Suits Me® Simplified: Banking 101
Have you ever wondered why you need to sign the back of your Debit Card? We’ve got the answers you need!
Using adebit cardthese days has never been easier. First, the arrival of chip and PIN meant that you could easily pay for items in shops, cafes and restaurants by simply keying in your four-digit code. This not only made things quicker, but it also added an extra layer of security.
Before chip and PIN, using a credit or debit card involved signing a bill or receipt at the cashier checking if it matched the signature on the back of your card before carrying out the transaction.
This, was of course, open to a degree of fraud as anyone who could successfully forge your signature could use your card. However, if a merchant can sometimes ask to see some additional ID if they are suspicious enough.
The arrival of contactless debit cards has changed how we use our cards, especially since the upper limit for transactions was increased to £45. Now a simple wave or tap of a debit card can have a transaction completed in seconds and there is no signature required.
With larger transactions requiring a PIN to be entered, the question is often asked – do I still need to sign the back of my debit card?
Why Sign the Back of Your Debit Card?
When you are issued with a debit card by your bank, you are often told to sign it immediately. You will also be sent your unique PIN code (usually in a separate envelope), so why the need to sign your debit card? After all, you don’t need to sign a bill or receipt to use it in most places these days.
Even in the instance when a merchant needs to verify a customer’s ID, some people have taken to writing ‘See ID’ on the strip on the back of a debit card. However, while this may be an alternative way to prove your ID, a merchant may still be within his or her rights to refuse the transaction.
One of the reason’s banks and building societies are keen for you to sign the back of your debit card when you receive it is that by signing it, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of the card’s use.
Therefore, when a merchant sees a signed card, they know that there is effectively an agreement between you and your bank as to how you can use it. A merchant is within their rights to reject a card which has not been signed on the back.
Added Security
So, while chip and PIN have given yourdebit carduse an additional level of security and contactless payments have sped up their use, a signature on the back your debit card is still vital. It can give you added peace of mind in terms of security and it can also protect the merchant from processing potentially fraudulent transactions.
So, if you think a cashier is being overly fussy when wanting to see, remember they are looking out for you and your money.
