Should You Sign the Back of Your Credit Card?
Key takeaways
- Always sign your credit card, but know it does little to prevent fraud.
- This is an old security measure that’s being phased out.
- Use a felt-tip pen to sign the back of your credit card with the name printed on the front.
- Consider digital wallets or an RFID wallet to keep your credit card number safe.
You should always sign the back of your credit card. But, signing your card isn’t enough on its own to prevent an unauthorized person from using your card. Years ago signatures were required — and usually checked — on the back of credit cards as an attempt to prevent credit card fraud. It’s now an outdated practice that lingers despite the use of modern technology.
It’s rare to hand your card to a cashier, and rarer still that they check your signature or that you sign for it. Some small, mom-and-pop shops may check, and the United States Postal Service verifies it, but you could go years without anyone else checking your John Hancock.
Where do you sign a credit card?
It’s a good habit to sign your credit card upon receiving and activating it. Follow these steps:
- Find the signature panel — it’s usually a gray or white rectangular area on the back side of your credit card.
- Use a black or blue fine-point, felt-tip, permanent marker. Ink in a regular ballpoint pen will not stick to the card’s plastic surface.
- Write your name exactly as it appears on the front of your credit card.
- Allow the ink to dry for a few minutes before putting it into your wallet.
Should you write “See ID” on the back of your credit card?
Writing “See ID” in the signature slot is unnecessary, since it won’t provide extra security. In years’ past, customers had to hand their credit cards to cashiers to process the transactions. Once the card was swiped, you’d sign your name, either on a paper receipt or digitally on the cashier’s screen.The cashier was supposed to compare the two signatures to verify you were the owner of the card. By writing “See ID” the idea was that the cashier would ask to see your driver’s license. This was intended to provide an extra layer of protection in the event that your credit card was lost or stolen. However as the practice of checking signatures has declined, so has the chance that this will protect you from credit card fraud.
What if you can’t sign the back of your credit card?
If your new card has no place for your signature — this is intentional. As retailers shift away from requiring signatures, card issuers are phasing out the signature panel on physical cards.
By using EMV chips in credit cards, technology is now doing what was once the task of the cashier — a final authorization of your transaction. All of the major credit card issuers – Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express – offer cards with chips that allow you to insert or tap your card on a store’s checkout terminal.
Your card’s chip is unique, and upon making a purchase, the data is encrypted and processed up to 10 times faster. Additionally, since the card never leaves your hand, your overall transaction time is reduced.
Tip
If you do drop your card and it’s picked up and used fraudulently, your credit card likely has a zero-liability protection policy. This means you aren’t liable for purchases that you didn’t make.
Other ways to prevent credit card fraud
- Use common sense when using and storing your credit cards. Consider storing them in a digital wallet like Apple Pay or Google Pay.
- Consider buying a RFID-blocking wallet to prevent scammers from stealing your card info.
- Know how to spot credit card skimmers.
- Enable credit card transaction alerts and two-factor authentication.
- Review your credit card statements regularly and report unknown transactions.
- Avoid using your credit cards on public computers or public Wi-Fi connections.
- Be cautious when giving credit card information over the phone or online.
- Only make online purchases from secure websites that have an “S” after the “http” portion of the URL.
- Monitor your credit reports regularly and consider freezing your credit.
- Destroy old or closed credit cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
The signature panel code (SPC) is the three or four digit number that’s in the signature box. This signature panel code is generally required for online and phone transactions. For Visa and Mastercards, the code is three digits. However, with American Express cards, it’s a four-digit number found on the front of the credit card.
On an online order form you might see one of the following acronyms for this numerical code:
- CSC: Card security code
- CVC: Card verification code
- CVD: Card verification data
- CVN: Card verification number
- CVV: Card verification value
The number on your card is unique to you and adds an extra layer of security to your credit card in an online or phone transaction. Without knowing the SPC, your credit card number may be useless in most transactions.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.