Credit card signatures: Useless?

SpaceAdmiral writes "Everyone should remember John Hargrave's classic Credit Card Prank on Zug. He tried signing fake names on his credit card receipt, and no one seemed to care. But that's nothing compared to The Credit Card Prank, Part 2. Can he draw obscene pictures instead of signing his credit card? Yes, it turns out. Is there any way of getting your signature checked? . . . Yes, it turns out. But you have to do an awful lot."

Comments

"See ID"

[UMhydrogen]

I've found that if you write "Check ID" on the back, often stores will ask to check your ID. Granted this only works when the employee actually takes a look at the back of the card, but it does work about 75% of the time.

Signatures on the other hand are becoming less and less used anyways. For example, go to any supermarket and you scan your own card. The store never ever looks at your card and the signture that you sign is worthless.

There is a reason that the credit card companie are looking into alterative ways to protect security.

"SEE PHOTO ID"

[jgarland79]

I have written "SEE PHOTO ID" on all of my credit cards with a black sharpie. Most of the time I am never asked to present an ID but I am always happy to show it to them when they ask me.