Is it illegal to ask for an identification card when a customer uses their credit card to purchase their items?

DN4CER

I also live in an area where we have 'law students' why try to use their limited knowledge of the law to get their way.... it never works.

Your customer was wrong.. You can ask for ID during ANY credit card or check transaction.

Even if Visa or Mastercard doesn't require it, your store can have a polity requiring it.

it is a protectin for all customers.

And your customer was a dumbass

Esther

No. You're just protecting the customer to verify that the card matches up with the ID. I can guarantee if that same customer had had his/her card stolen they would be screaming about the store NOT checking ID. That is unless the card was stolen in the first place by that customer.

deepeaceful

A lot of people use other people credit cards with their permission most of the time. (example: Mom's give credit cards to their young teenagers to go shopping for clothing) Your job is to take the card for the purchase and ask no questions. You should only be concerned if your system tells you that the card has been reported stolen...But otherwise, tell your boss that he/she can lose a lot of sales.....

turkeyneck

Not illegal. In fact, some cards can be set up to require retailers to ask for ID before authorizing payment. Anti-ID theft measure.

wiemercats

You just need to say it is company policy. I get asked every time I use a credit card and always have my drivers license ready. For the reasons you already stated, it is important to know that the card is being used by the proper person. He was wrong.

gomanyes

It is not illegal, however, it is against the policy of the credit card networks (Visa and Discover have this policy, I'm not sure about the others). Enforcement of this policy, however, is left to the individual banks. So if a store forces you to show ID, you could technically complain to the bank that issued your card, and they could force the store to stop accepting the cards. But that is about it. The government has nothing to do with it, so there are no fines or anything.

pistolavirus

It's against the merchant agreement that you agreed to in order to accept credit cards.

Visa and Mastercards official statement is that "ID is NOT a conditition for acceptance and should not be used when accepting cards" meaning you cannot deny a credit card purchase because the owner refused to show ID ....AS LONG AS THE CARD IS SIGNED ON THE BACK.

EDIT: Visa's official statement:
Some customers write â€œSee IDâ€ or â€œAsk for IDâ€ 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 donâ€™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 signaturesâ€”they may even have access to counterfeit identification with a signature in their own handwriting. â€œSee IDâ€ or â€œAsk for IDâ€ is not a valid substitute for a signature. The customer must sign the card in your presence, as stated above.

EDIT EDIT: Visa official statement
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 cardholderâ€™s personal information, such as an address or phone number, on a sales receipt.

STOP GIVING ME THUMBS DOWN, I'M RIGHT

amybeader

Generally it's not illegal. It is a way for the store to verify the signature and look for fraud. With today's huge problem of identity theft, it is a small measure the store can take to protect both itself and the customer. Those customers who refuse should have this politely pointed out to them; if they don't like the policy, they can shop somewhere else or online (don't say that to them, of course, but that's the reality of it.)

Mr. Goodhi

No..

Daryl N

Not illegal at all, just a smart business practice.

sirbobby98121

Not at all...in many cases the signature line on the back of the card will read " Ask For ID".
Just a way of enforcing the ID check.

Mark C

Nope, It is not illegal. Most places encourage it. I always want someone to ask for my ID.

Danielle

i've never hared that. i think that person had a stolen card!

sowevecometothis

It isn't part of the agreement the store has with the credit card company. That is probably why the customer thought it was "illegal".

FLdiver

Not illegal to ask or even demand proper ID. The company can refuse to honor the card for any reason. Every store and business I know of ask the employee to check the id and refuse the card with out proper id.

redbaron1625

No, it isn't illegal. In fact most stores normally do this as a store policy. In order to protect themselves from legal action if the card is stolen.

Nette

This is clearly messy confusion that needs to be cleared up. I have wrkd in retail many years. I have caught many people using STOLEN cards that were SIGHNED! Crooks are able to use that detail to their advantage. So.... I feel that this policy of NO ID w/SIGNATURE should be altered. I still ask for ID. I have been a victim of ID theft. I understand both sides. But, protection of our credit and finances needs to be addressed better also!!!!

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