They Don't Need Those Stinkin' Numbers!!!

OK kiddies, time for a quick financial lesson. Being a security freak (read: enthusiast), I'm constantly paranoid of security threats as I go through everyday life. One of these threats, or more of a bad practice, is the threat of your credit card number being printed on that "Merchant Copy" receipt.

In a best practice scenario, only the last 4 or 5 digits are left shown on a credit card receipt. Some merchants or their employees will argue that they need all of those numbers...Umm, for what, shopping online with my credit card numbers? Think about it, your credit card number, expiration date, and name are printed right there on that receipt. What's to stop someone from taking that receipt if all of the numbers are printed on it and using it for a little shopping spree? This is one of the reasons the Card Verification Value (CVV) code has been introduced, which is that 3-digit number on the back of a credit card. But still, no need for the merchants to have all of those numbers.

And so, without further adieu, if a receipt has all of the numbers printed out on it and you scribble those numbers out while making the ignorant employee upset...direct them to Section 113 (g) (1) of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act). This section states: "Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, no person that accepts credit cards or debit cards for the transaction of business shall print more than the last 5 digits of the card number or the expiration date upon any receipt provided to the cardholder at the point of the sale or transaction."

So there you have it. You can smile while scratching that credit card number out and help educate those that are not in compliance with the FACT Act. Your credit card numbers will be a little safer, and you'll help educate America's ignorant at the same time! You good citizen you...