It sounds like a no-brainer. You receive your credit card in the mail, along with a note that tells you, among other things, to sign the back of your credit card immediately. Lately, people have seriously questioned this course of action, pointing out that if your card is stolen, a thief then has a perfect copy of your signature to duplicate. Instead, say many, in the space for your signature on a credit card, you should write ‘Ask for Photo I.D.’
It sounds like good advice. But what do the experts have to say? According to all three major credit card companies – Visa, Master Card and American Express, the answer is – sign your credit card immediately. In fact, all of them have rules that prohibit merchants from accepting credit cards that don’t have a valid signature. Visa states that a merchant may not complete a transaction UNTIL the card is signed.
Bottom line on the question of whether to sign your credit card, then, is yes, you absolutely SHOULD sign your credit card as soon as you get it. But what about other security measures you can take to guard against credit card fraud? Here are five security tips to help you safeguard...