Watch CBS News

3 On Your Side: Using A Credit Card? What To Do When Asked For ID

By Jim Donovan

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Has this ever happened to you?  You're in a store paying for a purchase with your credit card and the cashier asks to see your driver's license.  Do you have to show it?  3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan finds that the answer is probably no.

When Wayne Van de Walker is asked for his identification when using a credit card, it makes him uncomfortable.  He says, "With all the ID theft that's going on these days it's just one of those things, I prefer not to show my ID."

Security experts say the information on your driver's license could be enough to steal your identity.  And Van de Walker agrees, "You don't know who you're dealing with on the other side of the counter."

Yet despite demands from the cashier, you don't have to hand to hand over your identification, and in some cases they're not even allowed to ask!

"You can absolutely say no," says Sean McQuay of NerdWallet.  He says both  MasterCard and Visa actually prohibit merchants from requiring ID provided the card is signed.  MasterCard even allows you to  file a complaint if you're asked for your identification.

American Express says it discourages stores from asking for ID.

But Discover is different.  It says its merchants are free to request ID and may require it in some cases.  According to McQuay, "Discover states if there's any concern, and the back of the payment card is not signed, then the consumer needs to present two different forms of ID."

So how should you respond if you're asked to hand over your ID?  McQuay suggests asking to speak with a manager and reminding them of your card's merchant agreement.

That's something Van de Walker does every time. He just wishes he didn't have to.  He says, "It's a little hard to carry around a merchant agreement with you that says, or even the little statement that says, here's the rule."

By the way, if you do hand your ID to a clerk, it is illegal for them to record any of the information.

For more information visit:

http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/sign-or-write-see-ID-1282.php

http://www.mastercard.com/us/merchant/pdf/Unsigned_Credit_Cards-%28Global%29.pdf

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.