Prolixium dot com: News >> Blog >> Credit Card Verification (or not)

Have you ever realized that it's horribly inconsistent whether a merchant will ask you for ID or CVV2 number when paying with a credit card?

Well, I have, and it is.

Here's a couple observations from different merchants:

Circuit City: They asked for ID sometimes, supposedly only when AMEX was used. I don't recall them ever asking for or reading the CVV2.
Harris Teeter: They never ask for ID or CVV2, ever. This seems to be the norm for grocery stores.
Dick's Sporting Goods: These folks are weird, they sometimes ask for the last four digits of the credit card number, or don't ask for anything.
Best Buy: They always ask for the CVV2, but only sometimes ask for ID. It seems to depend on the store.

What's the deal? Isn't all this all governed by PCI? I'm really confused.

Also, some merchants ask you to agree to the total amount before the credit card is billed. But, some don't. Jeez.

I get irritated when they ask me for my ID (just because they see it in my hand), even when I've specified debit. Is it really because they've been influenced by the site of my ID, or is it because I LOOK like a criminal?