Archived Scanning IDs

[mrknownothing]

I just trained on the registers today and I wasn't told I had to ask for ID when they used a debit or credr card. Will it prompt me to ask if something suspicious comes up?

Suspicious activity would probably result in the card getting declined, but that would be the bank's doing, not ours.

If the purchase is over $200, we have to check ID to make sure the card matches the name matches the face. If the total is $400+, you'll have to enter the last 4 digits of the card number and check their ID (I make sure the names match before I even enter the numbers). Also, if the guest is paying by check, you may have to scan their ID. Note: if you work in a high-risk store (in an area with a relatively high crime rate), you may have different guidelines for checking ID.

 

[Retail Girl]

Wow. That is so against the credit card agreements that merchants have with the banks. If the transaction goes through, the retailer is not at all allowed to require identification of any sort to complete the purchase (no matter what a guest writes on the back of their card). I'm glad my store doesn't require that...that's completely wrong.

 

[MrMrIce]

I have guests get mad at me for not asking to check their IDs when using credit cards.

 

[pellinore]

I have guests get mad at me for not asking to check their IDs when using credit cards.

I have guests question this sometimes, too. I just tell them that if the computer believes them then it is OK.
But, if there is a problem there's always the camera above the registers....and they don't lie!

 

[eatcowsnotCAFS]

Whooaaa... we are NOT supposed to ask for IDs for credit/debit transactions... and only look at them IF the guest offers the license up, and in that case it's really ONLY to humor the guest!

As far as pseudophedrine products... tgtcpht what do you mean about walking away with their ID because our system isn't intregrated with the register?? At our store we don't have to go anywhere with the license... when we scan the Sudafed/etc. it prompts for the license, we scan it on the register, it has the guest sign the pinpad, then pay, and they're done. Do you do something differently?

 

[mrknownothing]

Wow. That is so against the credit card agreements that merchants have with the banks. If the transaction goes through, the retailer is not at all allowed to require identification of any sort to complete the purchase (no matter what a guest writes on the back of their card). I'm glad my store doesn't require that...that's completely wrong.

I was told that it's Target way of playing police before the transaction reaches the bank. Whenever guests question it, we tell them it's to protect their account and deter identity theft.

Perhaps your store is a lower risk level than mine? Or maybe there are state laws regarding such practices? I don't know - I just do what my GSTLs tell me to do.

eactcowsnotCAFS: This is only for credit transactions (both credit cards and debit cards used as credit). We don't check anything for debit transactions.

 

[Retail Girl]

It's got nothing to do with risk and everything to do with the agreement they made with Visa/MasterCard. Of course, in the end, do what your GSTL says, but your store is in the wrong. You all can ask to yourheart's content, but the guest can say no and the cc company says you need to honor the purchase.

http://credit.about.com/b/2011/05/21/no-id-required-for-credit-card-purchases.htm

Hahaha. I just read this thoroughly and Spot was mentioned as the company who had to admit they were in the wrong and would retrain the TM.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Whooaaa... we are NOT supposed to ask for IDs for credit/debit transactions... and only look at them IF the guest offers the license up, and in that case it's really ONLY to humor the guest!

As far as pseudophedrine products... tgtcpht what do you mean about walking away with their ID because our system isn't intregrated with the register?? At our store we don't have to go anywhere with the license... when we scan the Sudafed/etc. it prompts for the license, we scan it on the register, it has the guest sign the pinpad, then pay, and they're done. Do you do something differently?

It could be a controlled substance from the pharmacy. They have to write down id# & who gets the drugs.

 

[redeye58]

Had a guest yrs back whose purse was stolen & the thief ran up $2000+ on her target card (elecronics, gift cards, steaks, etc). She was outraged that we didn't ask for ID for the purchases. Our AP pointed out that there were many smaller purchases & none of them was significant enough to flag, therefore we couldn't demand ID.
She wasn't happy & closed her acct.

 

[mxrbook]

Realistically, checking IDs is a waste of time which is a waste of money. The amount Target loses in credit card fraud is minuscule to the amount lost, waiting for the guest to fish out an ID with every credit/debit transaction.

That guest who *lost* $2000 only had to report her card stolen. Target took the hit for that.

 

[commiecorvus]

Realistically, checking IDs is a waste of time which is a waste of money. The amount Target loses in credit card fraud is minuscule to the amount lost, waiting for the guest to fish out an ID with every credit/debit transaction.

That guest who *lost* $2000 only had to report her card stolen. Target took the hit for that.

That depends on if the cashier followed procedure.
I worked in the office of a book store and got all the bounce back credit card charges.
If something was run twice or keyed in in order for the system to take it then we had to eat it.
But if the system took the card properly and we had every reason to believe the person was who they said they were, the store wasn't responsible.
There were a few times when our version of AP teamed up with the companies and the cops to figure out fraud cases.

 

[mxrbook]

The difference is that with the Red Card, Target *is* the bank/credit card processor. The customer will never have to eat the theft charge - it's either the bank/card issuer or the retailer, if the retailer wasn't at fault.

 

[commiecorvus]

The difference is that with the Red Card, Target *is* the bank/credit card processor. The customer will never have to eat the theft charge - it's either the bank/card issuer or the retailer, if the retailer has wasn't at fault.

Your right, I missed the part about it being a red card.
So yea, Spot would eat the charges.

 

[Shadows6661]

The best one for me was when I was cashiering last month this guy came into my lane and he wouldn't let me swipe his id because he said "No you can't scan it because you probably have a program on the computer that'll send all my information to your computer at home." When he said that I just wanted to laugh out loud in his face but all I said was "No sir you see there's camera's watching my every move and if I were to do that I'd get fired on the spot." after that he just got quiet and finally let me scan his ID while people next just started laughing.

 

[Orchid]

I've had customers at past jobs who "don't use debit cards" because "the government is catching people" and won't sign their signature on the card-reading machine because the government will track them.

When I worked at a hardware store, one guy didn't want to sign up for the store's savings card because, according to him, people in the FBI can use them to find out where you live and everything you've ever bought from anywhere (not just those stores). And his "friend in the FBI" can use your [name of a grocery store here] card to find out what music you like.

 

[redeye58]

Sounds like you got the winners in the tinfoil hat contest. lol

 

[Retail Girl]

Has anyone else notice they've taken a LOT of the cold medicines off the ID list that never should have been there since the companies reformulated them a couple years back? It's made my life much easier.

 

[Orchid]

That's been almost normal at my jobs, considering some of my other experiences...

- A man who asked if I realized that I was wearing a pink shirt, and gazed at me with awe throughout the entire transaction. His wife and daughter were also fascinated by this and stared, hardly blinking until they left (This was a store that allowed employees to wear anything appropriate underneath their store vests. A basic solid pink t-shirt was nothing out of the ordinary).

- A customer who asked if the store accepted "federal reserve notes" as payment. It turned out that he was was referring to regular paper money...bills say "federal reserve note" on them. I think this was his big show-off moment, probably the highlight of his day.

- A group of customers who talked amongst themselves about being hungry, and then asked me if the pet store had any really big, fat gerbils.

- Someone wanted to return a hose that they had purchased ten years ago, and had clearly been using since then. Management made me do the return.

- One customer refused to hand me the item he wanted to purchase, a piece of tile. These tiles were all marked with item numbers that cashiers had to type in instead of scanning a barcode. He asked me to use my magical powers to guess the number instead.

And there's more, but I've gone off-topic enough already.

 

[redeye58]

Any new stories are a breath of fresh air in the "guest" threads & they're always self-replenishing.

 

[Shadows6661]

What I find weird is that we have to scan IDs for the BiC lighters but we don't scan IDs for those big lighters.

 

[HardlinesFour]

What I find weird is that we have to scan IDs for the BiC lighters but we don't scan IDs for those big lighters.

It's supposed to help prevent teen smoking, but they just steal them now...

They also require IDs for spray paint, liquid plummer, and certain piping at HD & Lowes. If you ask me, it just gives them a incentive to steal merchandise. It really doesn't prevent anything.

 

[mrknownothing]

What I find weird is that we have to scan IDs for the BiC lighters but we don't scan IDs for those big lighters.

My guess is that they associate the BIC lighters with cigarettes but not those big ones in One Spot and summer Seasonal. After all, how many times have you seen someone light a cigarette with a grill lighter?

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

My guess is that they associate the BIC lighters with cigarettes but not those big ones in One Spot and summer Seasonal. After all, how many times have you seen someone light a cigarette with a grill lighter?

A lot!

 

[redeye58]

Quite a few smokers in my extended family.
The list of what they use to light up with includes the clever, strange & down-right crude.

 

[Shadows6661]

My guess is that they associate the BIC lighters with cigarettes but not those big ones in One Spot and summer Seasonal. After all, how many times have you seen someone light a cigarette with a grill lighter?

You'd be surprised because I've seen and known people that actually use those lighters for smoking.