Signatures on credit cards and credit card receipts have always seemed kind of silly. As with so many things, they provide a false sense of security. The person behind the counter rarely checks to make sure that the signatures match. To illustrate my point, you only have to read about this social experiment where the author began to sign credit card receipts in a variety of nonconformist, sometimes artistic, ways. Most of the time, the lackeys at the cash register didn’t even bat an eyelash. This pretty much confirms my own experiences. My check card doesn’t even have my signature on the reverse side. Instead, I wrote “SEE ID.” But most of the time, the store clerks don’t even request identification. I’ve given my check card to my sister to pick things up for me and she’s never had trouble using it, even though she certainly doesn’t look like a Mark. Theoretically, someone could swipe my card and buy themselves a nice weekend in Vegas, but I’m pretty certain the card’s fraud protection policy would kick in if that occurred. Nevertheless, I wonder how long it will be before credit cards or check cards are encoded with an individual’s DNA fingerprint or other biometrics. And when that day comes, it will be a sad day because it’ll mean I won’t be able to get my sister to run my errands for me.
