Sticking it to the Man, and Ten Interesting Credit Card Facts

[UPDATE: Consumerist has a new, in-depth post on the subject below]

    I was at US bank, trying to make a deposit, and I wrote the cash amount in the check line and vice versa, so I scribbled it out and changed it. Then the teller told me I needed to initial my changes, and I'm just thinking "Really? I mean, I get that there's some verification you can do on a signature, and if you want me to write out a clean deposit form, that's cool too, but initials?" So I wrote "MAC DRE" in big capital letters next to the change. She didn't say anything, but she processed my transaction. Speaking of silly instructions from people behind counters that you don't listen to, you don't need to provide ID to use a credit card (an, and having a minimum charge or service charge for using a credit card can get a business fined big-time from the card companies. Consumerist had an interesting article about all the things businesses do that, if they were to be reported, would get them hit with a fatty fine or even an account cancellation from their credit card companies.

1) Unsigned Cards Are Not Valid And Merchants Can And Will Refuse Them

2) The Maximum Liability For Unauthorized Use Of A Credit Card* Is $50 According To Federal Law

3) Merchants Cannot Require You To Present ID, Unless Your Card Is Unsigned

4) Merchants Cannot Require A Minimum Transaction Amount

5) Merchants Cannot Charge A Surcharge For Using A Credit Card, However, They Can Offer A "Cash Discount"

6) Many Credit Cards Have Programs That Will Automatically Double The Manufacturer's Warranty And Other Excellent Benefits

7) Merchants Are Not Allowed To Make You Give Up Your Right To A Chargeback

8) Merchants Are Not Allowed To Place A Hold For The Estimated Tip

9) If Merchants Suspect You Of Fraud They Are Supposed To Call With A "Code 10"

10) If Merchants Break These Rules, You Can Report Them To The Credit Card Company

    With a lot of these, I feel like I'd be unlikely to report a business I liked, but if you want a service and the guy's being a dick and not letting you charge it to your card, feel free to let him know that he needs to let you make the transaction or you'll be giving Visa a call. I really recommend reading the full article on Consumerist; it has links to the Visa/Mastercard policies that back these claims up, as well as information about how to report violations. 

[UPDATE: Consumerist has a new, in-depth post on this subject; I would check it out]