it finally happened

[nomorecarts]

I finally got my first customer whining about checking ID today. at my store the computer asks you to check ID on every credit card transaction over $100 and randomly under $100, so a guy comes in and puts $250 on his credit card

Me:
SC:
parentheses:thoughts

me:can I see your card and your ID?
SC:can you what?
me:can I see your card and your ID?
SC: *angrily shows*()
me:Thanks
SC:*angrily*no one else has ever asked that
me: (either you've never put $100 on a credit card, or you're lying, or the cashier didn't do their job, all possible)Have a nice day

all this without me getting upset, I almost forgot about it, and now I posted it more because of the comedy, but maybe you had to be there to see him to see how funny he was

[prb]

It is against the VISA Merchant agreement to request ID

When I get asked, I provide 2 forms of ID that are acceptable under the Bank Act and point that out

[sirwired]

It is against the VISA Merchant agreement to request ID

When I get asked, I provide 2 forms of ID that are acceptable under the Bank Act and point that out

It is not against the merchant agreement to request ID, it is merely against the agreement to require that customer actually show it. So if the customer refuses, the transaction still must be approved.

Yes, it is a bizarre rule. I wish that Visa/MC would let retailers require ID. It protects consumers, it protects retailers, and it protects banks. Everybody wins.

SirWired

[Dorath]

The fine print in the brochures requires businesses to ID if fraud is suspected. Contradictory, but true.

[smileyeagle1021]

Oh, yeah, technically Visa says you can't make ID a requirement to do the credit card transaction... but there's no rule saying that you can't require a credit card for other reasons on the transaction. That's how the hotel industry gets around the merchant agreement, if Visa ever questions it we can point out that we require an ID for all transactions and is completely seperate from the decision to accept the cc.

[Nakajo]

Amex doesn't have any specific rule regarding ID, and since thats all we take, my store requires ID be shown for any purchase using one.

[Muses_nightmare]

It is against the VISA Merchant agreement to request ID

When I get asked, I provide 2 forms of ID that are acceptable under the Bank Act and point that out

Personally I think that's one of the stupidest rules I've seen in regards to credit cards. just my $0.02.

I also don't see why people seem to think it's a huge deal to be ID'd even if it's not for credit card stuff, I had worlds of trouble with people buying smokes when I sold them. It's a pretty simple request, but it's a huge production for some people.

[Dave1982]

It is against the VISA Merchant agreement to request ID

Wrong. Merchants are not only allowed to request ID, they are required to under certain circumstances. However, they may not refuse to complete an otherwise normal and legitimate transaction for refusing to present ID, unless there is something suspicious about the transaction (no signature, etc).

Per the Visa Merchant Guidelines

Requesting
Cardholder ID

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.

It is not against the merchant agreement to request ID, it is merely against the agreement to require that customer actually show it. So if the customer refuses, the transaction still must be approved.

Again, unless there the card is unsigned or if there is reasonable cause to believe that the transaction may be fraudulent. When making Code 10 calls, Visa themselves may have you check the customer's ID.

[Broomjockey]

It is against the VISA Merchant agreement to request ID

I'd like to get through a credit card ID thread without someone pointing that out. Most members know by now, and what's more important, they're not in the position to get policy changed, so it's needless harping.

[ArcticChicken]

I'd like to get through a credit card ID thread without someone pointing that out. Most members know by now, and what's more important, they're not in the position to get policy changed, so it's needless harping.

Thank you!

[nomorecarts]

It is not against the merchant agreement to request ID, it is merely against the agreement to require that customer actually show it. So if the customer refuses, the transaction still must be approved.

Yes, it is a bizarre rule. I wish that Visa/MC would let retailers require ID. It protects consumers, it protects retailers, and it protects banks. Everybody wins.

SirWired

that would explain why it doesn't give me the option of declining the transaction

I gotta ask a supervisor if we're supposed to say "that's OK" if they refuse

[Evil Queen]

It finally happened

Happened... Happened... It finally happened... I'm slightly MAAAAAAD! So very Slightly MAAAAAAAD!

Well, there you have it.

Queen reference.

[Broomjockey]

Queen reference.

By Evil Queen.


I can't help but feel there's an extra joke in there somewhere.

[otakuneko]

By Evil Queen.

Or a Killer Queen?
*duck*

[jaya9581]

Personally I think that's one of the stupidest rules I've seen in regards to credit cards. just my $0.02.

I also don't see why people seem to think it's a huge deal to be ID'd even if it's not for credit card stuff, I had worlds of trouble with people buying smokes when I sold them. It's a pretty simple request, but it's a huge production for some people.

I have no issue with showing ID for things like cigarettes or alcohol, though I usually show my old expired ID that has the wrong address.

Here's my "huge deal" that will usually make me refuse to show any ID for a simple credit card transaction - I live in Los Angeles, where generally the only thing you need to find a house is the street name and number (i.e., 123 Main St.), as our street names do not change from city to city. So say I go to Best Buy and spend $10K on a new home theater setup, pay with my Visa and you ask for my ID. It only takes a second for you to see where I live. What stops you from scoping out my house, waiting till I leave and stealing all that nice new stuff I bought? Similarly, what if you were say a child molestor and I had my young child with me? Now you know where I live?

No thank you. Having been a manager and with my understanding of how the card merchant rules work, unless there is an unsigned card or suspiscion of fraud, I never require ID as a condition of sale - and I expect that same courtesy from the merchants I shop with.

That all said, not all of us who prefer to mind our personal identity security ourselves are SCs about it. I am always polite about it, even when I need to speak to the manager and/or leave without making a purchase with the business' corporate info so I can report the violations.