I chose to keep my present card as instead of singing my card, I write in the signature box "SEE FRONT OF CARD FOR SIGNATURE AND PICTURE". Attempting to modify either would effectively destroy the card.
Now if only banks would use their collective head and provide a customer-selectable pin instead of 3 digit code and NOT have that number on the card itself as is presently done with the 3-digit code. It is amazing how stupid banks can be.
Found this on the web --
'See ID' against Visa, MasterCard rules
Chris Monteiro, spokesman for MasterCard, says, "Technically, a MasterCard is not valid unless signed by the authorized cardholder. If a person has not signed his card, the merchant technically should not complete the transaction." The merchant can only complete the transaction on an unsigned card if the cardholder signs the card in front of the employee and then produces valid identification proving their identity, Monteiro says. The cardholder then has nothing to gain by refusing to write anything but his signature on the signature panel.
Visa's policy is nearly identical to MasterCard's. Visa covers this topic in its "Rules for Merchants" handbook. There is a section entitled "See ID," which says: "
See ID or
Check for ID is not a valid substitute for a signature. The customer must sign the card, in your presence." And if the customer refuses? "A refusal to sign means the card is still invalid and cannot be accepted." The handbook then reminds merchants that if they ignore this mandate and accept an unsigned card anyway, they risk financial liability should the cardholder later dispute the charge.
Read more:
http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/sign-or-write-see-ID-1282.php#ixzz3TwhlRUql
