Credit Card Laws

[unholypet]

In the state of Tennessee, and most other states, its clearly stated in several business legalities that when a customer uses a credit card, they are to be given a receipt, and you are to keep one for records and proof of purchase. The card machine must be able to print out (at any given time) the records of a daily business.

Man walks in, I take his order, hand him the one to sign (we keep it) and he signs, then the one he keeps.

Man: Could I see your sheet again?
Me: Sure. (Don't legally have to, you sign, its mine)
Man: MmmmHM! *scribbles out his card number*
Me: Sir, may i ask why you did that? (as I print a new one)
Man: Its illegal for you to have my number. I'm a lawyer. (of Funkytown, no doubt)
Me: I need you to sign this *hands new receipt, rips up old one*
Man: I just signed one.
Me: And then you vandalized (company) property. I don't legally need your signature now, I just want it fo records.
Man: HMPH *scribbles out number*
Me: *shrugs, prints new one..* Here.

THIS time I set it down and cover the top. His flimsy little girl hands do nothing to err my power over the document.

He eventually gave up and signed, but geez. Are you even Barr certified? I hope the hell not.

[Saydrah]

SHEESH!

What a jerk. I can understand being paranoid about your credit card information, but to the extent that you claim credentials as a lawyer when clearly you are not one (as lawyers know the law, I hope) and try to violate state law, that's over the top! The most he would be within his rights to do is ask that the receipt, if it does show his full credit card number (I've never seen one that shows more than four digits or so) be placed in a secure, locked area in front of him. Which would still be sucky, but within his rights if he has major concerns about identity theft.

[GolfCart34]

That reminds me of the guy who didn't want me to write down his ID information on the back of the check I was cashing for him. He claimed that we were all going to steal his identity. Uh, dude, the bank already has your identifying information so me writing down your ID information isn't going to do anything unless the servers for the computers are stolen from the building that is secured like Fort Knox.

And if your store has a computer backup of credit transactions, then you already have his account information stored. Crossing out the number really isn't going to do anything to prevent his number from going anywhere. I wonder if people crossed out their account numbers on store card receipts before computers came in to play and you had those old fashioned card imprint machines to process charge transactions. I bet that would have gone over like a lead balloon with the clerks.

And sucky customers really need to lay off the "I'm a lawyer" or "I'm good friends with a lawyer so do what I say" crap. It's really old and nobody believes you. Even if the guy you helped really was a lawyer, why was he taking his petty complaint out on you? You have no control over the fact that you have to keep an unadulterated signed copy of the receipt on record as per state law. Perhaps he should have voiced his opinion with a manager instead.

[Ghengis51]

Actually when I do a CC transaction at work the copy we keep does have the full sixteen digit number on it. The back office needs it for keeping track of things. I've never had anyway overreact, but i'll get it someday.

[Snowbird]

I know someone that regularly scratches out the full number of their credit card on a certain restaurants receipts (the wait staff there has never voiced a problem with it). Unfortunately, this habit is due to the fact that their number was stolen before, much havoc was wreaked and their trust regarding anyone with their credit is shot.

Did the receipt at your restaurant have the full number listed, or just the last four digits? Either way, that customer was just being petty.

[RedRoseSpiral]

I had a guy do that when I worked at the chinese place. I'm pretty sure he's the same one who called up saying he found a rat claw in this chicken fried rice.

[sms001]

Me: Sir, may i ask why you did that? (as I print a new one)

This is the part that cracks me up - if Unholy WANTS his full number, hey presto she can print a dozen copies of it anytime.....

Besides checking a debit/credit receipt for accuracy, I also usually look to see if the bulk of the account number is asterisked out. I have run into a couple of places where the one they give the customer wasn't that way, and that is the more dangerous of the two copies: people routinely throw them away or drop them. The last one was a restaurant I went to pretty often so one day I asked the owner to check with the company that supplied his machine and a few weeks later it was fixed. That was nice of them.

[Rubyred]

Actually..while it isn't illegal for the merchant receipt to have all 16 (or 15) digits on it, it is perfectly acceptable for the customer to black out their number on the receipt. I cross mine out on every single one.

I worked for and ISO of Visa/Mastercard for 2 and 1/2 years and I know the contract pretty well. The only reason that the merchant is allowed to have a receipt with all of the numbers on it is for their own record keeping purposes (ie. Employee accidentaly deletes the card from the system and it has to be run again). The customer is completely within their rights as a cardholder to black out their number on the vendor receipt.

Although the only resaon I do it is because I've worked in retail and restaurants and I have seen my share of asshole co-workers gank credit card numbers for personal use. (I've also seen them steal tips by entering in a larger amount on untotaled receipts...so make sure you always total your receipts after writing in the tip!)

I completely agree with you and this guy was definately a moron but think of it this way.... at least when he does get his identity stolen he won't be able to blame you!