Posted by Pat on June 7, 2009, 10:57 am
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12533443
Q: It's become common for store clerks to ask for my driver's license when
I use a credit card, then refuse the sale if I won't provide it. Can they?
— Marie Johnson, Denver
A: Nope. Merchants cannot require identification as a condition of
accepting a signed credit card, according to the folks at MasterCard.
If it's signed, according to card issuer rules, the retailer must accept
the card on its face. Report them to your card issuer immediately if the
store owner doesn't agree.
Posted by Scott in SoCal on June 7, 2009, 12:31 pm
pat@peace4life.com (Pat) wrote:
>http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12533443
>Q: It's become common for store clerks to ask for my driver's license when
>I use a credit card, then refuse the sale if I won't provide it. Can they?
>— Marie Johnson, Denver
>A: Nope. Merchants cannot require identification as a condition of
>accepting a signed credit card, according to the folks at MasterCard.
>If it's signed, according to card issuer rules, the retailer must accept
>the card on its face. Report them to your card issuer immediately if the
>store owner doesn't agree.
Yeah, good luck with that.
YES, the merchanit is in violation of their merchant agreement, but
I've never heard of a case where reporting them caused any changes
whatsoever in the way the merchant does business.
Same thing with minimum purchase requirements (e.g. "$10 minimum for
credit cards") - they're a violation of the merchant agreement, but
reporting the merchant does nothing.
Your only real option is to pay with cash, or only shop in places
where they don't ask for ID.
Posted by John Mayson on June 10, 2009, 12:44 am
On Sun, 7 Jun 2009, Scott in SoCal wrote:
> Same thing with minimum purchase requirements (e.g. "$10 minimum for
> credit cards") - they're a violation of the merchant agreement, but
> reporting the merchant does nothing.
Along similar lines what about merchants who charge extra to use a credit
card? We had our roof replaced recently. I called to give them my credit
card number and was told it'd be an extra 4%. That's 4% of over $6,000.
Thanks, but no thanks.
The obvious workaround for this though is to give a 4% discount for cash
(yeah, I know, 4% fee != 4% discount exactly).
John
--
Austin, Texas, USA
Posted by Gordon Burditt on June 10, 2009, 1:27 am
>Along similar lines what about merchants who charge extra to use a credit
>card?
There may actually be *laws* (not agreements between the merchant
and someone else that isn't you) prohibiting this. I think California
does. But at least they told you up front (or I hope they did).
You have every right to scream bloody murder if they told you this
after the work was completed.
>We had our roof replaced recently. I called to give them my credit
>card number and was told it'd be an extra 4%. That's 4% of over $6,000.
>Thanks, but no thanks.
>The obvious workaround for this though is to give a 4% discount for cash
>(yeah, I know, 4% fee != 4% discount exactly).
But there is a very significant difference between the two: the
advertised price.
Posted by George on June 10, 2009, 7:48 am
John Mayson wrote:
> On Sun, 7 Jun 2009, Scott in SoCal wrote:
>
>> Same thing with minimum purchase requirements (e.g. "$10 minimum for
>> credit cards") - they're a violation of the merchant agreement, but
>> reporting the merchant does nothing.
>
> Along similar lines what about merchants who charge extra to use a
> credit card? We had our roof replaced recently. I called to give them
> my credit card number and was told it'd be an extra 4%. That's 4% of
> over $6,000. Thanks, but no thanks.
>
> The obvious workaround for this though is to give a 4% discount for cash
> (yeah, I know, 4% fee != 4% discount exactly).
>
> John
>
I think thats the way it should work. I don't care for the way banks
have inserted themselves everywhere and maybe you haven't followed how
much money the government has picked out of our pockets to give to these
pirates.
I think transactions should always be offered at the cash price with an
adder for credit cards. That way if someone wants convenience or
"rewards" they get to pay for it.
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>Q: It's become common for store clerks to ask for my driver's license when
>I use a credit card, then refuse the sale if I won't provide it. Can they?
>— Marie Johnson, Denver
>A: Nope. Merchants cannot require identification as a condition of
>accepting a signed credit card, according to the folks at MasterCard.
>If it's signed, according to card issuer rules, the retailer must accept
>the card on its face. Report them to your card issuer immediately if the
>store owner doesn't agree.