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

nytimes.com

151–160 of 541 posts

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

#151

Can we also standardize the noise the machine makes when the transaction is a success? You know that sound "ENGHH ENGHH ENGHH" that is somehow a positive sound? It's like an alarm clock sound. Why is it not a positive "Ding!" And some will say well it's to remember your card. Well if that's the case, how about force the POS system not to print the receipt until the card is pulled? Or better yet, why does the card hav…

Some places have done this. E.g. Safeway/Vons/Pavilions vs. Trader Joe's, one of them has a neutral sound, the other has that error-sounding notification.

I believe the latter is the generic notification sound and vendors who customized their solutions post-chip swapped it. I just can't remember which is which right now.

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

#153
post #9
post #4

It would be nice if they would start requiring a PIN.

The kind of fraud prevented by a PIN enabled chip card is supposedly pretty rare. What would be more useful is a standard for browser attached chip card readers to bring the anti-fraud protections of a chip card to everyday Internet transactions.

> The kind of fraud prevented by a PIN enabled chip card is supposedly pretty rare.

Are lost and stolen cards not a common problem? I suppose if the card holder reports it to the credit card company fast enough, it would prevent fraudulent charges from going through, but it would be nice if the person who found/stole the card(s) wasn't able to just use it without having to enter a PIN to do so.

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

#154
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't a drive thru also hand you a disposable bag filled with a bunch of other stuff that's about to become trash- napkins, wrappers, straws, etc...? Just toss it in there dude, try not to let it bother you.

Nope they all hand me the receipt when the hand me back my bank card. Then I have to deal with a bag of food, a drink, placing my bank card back in my wallet and dropping the receipt wherever to drive off quickly! The receipt needs to go the way of signatures and hopefully soon. Not sure if you are a UX person, but the receipt in 2018 is bad UX for the customer and the business! Just like signatures have been for yea…

Put the receipt in the bag of food, you can even grab a french fry on the way out.

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

#155
post #3

Now if we could only eliminate them for everything else. Buying and selling houses is excruciating thanks to the number of signatures required. I went to a closing on behalf of my then-wife who didn’t want to deal with it; because it was her house we were selling, I had to sign all the paperwork on her behalf, which involved a signature plus some additional verbiage. My hand was in pain by the time we were finished.

> Buying and selling houses is excruciating

Yeah, I know :'(

> thanks to the number of signatures required.

What!? You found that the hardest part?

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

#156
post #8

Signatures haven't been required for credit cards in many other countries for quite some time now. I have often wondered why the US has historically lagged behind for everyday banking. (e.g. email money transfers, chip enabled cards, pin number verification, tap to pay)

In Canada I have not signed for a credit card transaction in years. Everything is tap to pay and chip-and-pin for larger amounts. Extremely convenient.

When I go to the U.S. I usually have to produce ID when using my credit card. Is this because I am from out of country or do they do this with everyone paying by credit card?

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

#157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Fair enough. My experience is I've been living in apartments for decades and never been asked for cash or cashier's checks.

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

#158

Heh. In 35 years Americans might finally stop writing checks, too.

I would, but there are certain institutions that don't accept any other form of payment other than check or money order. Even if they do accept a credit card payment, they add a 3% or greater convenience fee to the amount.

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

#159

Can we also standardize the noise the machine makes when the transaction is a success? You know that sound "ENGHH ENGHH ENGHH" that is somehow a positive sound? It's like an alarm clock sound. Why is it not a positive "Ding!" And some will say well it's to remember your card. Well if that's the case, how about force the POS system not to print the receipt until the card is pulled? Or better yet, why does the card hav…

Some places have done this. E.g. Safeway/Vons/Pavilions vs. Trader Joe's, one of them has a neutral sound, the other has that error-sounding notification. I believe the latter is the generic notification sound and vendors who customized their solutions post-chip swapped it. I just can't remember which is which right now.

I really like the happy noise the credit card machine at my Safeway makes. :)

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

#160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Does Home Depot remember your email address based on your credit card number, or do you have to key your email address in every time? I never put it in because I always assume I will have to type in my full email address at every transaction on their somewhat archaic keypads.
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