FP to Sign the back of Credit Cards?

[D.C. Wright]

I've used a Sharpie for this task for years - Ultra Fine Point. The signature has never wiped off - even on cards carried to their expiration date.
D.C.

[Pendragon]

My handwriting is too neat and too easy to copy so I don't sign mine. I would probably use a gel pen though, for durability and level of difficulty to alter. Or a sharpie. I have used a sharpie in the past.

Then just sign the card using some minor but distinct (to you at least) variation in your signature. For example, if you normally dot your i's with a small circle, use a point instead. If you write your w's like 'VV', write it like 'UU' on the card signature instead. Etc. sales clerks are unlikely to notice such minor (to them) differences. Someone trying to forge your signature will copy it as exactly as they can, which will enable you to identify which signatures are not legit. It could also assist anyone investigating fraud on your card. Leaving the credit card signature blank removes this layer of protection.

I love writing with a fountain pen, and it would be so cool to have my card signed with my favorite ink and pen. Ballpoints really are better for a few specific tasks, however, including credit card signatures and signing credit card receipts. Greatly enjoying the use of a fountain pen does not mandate an aversion to ballpoints or any other pen type. Why not use the best tool for the task? Hmmm... A gel pen does seem like a good idea.

[Tracy Lee]

My handwriting is too neat and too easy to copy so I don't sign mine. I would probably use a gel pen though, for durability and level of difficulty to alter. Or a sharpie. I have used a sharpie in the past.

Then just sign the card using some minor but distinct (to you at least) variation in your signature. For example, if you normally dot your i's with a small circle, use a point instead. If you write your w's like 'VV', write it like 'UU' on the card signature instead. Etc. sales clerks are unlikely to notice such minor (to them) differences. Someone trying to forge your signature will copy it as exactly as they can, which will enable you to identify which signatures are not legit. It could also assist anyone investigating fraud on your card. Leaving the credit card signature blank removes this layer of protection.

I love writing with a fountain pen, and it would be so cool to have my card signed with my favorite ink and pen. Ballpoints really are better for a few specific tasks, however, including credit card signatures and signing credit card receipts. Greatly enjoying the use of a fountain pen does not mandate an aversion to ballpoints or any other pen type. Why not use the best tool for the task? Hmmm... A gel pen does seem like a good idea.

They aren't blank. Block letters direct them to proper ID. I have an inability to make variations in my writing that would be useful. Just who I am. It has worked for me all these years, so far so good.

[mrcharlie]

I have always liked "office supplies" including all sorts of pens and pencils. F.P.s are my favorite, but I'm happy to use a ballpoint where it is the most appropriate. So I've never previously tried to use anything else on a credit cart signature block.

But just recently I received a pre-paid card as the payment for a "refund". I used it to experiment. In every case I wrote on the signature block and then wiped it 10+ seconds later with a damp finger.

Fountain pen:
I tried a couple of "permanent" F.P. inks including Skrip Jet Black and Platinum Carbon Black on it; they both wiped right off. I didn't try any I.G. fp inks.

Ballpoint:
I tried a plebian disposable promotional ballpoint and a Parker Fine Black refill ballpoint. Both were fast and not changed at all by trying to wipe them with my finger. The block is made to work with ballpoint ink, after all ...

Fiber tip:
I tried a "Sharpie Pen" (physically the same sort of tip as a Pilot Razor Point or Sharpie Permanent Marker Ultra Fine, but not the same ink as the Sharpie Permanent Marker), a PaperMate felt tip pen (Flair?), and some Alvin Penstix fiber-tip art pens. All wiped off and the Penstix didn't even really write on it. I don't have a Pilot Razor Point handy (my favorite "fiber tip" type pen, but hard to find in American stores nowadays).

Permanent Marker:
I tried a Sharpie Ultra Fine Permanent Marker and a BiC MarkIt Ultra Fine Point Permanent Marker (the main competitor for the Sharpie Ultra Fine markers that I know of), and both worked on the block and didn't wipe off. A regular "Fine" Sharpie makes too thick of a line for me to write a recognizable signature in such a small space, so I didn't bother with it.

Gel Ballpoint:
I tried a Pilot G2, Parker Gel, and uni*ball 207 Signo, and all wiped off. They didn't want to write on the block very easily, sliding on the block without leaving ink but all could be coaxed to leave marks with a few tries, but the Gel inks didn't stick or absorb into the block the way regular bp inks do. The Signo in particular was a hope since it is a nice permanent ink on paper (both highly lightfast and water resistant), but no.

In my testing you are best off with an ultra fine point permanent marker or a ballpoint, regardless of whether you are writing a real signature or instructions to check ID.

FWIW, I don't see any big downside to actually signing it; most people can't easily forge a signature even if they have one to look at, and most uses of credit cards today don't require any signature comparison or ID check anyway. And actually signing it is what the credit card companies would like us to do, and they are on the hook for most credit card fraud ultimately.

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[Doggy Daddy]

After reading the latest (relevant) post, what should arrive in the mail today but two new cards to replace ones that are near their expiration date.

The 1st card was a bank debit card and I took the advice of the brain trust here and successfully signed the back of it using a Sharpie Ultra Fine Permanent Marker.

Then I looked at the 2nd card which is for my Amazon Prime account. It's a VISA administered by Chase Bank and guess what, there is no place to sign it!

The card is made of metal and is very dark blue (midnight blue?) on both sides. There is a minimum of mostly silver numbers & text where required. The back of the card has a much lighter blue-gray strip across the top where most cards would have the black magnetic strip. There is no way to tell if this blue-gray strip has encoded information or if everything is now embedded in the chip. Other than this strip and the required text & numbers, the rest of the card is the previously mentioned midnight blue.

The paperwork enclosed with the card makes no mention of signing it. You are directed to either the bank's app or website to activate the card, but these make no reference to signing it either. The mere act of logging on to the app or website is all that's required to activate the new card.

And that's it. Apparently, no signature is required which, given all of the recent reports of the current generation of young adults being unable to read cursive or even sign their own name, I suppose makes dropping the signature as a form of identification inevitable.

Ironically, Chase calls this Amazon Prime card the VISA Signature.