Mastercard's Plans to Fully Eliminate Signature Requirement Next Year Will Speed Up Apple Pay

[MacRumors]

Mastercard today announced that cardholders will no longer have to provide a signature for any purchases in the United States and Canada after April 2018. The change will apply to both debit and credit cards.

Mastercard said removing the need to sign for card-present transactions will not have any impact on customer security due to modern safeguards.

"Our secure network and state-of-the art systems combined with new digital payment methods that include chip, tokenization, biometrics, and specialized digital platforms use newer and more secure methods to prove identity," said Linda Kirkpatrick, an Executive Vice President at Mastercard.

Mastercard's consumer research unsurprisingly found that a majority of people believe it would be easier to pay, and that checkout lines would move faster, if they didn't need to sign the receipt when making a purchase.

Already, more than 80 percent of in-store Mastercard transactions in North America today do not require a cardholder signature at checkout. Mastercard said both customers and merchants support the change.

The long-existing "signature required" clause is intended to verify that customers own the debit or credit card they are attempting to use. The process is supposed to involve the cashier verifying the signature on the receipt matches the one on the back of the card, but in reality, this process is often skipped.

The change should make Apple Pay transactions even quicker for Mastercard cardholders. Currently, even when using Apple Pay, sometimes a signature can be required for purchases over $50 in the United States.

The signature requirement is already very uncommon in Canada, where chip-and-PIN cards are the norm. At most merchants in Canada, customers insert a card into the payment terminal, enter a PIN, and the purchase is completed.

Mastercard removing the signature requirement won't speed up Apple Pay in Canada, however, as contactless payments aren't generally permitted for purchases above $100. Above this limit, customers must use chip-and-PIN.

Mastercard currently doesn't require a signature for purchases totaling $50 or less. Visa's no-signature limit is $25, but the amount is upped to $50 for purchases made at grocery stores and discount stores like Walmart.

Article Link: Mastercard's Plans to Fully Eliminate Signature Requirement Next Year Will Speed Up Apple Pay

 

[farewelwilliams]

finally. this never made any sense to me.

 

[iCamera]

Thank Goodness. Finally.

 

[newdeal]

they need to get rid of the $100 limit up here. it sucks

 

[nfl46]

Finally. Funny thing is, most times I sign using my signature for my cc, it’s pretty difficult to make out. Lol.

 

[LessO2]

You mean I won't have to draw a squiggly line in the signature box anymore?

 

[ILikeAllOS]

>Posts English article
>"Paga con Touch ID"


But seriously, I'm glad MasterCard is doing this now since the whole point of Apple Pay is so you don't have to deal with things like signatures anymore...

 

[ronno]

Scribbles on a scrap of paper never made sense.
It's about time.
Now how about Visa, AMEX, etc...

 

[profets]

as contactless payments aren't generally permitted for purchases above $100. Above this limit, customers must use chip-and-PIN.

I really don't understand why so many credit card providers don't remove the limit for Apple Pay transactions.

The most annoying use case for me is when I'm buying groceries every week. I tend to spend between 150 and 180, and the merchant allows contactless payments up to 200, but my visa (whether it's apple pay or tap to pay) is limited to $100. I've contacted the bank multiple times about the limit, but they always reply "For security you have to use chip and pin for transactions above $100". I mean, Apple Pay is secured by touch ID (or at a minimum your phone's passcode).. but they don't get it.

 

[fischersd]

they need to get rid of the $100 limit up here. it sucks

The transaction limit is a vendor (ie retail) limitation, not the credit card companies / banks (at least here in Canada). Beat up on the stores to increase their limits (especially places it's insane to have it that low). BestBuy and the grocery stores. Insane to have a $100 limit.
(also thinking the automotive service / resellers). Just nuts!!!

 

[Tech198]

Mastercard is as bad as Apple. It's all control..

You can bet Visa will be not far behind in eliminating signatures too soon, but MC can only do this in US because of "modem tech" like most using Apple Pay as a method... What they forget is the number of users who choose NOT to use Apple pay..

This is as bad as NBN forcing users to get on a already disrupted network... Give users a choice..

If everyone were to not need sometimes need a signature when they do use Apple Pay, that's all you gotta do, and not penalize everyone for lack of responsibility on the merchant.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

I can't stand businesses asking to see an ID with your card. The credit card was invented so the user wouldn't have to show their ID as they had to with checks. Cardholder agreements state they do not need to show their ID with the card.

Additionally, those that think writing, "SEE ID" in place of the signature should check the agreement too. That in itself is considered a signature. No need for the cashier to ask for an ID. Worked at a gas station in college and some ladies would get all upset when you didn't bother to ask for their ID.

Others would leave the signature off the card and believe that meant you had to ask for an ID. A card isn't valid unless it has been signed. By not signing the card, their card isn't even suppose to be accepted.

 

[profets]

The transaction limit is a vendor (ie retail) limitation, not the credit card companies / banks (at least here in Canada). Beat up on the stores to increase their limits (especially places it's insane to have it that low). BestBuy and the grocery stores. Insane to have a $100 limit.
(also thinking the automotive service / resellers). Just nuts!!!

Technically it's both though right (vendor and bank/card supplier)?

For ex, when I hit Superstore for groceries, they allow tap to pay up to $200, yet Scotia limits Visa tap (and Apple Pay) to $100.

 

[tigerintank]

Can you hear all the Kiwis laughing?

 

[fischersd]

Technically it's both though right (vendor and bank/card supplier)?

For ex, when I hit Superstore for groceries, they allow tap to pay up to $200, yet Scotia limits Visa tap (and Apple Pay) to $100.

Are you sure they allow $200? (Loblaws) - their limit at my local Zehrs is still only $100. Can't see how they would have different limits at the store level.
Both CIBC and RBC stated they have no limits imposed on contactless payments (as those are the ones I deal with, I asked them both when Apple Pay finally became available).

If Scotia does, then I'd be writing them some letters if I were you.

 

[Shanesan]

Never sign my credit cards anymore. Nobody cares.

 

[profets]

Are you sure they allow $200? (Loblaws) - their limit at my local Zehrs is still only $100. Can't see how they would have different limits at the store level.
Both CIBC and RBC stated they have no limits imposed on contactless payments (as those are the ones I deal with, I asked them both when Apple Pay finally became available).

If Scotia does, then I'd be writing them some letters if I were you.

Yeah - the terminal shows tap to pay on the screen for any amount less than $200. Above $200 the tap to pay option disappears. Obviously I haven't been able to test it as most cards have limit of $100 lol.

That's good to hear about CIBC and RBC! I contacted Scotia many times. They never seemed to care. I since have changed to a TD Visa. Gotta test it one weekend soon. I got into the habit of using chip and pin and hadn't even thought about it!

PS - not sure why but mentioning Zehrs brought up memories for me. Used to hit the one on University & 86 (or is it 85?) all the time.

 

[fischersd]

Yeah - the terminal shows tap to pay on the screen for any amount less than $200. Above $200 the tap to pay option disappears. Obviously I haven't been able to test it as most cards have limit of $100 lol.

That's good to hear about CIBC and RBC! I contacted Scotia many times. They never seemed to care. I since have changed to a TD Visa. Gotta test it one weekend soon. I got into the habit of using chip and pin and hadn't even thought about it!

PS - not sure why but mentioning Zehrs brought up memories for me. Used to hit the one on University & 86 (or is it 85?) all the time.

Guessing you're thinking of the one at University & Lincoln - it's still there (used to be a BlockBuster in that mall) - it's now an A&W.

 

[Tech198]

I can't stand businesses asking to see an ID with your card. The credit card was invented so the user wouldn't have to show their ID as they had to with checks. Cardholder agreements state they do not need to show their ID with the card.

Additionally, those that think writing, "SEE ID" in place of the signature should check the agreement too. That in itself is considered a signature. No need for the cashier to ask for an ID. Worked at a gas station in college and some ladies would get all upset when you didn't bother to ask for their ID.

Others would leave the signature off the card and believe that meant you had to ask for an ID. A card isn't valid unless it has been signed. By not signing the card, their card isn't even suppose to be accepted.

This is only true if you sign the back of the card.. which is just as good as a separate signature...

I never sign mine.. for security concerns...

 

[einsteinbqat]

Let’s all welcome our fellow American friends into modernity in getting rid of the signature LOL

 

[SirRahikkala]

Awww, how cute. We europeans welcome you to modern banking. I haven't used signature in ten years (maybe more? different countries, different times). Chip+pin and last couple years NFC for under 25€ purchases and over that chip+pin. If the chip doesn't work (worns, but less than magnetic stripe) then you can always do the old school swipe and signature.

 

[tmiw]

I guess that's one way to get around merchant resistance to CDCVM in the US.

 

[chriscrowlee]

Let’s all welcome our fellow American friends to modernity in getting rid of the signature LOL

Won't happen.... even now with the $25 limit, every small business out there still has you sign for $8 transactions. The issue is Americans resistance to the chip and pin.. I don't get it what's so difficult. The chip alone was like world war 3... ridiculous. I still see people confused as to the process when in line at the grocery store.

 

[big-ted]

The signature requirement is already very uncommon in Canada, where chip-and-PIN cards are the norm

Even in the most remote place in the third world chip-and-PIN cards are the norm, and no Canada is not a third world country

 

[convergent]

The signature requirement won't impact security? What a joke. I haven't had anyone check the signature vs. the signature on the back of the card in probably 10 years. I just draw a squiggly line for the last several years.