Cardholder’s name: Authorization

Good afternoon and welcome back to another post from ToBeSecured. Just to recap last week’s schedule, I decided to take the initiative of reinventing my personal Instagram page to a business page for you all. The reasoning behind this sacrifice was to give you all more insight into this blog and behind the scene work.

You asked and I delivered. Within the results of my data analysis, I noticed there were a few recommendations of a new UI design. I decided to change the background of my webpage to a street sign where you can travel down the path of either privacy or security. Next, I decided to divide my posts into categories they are relevant to. There’s also other minor improvements and enhancements if you noticed how they were before. I appreciate all constructive criticism from the UI to the content I post and never hesitate to express any concerns you may have about my blog.

Moving into today’s topic, the inspiration behind this post came from a car ride to the credit union with a family member. The purpose of the trip was to open a new account and receive a debit card, which was a success. The concern of my family member spiraled out of how their full name was placed on the debit card. I’m talking first, middle, and last name. No initials. I had never seen that done before nor have I ever experienced it. So for me to witness that, it was not only different, but seemed a bit too much. They then suggested I write about this topic and here we are.

My first and biggest concern about this topic is authorization. This conversation could go two ways, but I will start with the obvious. Are companies authorized to place our full names on credit or debit cards? Do we have a say in how exactly we want our names to be placed on our card - initialed or not? We definitely should have the authority to voice whether or not we want our full government name on our card. I’m used to card issuers placing an initial in place of middle names and in my opinion, that is the safer route. You may beg to differ and if so, explain why. Arguing my point, it makes identity theft much easier now that the thief has more information they can utilize to gain access to your personal banking information. All that is needed is small bits of information to create a victim.

On the other hand, the cardholder’s name is the person who is authorized to use that card. It does not necessarily mean that person opened the account - they may have permission to spend from the account as an authorized user. Only authorized card users can make purchases with a debit or credit card, and merchants are encouraged to ask for identification before accepting payment with a card. For example, names are often passed down generations and if my mother and I had the same first and last name, how would a merchant know the difference had the card issuer placed no middle name on my card? They would not.

What happens when you use somebody else’s card with permission or you allow somebody to use your card? Even with permission, that practice is against the card issuer’s rules, so the account holder is breaking the agreement they signed with the issuer. If your bank or credit card company finds out that you’re lending out your card, there’s a chance that the issuer will close your account. There’s no guarantee that the person you lend your card to will use it for the purchase(s) or expenses you intend to pay. If you must use somebody else’s card, get a signed note from the cardholder saying you have permission to do so.

Often times, it’s easy to use someone else’s card at most merchants anyway. If anybody else uses the card, the person using the card risks legal troubles, and the cardholder may face problems with the card issuer—as well as unexpected charges. If your card gets used without your permission:

1.) Report the problem to your card issuer immediately. Your card issuer is the company that you applied for the card with. But if you have a debit card connected to your checking account, you can contact your bank.

2.) Report unauthorized activity to local police. To make a claim with your card issuer, you may need to file a police report and provide a copy of the report. The individual who used the card may face criminal charges.

Instead of using somebody else’s credit card or lending out your card, make use of “authorized users.” At an account holder’s request, credit card issuers can provide additional cards with somebody else’s name printed on the face. The account still belongs to the primary cardholder, who is responsible for paying off the card, but the authorized user is allowed to use the account for purchases. If anybody asks the authorized user for identification, everything matches correctly.

In many states, merely possessing somebody else’s card is illegal. When you use a card without the cardholder’s permission, it’s a form of identity theft. Don’t allow card issuers to place your full name on your debit or credit card. And don’t use cards without authorization first. It’s that simple.

What are your thoughts?

If you would like to discuss further, please leave a comment or ask a question. I'd love to chat with my readers and hear your thoughts. Thank you for dropping in and remember ToBeSecured!