Printing the CC number on receipts

Illegal in the US? Penalties?

[Tonearm]

Hello, I seem to remember that it was recently made illegal print the full credit card account number on a purchase receipt. Is that only here in California? If it is illegal, does anyone know what the penalties for this are?

- Grant

[LifeinAsia]

You should definitely not so this. Just print the last 4 digits.

[Wlauzon]

Illegal or not, it is definately not very smart to do so.

[jsinger]

No law against it in our state that I know of. Full 16 digits was the default with our setup. But it is easy to mix up receipts so that customer A gets customer B's receipt. Had that happen twice years ago. We use an in-store terminal to process orders and re-programming to the XXXX XXXX XXXX 1234 mode was simple.

[CernyM]

After December 6, 2006 it will be illegal to display more than the last 5 digits of a credit card number on a receipt anywhere in the US. (Unless the number is hand written or mechanically imprinted.)

No idea on penalties.

[Easy_Coder]

The Longhorn Steak House does it; oddly enough when I asked 'why'. I was told that they specifically changed their policy TO display the full number.

[jsinger]

From consumers.gov

"Are companies allowed to print my entire credit card number on my receipt?

Beginning December 5, 2006, companies must not print your credit or debit card expiration date or more than the last 5 digits of your card number on your electronic receipt. Some businesses must make this change sooner, depending on the way they process credit card transactions. The law will allow receipts that are hand written or mechanically imprinted to show your entire number and expiration date, even after December 4, 2006."

[Tonearm]

Thanks guys, that's what I needed to know. Does anyone know if this takes effect sooner in California?

- Grant

[Corey Bryant]

A few years ago - it was California and about eight other states. I think Visa implemented the rule throughout North America at one point.

Even though most merchants do not use the knuckle buster anymore and the carbon paper is gone, it is a good idea to only have the last four of the CC number printed - "illegal" or not, against the rules or not

-Corey