I’m happy to see that, in a few months, you’ll no longer have to waste your time signing a receipt when you charge something to a credit card from MasterCard, American Express, or Discover. I’m reminded of the college sociology professor who once instructed his student that, for the next 30 days, whenever they bought something with a credit card, they were to sign the receipt “Mickey Mouse.” At the end of the month, he asked if anyone at any retail outlet had ever questioned them about the signature. None of them raised their hands.
When I go to our local supermarket, they don’t make me sign the electronic receipt on the screen for any total less than $25. The message that sends is, you can defraud us for $24, but never for $26! Nonsense.
Now that you can buy things online or through your smartphone without ever having to sign something, or easily send cash to a friend via a service like Venmo, and with new technology like those chips in credit cards, the companies admit the signatures have become less necessary as a safety measure. It’s about time.
By the way, what’s keeping Visa from joining the rest of the herd?