New Style Credit Card

consolidate

I have just received a replacement credit card for an existing account and found that it's a new type of card, no raised numbers on the front of the card. Do I need to sign this new card? If there are no numbers on the front of it, then there is no transaction type available that would require a signature. There is no instruction in the accompanying literature instructing me to sign the card but there is what looks like a small strip on the back about a third of the length of the card that look like it is there for a signature.

[Deleted User]

Many cards say that the card needs to be signed to be valid, might as well do it just in case

Marchitiello

I would add that especially in US or in any case, other foreign countries, some time the POS will trigger a request for a signature, so better to have it signed 

molerat

Some people, especially with disabilities, have "chip and signature" cards so a signed card is still a requirement.  In any case the sheet the card was stuck will tell you to sign the card.

NoodleDoodleMan

Somebody please correct me if wrong - I assume the removal of raised digits on cards reflects the demise of the old style card payment machine where the merchant inserted the voucher and pulled the handle device to imprint the card details before the customer signed it ?

mr_stripey

My most recently acquired card (Chase) does not have any signature strip and therefore, I presume cannot be signed

mr_stripey

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Somebody please correct me if wrong - I assume the removal of raised digits on cards reflects the demise of the old style card payment machine where the merchant inserted the voucher and pulled the handle device to imprint the card details before the customer signed it ?

don't think I've seen anyone use those in ages, probably not this century!

WillPS

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Somebody please correct me if wrong - I assume the removal of raised digits on cards reflects the demise of the old style card payment machine where the merchant inserted the voucher and pulled the handle device to imprint the card details before the customer signed it ?

Signature authorisation is conceptually separate to imprint 'click clack' manual impression capture. There were until recently a handful of use cases where cards would be swiped and signed for, but Mastercard in particular are pushing to finally sunset this now.

Incidentally manual transactions don't require a 'click clack' machine. The merchant can just fill in the details from the card face with pen and submit them (along with the customer's signature of course).

It's a shortcut in the same way companies used to offer to print your cheque for you in the old days. You could just write out the cheque yourself if you preferred.