Are cashiers required to check a credit card for a signature in the U.S.?
The signature actually harks back to the days before every business checked every transaction online. When charge cards were introduced modems didn't exist. Nowadays, stolen credit cards are usually reported within 24 hours and the card won't work. Businesses that face low fraud rates don't bother checking. They probably figure that a certain percentage of charges get charged back because the cardholder claims that they didn't make them, and the credit card company usually just passes the cost on to the merchant, so it's really the merchant who should be worried about fraud since he or she is going to pay for it.  The real question for the merchant is whether checking signatures actually reduces charge backs.  If the credit card is stolen, how hard would it be for thieves to practice the signature on the card a few times until they can reproduce it well enough to fool someone? Businesses that face high fraud rates are often more careful. In New York City, try buying some Nikes on 34th Street, and you'll get your signature checked, your driver's license checked, and they'll call up your 5th grade social studies teacher. "I'm not sure if they're required to do so, but I have been neglecting to sign my cards for some time now.  If they do check, that triggers an ID check, where they'll find my signature.  I know of at least one person that writes ""see ID"" instead of signing their cards.  He began that practice over 10 years ago." Per their merchant agreements, Visa and MasterCard say that the signature on the back of the card is the proper way to identify the card holder.  If a card is not signed, the merchant is supposed to check your ID and make you sign the card before accepting it for payment.  Merchants are not allowed the require an ID for paying with a signed card. Of course, store employees rarely know all these things.  Some will gladly accept an unsigned card.  Some will try to make you show your ID. It depends on the business. Some ask for ID and check against the signature (rare); some ask for ID but barely glance at it; some check just that it's signed (also rare); some ask for me to input my ZIP code on the card reader (KMart); and some don't do anything (most common). What they do doesn't seem connected to whether I put the card in the reader myself, or hand it to the cashier for them to scan. It does seem silly to check IDs, etc., as there are places such as gas stations where I never even see an employee, and can spend just as much there as at WalMart, KMart, or the grocery store, all places that tend to do more checking. "Working retail myself, I do not accept an unsigned card without verification.  If I received one I would ask for ID and verify the photo with the Name. I would also let the buyer know it was unsigned and remind them that anyone finding it can sign it and use the card without issue. Putting on the back of the card ""SEE ID"" is the way buyers have protected themselves from thieves as long as people are actually looking at the cards.  How does this protect?  1- a lost card cant be signed by a complete stranger as there is already writing on the card.  2- It provides a photo identification for use. I know with today's technology that this is going away and fewer people are actually checking but shame on those companies who handle the cards and don't look. Obviously this process does not apply to self checks, but safety protocols there require a pin of some form that only the authorized user should know." So my wife was at work today and got yelled at by both a cop and her managers for simply LOOKING at the card. I don't understand I also work in retail and of course I must see the card to ensure it is a real card, it is a very strict policy that we must have a valid physical card to run any credit/debit transactions. People put skimmers everywhere you use your card and can pick up the info off the strip and put it onto another card and use it without you noticing right away. With the right equipment they can put their name on it or the name on their fake I.d. so the only red flag would be them trying to use several different cards Who cares? If your card gets stolen, most cards provide you with 100% liability protection. Just sign the thing!
"&gt; Go on, try walking away without signing your credit card receipt at stores where they present it for signature, and see what happens.  That's true... if the amount is over $25. Did you notice it? Actually, at Costco is over $50.  And you know what else is true? That yes, they require you to squibble something, but you can write an obvious incorrect signature and nobody will care. You have no idea how many times the screen with the electronic pen did not work right, so I just put couple of lines...  &gt;&gt;  know what I am talking about because I deal with credit cards a lot, professionally, in IT.  &gt; You and everyone else. Big deal. Different credit card processors have different requirements for their customers (merchants).  Just because different processors have different requirements makes the whole process impossible to manage or comply with. Go figure out the requirement based on the card presented.  &gt;&gt; The credit card companies don't really care.  &gt; I think the real lesson here is nobody cares.   The merchant cares, because they are ultimately responsible for paying for fraud... which is the main reason why credit card companies don't care... and many merchants too because they have insurance...  The bottom line is that everyone would not mind to enter a PIN to get the transaction through, but a stupid ego trip of the credit card companies who don't want to be ""like ATMs"". That's it.  So they came up with chip in the card, which made the process slower and more expensive, and does not solve anything except fake credit cards (copied credit cards)." It's not just the US based mailing address for registration or US based credit-card or bank account: even if you had all these, like I do, you will find that  these online filing companies do not have the infrastructure to handle non-resident taxes. The reason why the popular online filing companies do not handle non-resident taxes is because: Non-residents require a different set of forms to fill out - usually postfixed NR - like the 1040-NR. These forms have different rules and templates that do not follow the usual resident forms. This would require non-trivial programming done by these vendors All the NR forms have detailed instructions and separate set of non-resident guides that has enough information for a smart person to figure out what needs to be done. For example, check out Publication 519 (2011), U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens. As a result, by reading these most non-residents (or their accountants) seem to figure out how the taxes need to be filed. For the remaining others, the numbers perhaps are not significant enough to justify the non-trivial programming that need to be done by these vendors to incorporate the non-resident forms. This was my understanding when I did research into tax filing software. However, if you or anyone else do end up finding tax filing software that does allow non-resident forms, I wil be extremely happy to learn about them. To answer your question: you need to do it yourself or get it done by someone who knows non-resident taxes. Some people on this forum, including me for gratis, would be glad to check your work once you are done with it as long as you relieve us of any liability. "As others have stated, credit (signature required) is processed through their respective networks (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express). A ""debit"" card tied to your checking account, still go through the same credit network even though the funds are guaranteed from your checking rather than a free loan 30-60 days which has the potential to be unpaid. This type of debit card purchase may be eligible for a lower processing rate for less risk. Debit cards can also be processed through the debit network (PIN required, no signature). This is typically a straight fee such as $0.35.  Fees vary, but let me give you a simple comparison: Say you are at the supermarket and buy $50 worth of groceries with a debit card with Visa logo. You are asked ""credit"" or ""debit"": At my supermarket, this is why I am given the option to enter my PIN first. If I want to pay by credit, I have to tap Cancel to process via credit signature." "What is a good bank to use for storing my pay? Preferrably one that has free student accounts. Can I save money from my paychecks   directly to a Canadian bank Otherwise, can I connect my bank account   to my Canadian account online? Any (almost...) bank in the US has free college checking accounts. If the bank you entered doesn't - exit, and step into the one next door which most likely will. The big names - Wells Fargo, Bank Of America, Chase, Bank of the West, Union Bank, Citi etc - all have it. Also, check your local credit union. Do I need any ID to open a bank account? I have Canadian citizenship and a J-1 visa Bring your passport and a student card/driving license (usually 2 ID's required). What form of money should I take with me? Cash? Should I apply for a   debit card? Can I use my Canadian credit card for purchasing anything   in the states? (Canadian dollar is stronger than US dollar currently,   so this could be to my advantage?) There's some fuss going on about debit cards right now. Some big banks (Bank of America, notably) decided to charge fees for using it. Check it, most of the banks are not charging fees, and as far as I know none of the credit unions are charging. So same thing - if they charge fees for debit card - step out and move on to the next one down the street. Using debit card is pretty convenient, cash is useful for small amount and in places that don't accept cards. If you're asking about how to move money from Canada - check with your local (Canadian) bank about the conversion rates and fees for transfers, check cashing, ATM, card swipes, etc - and see which one is best for you. When I moved large amounts of money across the border, I chose wire transfer because it was the cheapest, but for small amounts many times during the period of your stay it may be more expensive. You can definitely use your Canadian credit/debit card in the States, you'll be charged some fee by your credit card company, and of course the conversion rate. How much tax does I have to pay at the end of my internship? Let's assume one is earning $5,000 per month plus a one time $5,000 housing   stipend, all before taxes. Will I be taxed again by the Canadian   government? $5K for internship? Wow... You need to talk to a tax specialist, there's probably some treaty between the US and Canada on that, and keep in mind that the State of California taxes your income as well. What are some other tips I can use to save money in the California? California is a very big place. If you live in SF - you'll save a lot by using the MUNI, if your internship is in LA - consider buying an old clunker if you want to go somewhere. If you're in SD - just enjoy the weather, you won't get it in Canada. You'll probably want a ""pay as you go"" wireless phone plan. If your Canadian phone is unlocked GSM - you can go to any AT&T or T-Mobile store and get a pre-paid SIM for free. Otherwise, get a prepaid phone at any groceries store. It will definitely be cheaper than paying roaming charges to your Canadian provider. You can look at my blog (I'm writing from California), I accumulated a bunch of saving tips there over the years I'm writing it." Having the receipt at least for a little while does make it easier to correct a mistake, if and when it does happen.  I had an error happen to me some years ago trying to withdraw money from an ATM in a 7-11 somewhere while on vacation (receipt came out, money didn't). Having the receipt made it easier to correct the mistake when I got back from vacation. &gt;&gt; Hey! Do you mind giving your credit card to the waiter...  &gt; I'm not especially fond of that, but it's easy to report fraud to the bank and most of the time the bank will reverse the charges.  No kidding! Of course, even I give credit cards to waiters. What do I care? **As you said, you are not liable to any fraud on your credit card.** None at all!!!!  It's only Merchant, not the credit card company, that pay the price for fraud... **and you pay higher prices to cover for losses from fraud.**  &gt; The PIN situation is different because a mugging is life-threatening.  Nonsense! Mugging at the ATM is so rare, each ATM has a camera. **In any case, I am not talking about using PIN to withdraw money!** I am talking about PIN to authorize charges on a credit card or ATM card.  &gt;&gt; We already determined that nobody even care about signatures or check them.  &gt; You can't use a stolen card at an ATM with a signature.  Huh? You totally got it wrong what I said, or, you argue for the sake of argument.  **I am saying that cards that require you to enter a PIN cannot be used used when stolen or copied. Yes or no?**  **On the other hand, cards that require signature can be used when stolen or copied because signature is a worthless method to validate the charge. Yes or no?**  LASTLY, my Costco credit card has a picture of me on it. **Question for you, since for some reason you argue so much against PINs: Wouldn't a picture on the card better than a signature?** Yes or no?  Do you see? There are so many ways to make this system so much more secure and fraud proof... but, ON PURPOSE, the credit card companies don't want that... because they are not liable for fraud. Simple as that. But this isn't cash though, its credit card. They'll just chargeback and we have to now report it to the police for stolen items. But we followed the general procedure, and the thieves had the pin of the CC which is why I'm a bit confused. Now we still have to verify the signature, but if the signature ends up being right should we get the money back? Because at this point the CC holder should be a lot more responsible about the CC and other people shouldn't know their PIN. If anything the signature is understandable cause you can just forge it since its in the back of the card. Each company that has an account with the credit card network has to classify themselves as a particular type of business.  The credit card company uses that classification to catagorize the transaction on your statement. If you buy a T-shirt at a grocery, amusement park, gas station, or resturant; the transaction will be labeled by the vendor type.  Look at recent credit card statements, even if they are from different cards, to see how the stores you want to know about are classified.