Credit card signatures don't do ANYTHING

We've all wondered this: What good does it do to sign my credit card receipts? Does it protect me? Does it prevent fraud?

All these questions will be answered in this edition of Coffee Break! Let me know what my next topic should be!

Song Used: Tired Boy

Research Sources:

Original Videos Credits:

[nickportugal]

WHAT? you use credit cards without a pin number, are you guys out of your mind ffs. Never knew those even existed

[MrInsdor]

2:44 "In Europe they rolled out a check and pin system..."
10.000 years ago, mind you! But for real, I am twenty and I've seen the signature thing maybe ten times over here
I finally understood how the signature system is supposed to work and it's fucking hilarious
USA, you'll never fail to amaze me

[layoverbear]

Wait yall don't have chips/pins on your cards? What? I havent seen a signed receipt in a million years and i work in retail. It's weird how you talk about it like its so revolutionnary, its such a basic concept.

[AndCounting]

You guys don't have a chip and pin system in the US?

[AllIsWellaus]

wow. New Zealand has been using the PIN since the '90s

[nadiaT]

When I visited US last year from Canada, I went to pay with my CC (we had pins for years now). They actually had the pin machine, but didn't know how to use it! I had to explain it to them, but they still didn't look like they believed me; and the machine was set up so I could barely reach the pin pad from the counter.

[ProfessorPuppet]

I never sign my cards. I just write "See ID" on the back. They ask about half the time. The signature thing has never made sense to me. Lately, instead of my name, I always write "Pancakes" in the little box.

[whatevsimbulletproof]

3:00 i'm not reading that. My eyes hurt

[ImperatorCaesar]

I'm an American. I have worked in a grocery store as a cashier. I always see pin and chip systems in pretty much every store I go to. People always need to enter their pin after entering their card. As far as I know, this is not exclusively in Europe...

[bigdanko]

Isn’t that always the excuse for Americans being behind?
“People wouldn’t want to learn something new”

[gwilymnewton]

Hey, I am looking forward to seeing a new video essay channel grow, but the text @ 3.01 was awful, and it was a bit awkward to have you pause, and not read it aloud.

Hope to see your style grow, and keep following you :)

[gigglysamentz]

I never signed the back of my card. I used it about once a day, and it's coming to expiry, so I feel like I've achieved something XD

[luckypricetv]

Bro I just discovered your channel while sitting in a Café in Mumbai and I can't stop watching your videos

[jurryaany]

Some clarification, at least here in the Netherlands, the chip and pin system (we actually call it pinning), is primarily used with debit cards, which are used at almost every single point of sale here. Credit cards also exist but their use is much, much rarer and most stores don't accept them (I've only used mine for hotels and restaurants, as well as a few online purchases from the US). That said though, both credit and debit cards do require a PIN entry.

[januszkurahenowski]

In Poland every store I've been to for the past few years that supports debit cards (99%) has contactless payments, you just touch and you don't need pin or any signature if the purchase is below 50 zl ( around 15$), and when it's above that you touch and then put in pin on the keyboard. Also a lot of stores support those smartphone cheques, you type the number from your banking app and confirm if on your phone with fingerprint or pin. I never thought signatures are still a thing in the US

[alinntd]

When I worked in retail in london it always amazed me that you guys don't have pins. I remember how you guys would get frustrated and look at me weird when checking the signatures, especially those that just drew bicycles on the receipts and had to refuse

[RaghunandanReddyC]

When I moved to USA 3 years ago, it was the first thing that shocked me. There is literally no way to prevent fraudulent transactions if you failed to check your stolen or lost card.
In India most banks send you an SMS whenever there is a charge on your card. It doesn't happen in USA.

[MrCoolioto]

USA here; never had to sign for anything except at a restaurant. All stores are chip/swipe and pin. Some restaurants, mostly fast food places, do chip and pin, but when there's wait staff they usually hand you the receipt so that you'll tip them.

[Seskoi]

Pin also saves a lot of paper. I remember how we had to keep all signed receipts at the store where I was working, it sometimes was a pile 4 inches high of receipts.

[luvisleo]

Those clips signing the name John Smith is really satisfying