Bank of america debit card signature strip

Mastercard is embracing new modes of authentication across its network, introducing a voluntary programme for banks to eliminate the signature panel on physical plastic, and enabling token services on all cards by 2020 for shopping online.

Mastercard says the removal of the signature panel on the back of cards is in tune with changing consumer preferences. It points to a survey conducted among 1000 US adults which found that only 40% said they had signed the back of their cards, and one-third of those who haven’t signed said they don’t see the point in doing so.

In the same survey, more than half of respondents believed they were just as secure without signing the back of their cards, and two-thirds wanted biometrics to replace signatures, passwords and PIN codes when paying with their card.

“With modern, advanced forms of authentication now available, removing the requirement for signature capture at the point of sale and now signature panels on Mastercard cards is an important step in support of our digital evolution,” says Linda Kirkpatrick, executive vice president, US Merchants and Acceptance, Mastercard. “Issuers, merchants and cardholders will benefit from this change as faster, safer options improve satisfaction and increase sales.”

The initiative, which will come into force by April 2019, has been welcomed by retailers.

Mike Cook, Walmart senior vice president and assistant treasurer, says: “Signature has been an obsolete form of authentication for quite some time, and removing the signature panel from the cards will reinforce the need for all stakeholders to leverage truly effective authentication technologies to address fraud."

In the online space, Mastercard is also pushing the adoption of new security technologies to streamline the shopping experience at the checkout. In early 2019, the card scheme in partnership with payment processors, banks and merchants will introduce one-time tokens to obviate the need for tedious and repetitive input of cardholder information.

With token services, consumers can store their card credentials with a merchant or retailer without the risk of exposing actual card account details. It also prevents service disruptions by automatically updating card credentials should a card expire or need replacement.

The company is working with Adyen, BlueSnap, Digital River, Stripe, Square, Worldpay and Mastercard Payment Gateway Services to extend tokens to thousands of retailers. It is also working directly with issuers such as Citi and Fifth Third Bank to convert cards on file into tokens. The card scheme is additionally working with Bank of America to provide enhanced fraud scoring to help increase approval rates over time.

New digital branding requirements are also being introduced to help consumers recognise which cards they have set with card on file merchants. The requirements ensure a consumer is aware they are paying with a Mastercard credential during the checkout process whether it’s in-app, via browser, contactless, voice-enabled devices or a QR application.

Rival scheme Visa has also an extension of its token service, bringing on board Adyen, AsiaPay, Braintree, Checkout.com, Cherri Tech, CyberSource, Elavon, Ezidebit, eWAY, Fit-Pay, Giesecke & Devrient, PayPal, Payscout, Rambus, SafeCharge, SecureCo, Square, Stripe, Worldpay and YellowPepper as partners to support merchants moving to credential-on-file digital payments.

Signatures are not nearly as important to the credit card system as they used to be. At one time, every card purchase was verified with a signature (at least in theory). Nowadays, though, having to sign for a transaction is the exception rather than the rule.

And yet there's still a space for you to sign your name on the back of your credit card.

Some people don't sign their cards at all, for fear that doing so could expose them to fraud. That particular fear is a relic of the old system, as is the practice of writing "SEE ID" on the signature panel on the back of the card, another attempt to deter fraud.

In reality, it's safe to sign the back of your credit card, if that's what you choose to do. Credit card fraud happens, of course, but it's not because of the signature on the card.

Why signatures once mattered

Long before cards had EMV chips — long before they even had information encoded on a magnetic stripe — the signature was the primary method of authenticating a credit card transaction. It was about as secure a system as you might imagine.

Here's how it worked ... in theory: When a new credit card came in the mail, you were supposed to immediately sign the panel on the back. Then, when you used the card to buy something, you had to sign the sales slip. The merchant was supposed to compare the signature on the slip with the signature on the card. If they matched, the transaction was good to go. If they didn't match, the merchant would reject the transaction. Signatures that didn't match were a sign that the card had been stolen.

Some people went so far as to write "SEE ID" on the panel. This was supposed to prompt the merchant to ask for the customer's driver's license, and they would check the signature on that against the signature on the sales slip. When a thief using a stolen card couldn't produce an ID with a matching name, the fraud would be exposed.

In practice, of course, merchants almost never checked signatures. And even when they did — well, it's not like the cashier at your local supermarket was a trained handwriting examiner.

Go ahead and sign your card

Most credit card purchases today are either handled through a chip reader, which authenticates the transaction with a code generated by the chip, or conducted online, where signatures are impossible to require anyway. All the major credit card payment networks — Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express — no longer require signatures.

Individual merchants, however, are free to require signatures. For that reason, card issuers continue to provide the signature panel — on the off chance that someone is checking. In fact, Visa and Mastercard have guidelines that say unsigned cards are technically invalid. So stay on your issuer's good side and sign your card.

Practically speaking, the same advances in technology that have made credit card signatures obsolete have also mostly eliminated whatever risk once existed in signing the back of your card. No one is checking because no one needs to check. Transactions are verified electronically, rather than by a clerk studying whether the loop on the "P" in the signature on the slip matches the one on the card.

If your card is lost or stolen, you can usually report it as such and have it deactivated so no one could use it even if they tried. Even if you don't immediately notice it missing, your legal liability for fraudulent charges is capped — and most major issuers have zero-liability policies anyway.

Stolen or leaked credit card information does lead to fraud, but the weak link in the process is no longer the signature.

Staying safe

The bottom line is that you’re likely not gaining much by writing “SEE ID” on the back of your plastic. It’s probably best to stay in the good graces of your card issuer and payment processor and stick to signing.

However, there are steps you can take to minimize the risk of identity theft. To keep your payment information safe, follow these tips:

• Don’t let others use your card

• Don’t leave your card unattended

• Check your online account regularly and be on the lookout for unauthorized charges

• Report unfamiliar transactions immediately

• Consider freezing your credit if you’re concerned that your personal information might have been exposed

Frequently asked questions

Should I sign my credit card?

You could probably get away without signing your credit card, but there's also no real risk in signing it. The same advances in technology that have made signatures largely irrelevant for credit card transactions — EMV chips, online purchases — also make it safer to sign your card.

None of the major credit card payment networks — Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover — requires you to sign for purchases. But individual retailers are free to require signatures, and technically speaking, an unsigned card might be considered invalid. So go ahead and sign.

Is it safe to sign the back of my credit card?

At one time, every credit card transaction was verified with a signature, and merchants would compare the signature on the back of the card to the signature the customer provided when they made a purchase. If someone could copy your signature, it would be easier for them to use a stolen card. But those days are long gone. Nowadays, credit card transactions are verified by other means. Fraud still happens, but not because of signatures.

Should I write "SEE ID" on my credit card?

Writing "SEE ID" on the signature panel of your credit card won't provide any meaningful protection against fraud.

Back in the days when credit card transactions were verified by comparing the signature on the card to the signature on a sales slip, some people would write "SEE ID" on the signature panel. The idea was to make fraud harder: The sales clerk would have to ask for the customer's driver's license (or other photo ID) and then compare the signature on the ID with the one on the slip. If the credit card had been stolen, the theory went, the crook couldn't use it because either they didn't also have the ID or, if they did, their face wouldn't match the face on the ID.

Regardless of whether this was ever effective, it's pretty much pointless today. The vast majority of card transactions are handled through chip readers or take place online, and signatures are rarely required. Even when you do have to sign for a purchase in a store, your card usually never leaves your hand. Clerks aren't checking signatures like they used to.

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