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Credit Card Signatures Are About to Become Extinct in the U.S

nytimes.com

121–130 of 541 posts

Re: Credit Card Signatures Are About to Become Extinct in the U.S

#122

Also please make handing me a receipt extinct too or only if requested. Especially at drive thru(s) where the receipts become trash I later have to do work .. aka clean up this annoying trash in my car.

As soon as there's an electronic equivalent that's universally compatible, as cheap and reliable, and is accepted by insurers/government/corporate expensing. Credit card and checking account statements are getting close but they don't list the items purchased, only the money.

Home Depot emails me a receipt after every credit card transaction with them. Is PDF not an open standard and a piece of data that could be routed appropriately?

Electronic documents can already carry the same force as paper legal documents. What’s the holdup?

Re: Credit Card Signatures Are About to Become Extinct in the U.S

#123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. They said I'm obliged to audit the checks myself each month.

In what country do you live?

A less oddly prescriptivist one than yours, apparently.

Re: Credit Card Signatures Are About to Become Extinct in the U.S

#124
post #83

Once in the UK, the cashier didn't want to take my credit card because there was no signature on the back. I wondered, which kind of graphology training do Tesco cashiers go through in order to be able to identify a fake signature?

For Visa, the merchant should require your card to be signed because a card with no signature is invalid. Other credit card companies are probably the same. > Unsigned Cards > While checking card security features, you should also make sure that the card is signed. 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…

I stopped signing credit cards several years ago, as an experiment; how long will it take someone to notice?

I'm still waiting.

Re: Credit Card Signatures Are About to Become Extinct in the U.S

#125

I have been signing "burrito" for the past year with no adverse consequences.

Half the time, I write an actual X. Especially when it's those shitty touchscreens that don't pick up much of anything. I've never had a problem.

During election years, I always tell myself I'm going to sign as the presidential candidates, but I never get around to it.

Re: Credit Card Signatures Are About to Become Extinct in the U.S

#126
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It amazes me that cheques are still used. I'm 36 and I've never issued a cheque, I think I was issued a cheque book with my first account but never used it.

Do you still live with your parents or rent from a slum lord who only takes cash? Most landlords seem to only take cash or checks, it's really only the national apartment companies that take online payments.

Australia, pretty much everyone accepts BPay which is an online direct payment system or direct bank to bank transfers. These both take < 3 business days

Re: Credit Card Signatures Are About to Become Extinct in the U.S

#127
post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you still live with your parents or rent from a slum lord who only takes cash? Most landlords seem to only take cash or checks, it's really only the national apartment companies that take online payments.

I live in New Zealand. Everything is done by electronic fund transfers. I have been a renter, now I'm a landlord. I have also run businesses.

Here in Australia I'm not even sure if my real estate agent would accept a cheque for rent at all - I'm pretty sure they told us from the outset that electronic payment was the only option they offer.

Re: Credit Card Signatures Are About to Become Extinct in the U.S

#128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Over the past 6 years, literally the only thing I've used my checkbook for was security deposit and first month's rent. But my last two apartments required cashier's checks for both... so honestly, I don't expect to write another check my whole life.

Landlords only want cashier's checks if they don't trust you. If they don't trust you, they're less likely to rent to you. So requiring cashier's checks is uncommon, barring some extenuating circumstance like you've previously written a bad check or been late.

As a landlord, I always request cash or cashiers check for move in money. I don't want you living there for 3 months for free while I fight your bad check through the court system to get you evicted.

It may sound shocking, but some people will do this. Source: me, landlord since 2001.

Re: Credit Card Signatures Are About to Become Extinct in the U.S

#129
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's especially a mystery because even developments in payments from the US (eg Apple Pay) seem more widely adopted where I am (Aus) than in the US. Anyone with some insight as to why want to chip in?

In the US, the biggest adopters of Apple Pay have been big chain grocery, drug, convenience, etc. stores. For decades, there has been a (somewhat class-based) stigma about holding up the line in these kinds of places by paying with check, government benefits, coins, coupons, or anything else besides cash and credit. There's also a separate, arguably more deserved stigma about entitled people causing trouble by using…

What?

In my experience Apple Pay is faster than other payment methods.

In what way do you see it as slower?

Re: Credit Card Signatures Are About to Become Extinct in the U.S

#130
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the US, the biggest adopters of Apple Pay have been big chain grocery, drug, convenience, etc. stores. For decades, there has been a (somewhat class-based) stigma about holding up the line in these kinds of places by paying with check, government benefits, coins, coupons, or anything else besides cash and credit. There's also a separate, arguably more deserved stigma about entitled people causing trouble by using…

It's not without problems in Aus as well - Only 1 out of our 'Big Four' banks actually accepts it. I suppose it's a bad example. However 'Tap and go' is so widely adopted that I haven't carried cash in months and I know people that legitimately don't know their own PIN

Contactless payment is so widely adopted that it's given me no particular reason to use Google Pay or any other mobile payment system as they're not particularly better from just using my card...
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