, as has been pointed out, that either way really does much good.
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...would if I knew sign language...but perhaps some day....
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I reject your reality and substitute my own!
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Of course you're supposed to sign it for the reason mikebw said.
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I thought CC issuers had rules requiring the card to be signed or, merchants were supposed to decline the card.
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This is true for almost ALL credit/charge cards:
The card is not valid until signed. "See ID" technically invalidates your card.
The merchant may ask for ID if they wish but they cannot make the transaction contingent on ID if you do not want to provide it.
As my own personal addendum to the above, I don't think card users nor merchants particularly care very much to enforce these two terms of the cardmember/merchant agreements.
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Visa spent millions advertising that you don't have to carry an ID to use their card, but when a merchant's policy is to require a photo ID, Visa and MasterCard don't give a rat's ass.
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From "Rules for Visa Merchants Card Acceptance and Chargeback Management Guidelines"
An unsigned card is considered invalid and should not be accepted . If a customer gives you an unsigned card, the following steps must be taken:
• Check the cardholder’s ID . Ask the cardholder for some form of official government identification, such as a driver’s license or passport . Where permissible by law, the ID serial number and expiration date should be written on the sales receipt before you complete the transaction .
• Ask the customer to sign the card . The card should be signed within your full view, and the signature checked against the customer’s signature on the ID . A refusal to sign means the card is still invalid and cannot be accepted . Ask the customer for another signed Visa card .
• Compare the signature on the card to the signature on the ID .
If the cardholder refuses to sign the card, and you accept it, you may end up with financial liability for the transaction should the cardholder later dispute the charge.
Some customers write “See ID” or “Ask for ID” in the signature panel, thinking that this is a deterrent against fraud or forgery; that is, if their signature is not on the card, a fraudster will not be able to forge it . In reality, criminals don’t take the time to practice signatures: they use cards as quickly as possible after a theft and prior to the accounts being blocked . They are actually counting on you not to look at the back of the card and compare signatures—they may even have access to counterfeit identification with a signature in their own handwriting .
“See ID” or “Ask for ID” is not a valid substitute for a signature . The customer must sign the card in your presence, as stated above .
When should you ask a cardholder for an official government ID? although Visa rules do not preclude merchants from asking for cardholder ID, merchants cannot make an ID a condition of acceptance . Therefore, merchants cannot refuse to complete a purchase transaction because a cardholder refuses to provide ID. Visa believes merchants should not ask for ID as part of their regular card acceptance procedures. Laws in several states also make it illegal for merchants to write a cardholder’s personal information, such as an address or phone number, on a sales receipt.
