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If I don’t sign the back of my credit card and I lose the card, can someone else use it?

Last Updated: May 26, 2009

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Yes, it is possible that someone could use your card. For instance, the card could be used for a telephone or Internet purchase. If the card is used in a store, fraudulent purchases would still be possible. Many store clerks do not check for a signature or ask for a photo ID to match the name and signature on the ID to the name and signature on the card. Others may accept a lie about a person borrowing a friend's credit card (or something similar).

If you don’t want to sign your credit card, you can write “see ID” on the back, which reminds a clerk to check a photo ID, although this would not work if the thief had the resources to create a fake ID to match the name on the card.

Credit card companies advise consumers to always sign their credit card. In fact, they say that store clerks are not supposed to accept credit cards that are not signed, and if they aren’t signed, they are supposed to require you, the consumer, to sign the card in their presence before they finish the transaction. Clerks also have the authority to deny you the purchase if you provide an unsigned credit card.

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