That's Not Your Name. (Credit Card Woes)

[SourRobot]

Here's the deal with paying for stuff when you're with me. If you use a card and it's really yours, then fine. If something looks fishy (like if you're a woman and the card you hand me has a man's name on it), I'm going to ask for ID. If your name on the ID and the name on the credit card don't match up, then we have a problem.

Folks, if you give someone your credit card and let them go shopping alone or with their friends, PLEASE STOP. They're supposed to be using their own cards, unless it's a joint account. This happens often during my shift, but I've had it happen two days in a row now where a customer was paying with a card that was not in her name. When I said something about it after checking the ID, they would say that it's their boyfriend, or fiance.

I hate to refuse the sale, not because I don't want to lose the sale, but because I know how the customer is going to react, and I really don't feel like dealing with the abuse that I'm going to face. But I will cancel the transaction and wait until you either leave my department, bring over the person who owns that card (if they're at the store with them), or use another method of payment. Often times, the customer will call that person and instead of saying something like, "Dufus, I can't use your card because my name's not on it!" they immediately make me the bad guy and say, "The cashier won't let me use your card because you're not here! I've never had this problem before, and now she won't let me use your card!" (Yeah, that happened today. That sure was fun having to listen to her whine about me on the phone while I was still ringing up other people's purchases.)

Geez. They always say that people at other stores don't ever check. What do you expect me to do after telling me that? I don't care what other stores do or don't do!

[kpzra]

Ugh, I hate this. I had a women once who claimed her husband was deployed, but she had POA...just not on her. Claimed she was buying a car up the road and they had kept it to verify things...I know I never left mine with anyone unless I was in the room, area when I used it. Since I was a military wife, I got my sup to approve using her dependent ID since that would have his info on it too (she didn't know it did, only had seen AD ones)..."Oh, I don't have it anymore, it was taken."

Yeah, she was basically told to GTFO, card was kept (we have to lock them up if they don't match the person trying to use it) and the guys chain of command was tracked down. Seems she was the soon to be ex-wife trying to ruin his credit while he was overseas. I had some coworkers tell me I should have just taken it and let her go.

[SourRobot]

Seems she was the soon to be ex-wife trying to ruin his credit while he was overseas. I had some coworkers tell me I should have just taken it and let her go.

My mom also works in retail, and something similar happened at the place where she works. Some lady was making purchases with her husband's credit card, and people would allow the transactions to go through, because hey, it's her husband's card. Turns out they were going through a nasty divorce, and she was trying to ruin his credit. This is why I'm skeptical, even of wives using their husbands' cards. You never know. I actually called a manager once, and she told me that as long as the customer's last name matched up to the last name on the card, to let her go ahead and use it.

[midnightaurora]

I actually called a manager once, and she told me that as long as the customer's last name matched up to the last name on the card, to let her go ahead and use it.

My retail job recently told us that if a card is signed, we're not supposed to ask for ID. When I asked about male name/female person or vice versa, I got a blank look....

[Tithera]

There will be a time where I'll use my bf's card and vice versa, but I usually won't use it at a place they don't know me and him at. We'll regular one place together enough times where they know we're together and obviously not using each others' cards for revenge. Otherwise, we use cash, or if we have money in our own account, our own card. If someone says I can't use his card because it's not the same name, I'll just go to the ATM, get cash, and not get mad, cause the cashier is just doing their job. But when someone says I can't use my mom's credit card, even though they watched her hand it to me and tell me to go pay for something while she went to the bathroom/to get the car/go find my sister, then i get a little miffed. Otherwise, just use your own damn cards for god's sake!

[Teskeria]

funny. An Am . ex card is not a joint account. Anybody added to the card is actually only an authorized user and actually has a card with a different number and their name. ONLY the person who's name is on the card is authorized to use that card. A store that lets someone else use the card, is on the hook for those charges. Another good reason to check ID.

[Cai1987]

If I have to use my wife's card for anything I run it as debit. Otherwise, I just use my own card.

Of course, male/female isn't always that easy. I have a female friend named Ryan, and male friends named Alexis, Milli, and Robin Lesley. It's not a problem to just ask for ID for the card politely, but some cashiers get snippy about it even before they ask for the ID. ("You don't expect me to believe this is YOUR card, do you?")

All that said, I think any credit transaction should require either a PIN or an ID.

[barainga]

Ive used my mom's card with her permission on several occasions.

I just go through the self checkout lines.
Or since she used to work there I just go through a line where I know the person knows me. Those older ladies crack me up. I tell everyone they are my girlfriends. They of course play along.

Had to return the electric blanket I got for her because it didnt work, the lady at the return counter knew who I was so it wasnt a problem. Hehe.. of the two ladies who work the return counter I know both and used to mow one of thier lawns.

[Duncan MacLeod]

My girlfriend (soon to be fiance) has one of my cards issued in her name. I trust her implicitly, but if you trust someone enough to use your card, just get one issued in their name (its easy, and free).

[Caractacus_Potts]

Back when the company was smaller my boss always used to give me his personal credit card to go out and buy office/shop supplies. I told him they wouldn't take it since it's not in my name (I mean really, not even similar names at all!).

Well...never did get a chance to say, "I told you so!" to him. I must have used that card a hundred times at a dozen different places signing my "in no way similar name" to the slip each time and no one ever even gave it a second glance.

My guess is that the people who get pissed probably have never had a problem doing it before and don't understand that just because 99 people did it wrong doesn't make the one person doing it right the bad guy.

[42_42_42]

The only time I've used another person's card was online when my dad needed me to purchase airline tickets to fly me, my mom and my grandmother to my great-aunt's funeral. But that's a special situation and I shredded the credit card information after I finished using it just to make sure no one got ahold of it.

[SourRobot]

I don't have a problem with it if the parent or significant other hands the customer the card while they're both in front of me, and then leaves. It's just when someone shows up, pays for their stuff, and the names don't match up on the ID and the card. I know that there are situations in which the customer has a name that usually is for the opposite gender, but I still ask for ID just to make sure. No, I don't get snippy.

My mom has given me her card on few occasions, but it's usually when i have to get gas for her car (I just pay at the pump), or if I have to get some money out of the ATM for dinner.

That's a good idea, Duncan. I wish more people would do that, but they probably think that it's too much work.

My guess is that the people who get pissed probably have never had a problem doing it before and don't understand that just because 99 people did it wrong doesn't make the one person doing it right the bad guy.

That's pretty much it. I always come out the bad guy in this situation. Usually when I tell the customer that I can't let the transaction go through because it's not their card, they always say that they don't have this problem at any other store, or that they do this all the time. I've called two managers about this, and both times they told me not to let the sale go through, so as long as I've got them backing me up, I'm going to refuse the sale. I even had to call another department once and warn the associate there about a girl who was trying to buy something with her dad's card (he wasn't there with her), and I bet the associate didn't even listen to me and just went along with the sale, just to get the money.

[manybellsdown]

Back when the company was smaller my boss always used to give me his personal credit card to go out and buy office/shop supplies. I told him they wouldn't take it since it's not in my name (I mean really, not even similar names at all!).

Well...never did get a chance to say, "I told you so!" to him. I must have used that card a hundred times at a dozen different places signing my "in no way similar name" to the slip each time and no one ever even gave it a second glance.

I had a boss that did this too. I would always sign the slip "manybellsdown for John Smith". Never had it be refused that I can think of.

At 13, I got my daughter a debit card account (because I never had cash on allowance day!). I put her allowance in, and her card is declined if she goes over. The first time she used it she was asked for ID. She hadn't thought to bring her school ID with her and they didn't believe it was actually her card even though I was standing right there.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

I'm old...I can remember when my mom would send me grocery shopping with a blank (signed) check and I could just write out the amount at checkout. I *might* have had to have her store card with me (I think it was just some kind of ID card for Pathmark check-paying shoppers at that time, not sure anymore), but that's it.

I have a Mastercard account in my name and my husband has an Amex account in his name. We each have our own physical cards with our own names on them for each account. The weird thing about the MC is the card number is the same on both cards...our Amex numbers are different.

[laborcat]

I use my husband's card all the time. We don't even have the same last name, I kept mine when we got married. Never had a problem. Sometimes his mom sends me out to pick up her medications or for something specific from Kroger and I use her card. Still never have a problem. Granted most places I go to we just slide the card and they never handle it. I don't know. When I was a cashier we were never instructed to look at the name on the card, and by the time the name popped up on the screen, it was already approved and charged.