Credit Card with Photo??

digitaldude

I've heard that there are now a few Credit Cards available which can include a photo of the card holder - as extra security.
Does anyone know of any such credit cards as I can't seem to find any info. Many thanks!

fatboyonadiet

Welcome to MSE!!! Think Royal Bank of Scotland used to do one, and a few other co's but they were being phased out a few years, even more so with Chip & Pin being launched.

grumbler

Abbey offer debit card with photo of your choice printed on it. If you print your photo and add some comment on the signature strip this this will provide protection you need.
http://www.abbey.com/index/abbey_photocard.htm

Some corporate attorney in Canada sent a few security tips to the employees in his company. One of the tips was:

'Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED"'

I do not think that this will work without signature, but this could be added to signature.

Fatboy_NSS

The Abbey photocard isn't for ID, just for personalisation. It states on the back "This card should not be used as photographic identification". Which is just as well, as mine has a photo of my gf on it (well, why would I want a photo of myself in my wallet!)

The problem with writing something like photo ID required on your card is that the retailer would be breaching their agreement with Visa/MC if they asked for other ID with the card. A major advantage of such a card is that the card alone is used to allow the transaction to go through. If you wrote this on the signature strip then you're actually shooting yourself in the foot, as someone who had stolen your card would only have to write this on the receipt and it would be sufficient to verify the transaction as the "signature" would match.

grumbler

Fatboy_NSS wrote:

The problem with writing something like photo ID required on your card is that the retailer would be breaching their agreement with Visa/MC if they asked for other ID with the card. A major advantage of such a card is that the card alone is used to allow the transaction to go through. If you wrote this on the signature strip then you're actually shooting yourself in the foot, as someone who had stolen your card would only have to write this on the receipt and it would be sufficient to verify the transaction as the "signature" would match.

I stated it very clearly: signature + PHOTO ID REQUIRED

for example: Williams PHOTO ID REQUIRED!
or for Abbey card: Williams CHECK MY PHOTO ON THE FRONT!

P.S. About breaching agreement with Visa/MC: retailer must compare signatures on the card and receipt. We all know that usually they don't do this properly. Warning message on the signature strip will at least force them to check signature carefully and in case of any doubt check the photo or ask for a photo ID. And if we get cash in banks with cards we usually must produce some extra proof of ID - this is normal.

hansi

Saga used to do a photo card but since Chip and Pin, they've stopped it.