Im in the restaurant biz, I own a sushi bar. Anyhow I get about 3 credit card transactions that are fraudulent every other month. I get a notice from Bank Of America Merchant Services regarding these transactions. And whats fucked up is that I lose out on this money and it averages about $75 bucks a month.
Now ive been thinking about this situation for a while, and was contemplating on
having my employees check I.D.s. But then again I say to myself, "who the fuck checks IDs at restaurants"??
So what do you guys think I should do?
Guess you have to ask yourself, is the end worth the means. Will it be that much of an inconvenience for your customers to have their cards/id's checked or like you say suck it up and accept the 75.00 loss. I have a couple of business's, we check id's. We still have a couple get through every now and then. Guess a few of the employees are'nt as thorough as others. I think if your employees explain to the customers that it is for "their" protection and do it respectfully,it really isn't that bad. Plus your regular customers get used to it and eventually expect it. Sorry for the long reply. Good luck!
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I looked up my family tree and found out I was the sap! Rodney Dangerfield
Have you looked at the transactions that are getting bounced back? Have you noticed a pattern (i.e. Large group of college kids with a $150 tab, Single men, older women, etc.).
It must suck for you. In addition to loosing a percent of every CC sale, you loose some orders completely. But I personally think if I was out to eat and had some wait staff ask for my ID when I was paying the bill, I would be a little put off, especially if I was a regular there.
It's like a catch 22. You really shouldn't only ID certain people (i.e. ONLY BofA CC users, people you don't recognize, people with large tabs), but you also don't want to insult your regulars or semi-regulars.
It sounds like a relatively insignificant amount, maybe you should just accept it and call it part of your cost of sales?
If you ever have your wallet stolen, you would never again be pissed for someone to ask you for a picture id when you use your credit cards, debit cards or in the rare event write a check.
My whole purse was stolen and the non-Caucasian female who couldn't even spell my name correctly, was able to rack up 3K in purchases and wrote 20 checks all because no one had the balls to ask her for a photo id. She wouldn't have gotten jack if someone would have simply asked for one.
Anyone who has ever heard of identity theft likely won't be offended. It's for their protection as much as it is yours.
If you ever have your wallet stolen, you would never again be pissed for someone to ask you for a picture id when you use your credit cards, debit cards or in the rare event write a check.
My whole purse was stolen and the non-Caucasian female who couldn't even spell my name correctly, was able to rack up 3K in purchases and wrote 20 checks all because no one had the balls to ask her for a photo id. She wouldn't have gotten jack if someone would have simply asked for one.
Anyone who has ever heard of identity theft likely won't be offended. It's for their protection as much as it is yours.
It is for situations like this that I have a hard copy list and a e-copy of all important phone numbers for my bank and CC companies. It my wallet was stolen, it would take about twenty minutes to notify them by phone, even less if I do it online, and they would be shut off.
I have never carried a check book. To be honest, I am on check 127 - I have written exactly 26 checks in about five years.
$75/month... you have a couple of choices: bump up the price of the saki ever-so-slightly, raise the price of the soda, or start checking IDs. $75/month on an otherwise profitable business probably isn't a lot. On the other hand _any_ theft sucks.
I'd suggest signs to begin with and see if that deters people from using the stolen cards. it just might.
then you can move to checking ID's if that doesn't work. your regulars will notice you easing into it and so they won't be shocked when you start checking IDs.
my .02...
sorry for your losses. Thieves suck. They should be string up by their fingertips.
I do not deal with merchant services anymore. When I did we had a few options that we could exercise if we wanted. One of which would be the zip code for the card holder. If you had a spot on your recipts for the zip code to be filled in when the person got the check they may think twice before using a card and of course it would be verified before the card would be returned and you don't upset any customers by asking for their ID. Just my
Tell all employees to check IDs when the tab comes - any employee should be warned that if they happen to have that fraudulent one - that comes out of their paycheck - and that should keep them vigilant...
I owned a car rental company and constantly had fraudulent transactions even though every renter was required to present a valid drivers license.
There are credit card manufacturing rings in every metropolitan area. You go to a guy and basically have a credit card manufactured in your name with someone elses credit card #. Or you have an ID made to match the stolen credit card. I have tracked down quite a few of these customers and prosecuted...The majority of the time I got fucked and the credit card company charged me back....
Thank god I sold that fucking business....You may be out some california rolls....I was out a freakin Taurus
I do not deal with merchant services anymore. When I did we had a few options that we could exercise if we wanted. One of which would be the zip code for the card holder. If you had a spot on your recipts for the zip code to be filled in when the person got the check they may think twice before using a card and of course it would be verified before the card would be returned and you don't upset any customers by asking for their ID. Just my
I Like this one with the zip code!!!
In the food industry it is great way to see where the customers are from.
i think Sears does it like this
However I would not find it odd at all and wouldn't mind. Most of the night clubs I go to, take your ID and credit card and won't let you just use a credit card.
In the last 2 weeks, while using my CC for buying gas at the pump, the majority of the machines have asked me my ZIP code. I thought it was a great idea, wonder why it hasn't been utilized earlier.
I have collected and saved all the fraudulent transactions over the years. And yet, I cannot put them together as a puzzle. I do have local customers, but a good part are out of towners. I guess because my restaurant is close to the 101 freeway.
Even my servers cannot remember/distinguish these persons. Ill tell you one thing though. Most of the stolen cards have either, Vietnamese , or Mexican names on them...
Its too bad that there wasnt a way to put ID photos on people's credit cards. Now I know that wont eliminate the problem, actually nothing really will. But at least it will decrease the percentage.Anything that will decrease the percantage I am totally up for that..
Thanks for your responses ....
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I write on the signature part of my CC's "Check I.D." the ones that do check get a better tip than I would have already given. Anyone that complains about having their ID checked for a CC purchase has never had their CC used illegally. Also, they would be the first to bitch if you accepted their CC and it was used fraudulantly without checking ID....
I write on the signature part of my CC's "Check I.D." the ones that do check get a better tip than I would have already given. Anyone that complains about having their ID checked for a CC purchase has never had their CC used illegally. Also, they would be the first to bitch if you accepted their CC and it was used fraudulantly without checking ID....
I do the same, but did you know your CC is not actually valid without the signature. Nobody hassles me on it, but legally they do not have to accept that card.
I have collected and saved all the fraudulent transactions over the years. And yet, I cannot put them together as a puzzle. I do have local customers, but a good part are out of towners. I guess because my restaurant is close to the 101 freeway.
Even my servers cannot remember/distinguish these persons. Ill tell you one thing though. Most of the stolen cards have either, Vietnamese , or Mexican names on them...
Its too bad that there wasnt a way to put ID photos on people's credit cards. Now I know that wont eliminate the problem, actually nothing really will. But at least it will decrease the percentage.Anything that will decrease the percantage I am totally up for that..
Thanks for your responses ....
Some credit cards have photo IDs on them. My friend has one and so does my boss........I don't know if its only a few carriers or a special card but I do know they exist
