Credit Card Verification Procedures
Monday, April 21st, 2008
For all card payment transactions except in the case of mail orders, telephone orders, non-face-to-face unique transactions, eCommerce transactions, and pre-authorized orders, the card must be presented to the merchant. The merchant must complete the following steps to determine whether each card presented for payment is a valid credit or debit card:
Check the valid date and the expiration date on the face of the card. In case the card is expired or not yet valid, the merchant should not accept it and request an alternative payment method from the customer. Check the Electronic Warning Bulletin or international Warning Notice(s). If the account number is listed, the merchant should not complete the transaction without obtaining an authorization from the issuer. Compare the four-digit truncated account number imprinted in the signature panel with the last four digits of the embossed account number on the face of the card. These numbers should match. A non-match is a strong indicator of fraud and the card should not be accepted. Compare the embossed account number on the face of the card with the number displayed or printed from the point-of-sale terminal. If the numbers do not match, the merchant should not accept the card. If a photograph of the cardholder is present on the card, compare the photograph on the card with the person presenting the card. Check that the card is signed. The card is not valid unless it is signed. See below for procedures regarding unsigned cards. For unique transactions processed in a card-present environment, merchants should request personal identification of the cardholder in the form of an unexpired, official government document. Compare the signature on the personal identification with the signature on the card. If the signatures do not match, you should make a Code 10 call.
If the card is not signed, the merchant must complete the following steps:
Obtain an authorization from the card issuer. Ask the cardholder to provide identification. Require the cardholder to sign the card.
The merchant must not complete the transaction if the cardholder refuses to sign the card.
By: Joe Cole
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