Using a credit card in the USA?

Using a credit card in the USA is a common place occurrence when asked cash or charge but it is a very different process when compared to here in the UK. We have security rammed down our throats, PIN, Signature, the last three digits on the signature strip, don’t let the card out of your sight; the list goes on and on. We must keep our details safe to minimise fraud and ensure the safety of our money but it is so different in the USA and different depending on where you go when you are there.

In Florida there are many ways to use your card and this variety seems to go a long way to making you more confused with each passing day. On most cash desks you will find a ‘swipe’ machine with a big LCD screen on it. You have to swipe your card yourself and as long as the system shows it as ‘active’ you can put it back in your wallet or purse. You then sign the screen and hit OK; no checking of the signature, no use of PIN, nothing. So if you lose your card in the USA it could be used easily by anyone who picks it up and decides on a shopping spree. Oh and I was warned by one shop assistant that if you swipe the card the wrong way you may be charged twice!

In very few cases you will be asked to swipe your card, enter your PIN and then once again sign the screen but the signature is never checked. If you are asked to sign a piece of paper it is a rarity but if the signature is checked you will probably fall over with the shock!! If you use a credit card to buy goods like petrol or gas on the pump you will be instructed to remove your card ‘quickly’, apparently once again this is down to the possibility of double charging.

Your money is just as safe as with any credit card company but do bear in mind that you’re responsible for the safety of your card and the details that control its use. This should also be kept in mind when you give someone else a card on your account; the management of the account remains your responsibility whatever happens. With basic precautions and common sense your money will be safe and you can shop anywhere you want at any time.