Hey all,
So I'm purchasing something from a few stores with an Amex card and the shops are having me sign the receipts and no PIN is required.
I thought it was not long ago that Australia transitioned to PIN only for credit card purchases.
Anyone know what's going on? Maybe only Amex?
It is true, despite PIN set, sometimes it reverts to signature. What I am not sure of (and will pay attention next time) is whether PIN was prompted for, but perhaps either myself or the sales person might have pressed a key(enter/continue?), and it reverted to signature.
Or whether it just wanted the signature, and never even asked for the PIN.
It doesn't even ask for a PIN.
Once I insert the card, the reader tells me to press OK and a receipt pops out asking for a signature. Then the reader asks the cashier if the signature on the receipt matches the one on the card. Of course they don't ever check.
OK, that is good to know … and funny thing is it seems random, after signature, it reverts to accepting PIN again. So it is not as if the system thinks you do not have a PIN.
funny thing is it seems random, after signature, it reverts to accepting PIN again.
I used to find this at Coles - I mainly use my Amex there and always use my PIN, but occasionally, it would want a signature as well (which is a PITA at the self-service checkouts), then it would go back to happily accepting a PIN but months later, suddenly it would require a signature again.
Our local Caltex Woolworths (one of the "Starshop" ones) does this as well, the reader wouldn't accept a PIN and I always had to sign for purchases - not that I use my Amex there any more since they added on a fairly hefty fee for using it!
I think it depends on the terminal. I always tap at the supermarket, but when I travel in taxis only my usual driver's machine lets me tap. Most taxis require the PIN and a few ask for a signature. I haven't been able to work out a pattern..
I've found that only Amex-issued cards that do this. It seems to be a function of the terminal/merchant's bank.
Very annoying when it keeps saying incorrect PIN, when the actual problem is you seen to swip+sign. Hopefully amex fixes it one day.
Mine's a bank-issued Amex and does this, so it's not just the Amex-issued cards.
Which bank/card?
CBA (I prefer not to disclose on a public forum which card I actually have - no offence :) )
The requirement was from Visa and Mastercard, iirc. Not law.
You might also want to double-check you have a PIN set. I was pretty sure I had one set via the web interface, but when I called them up (about something else) the automated phone thing told me to set one…