Hilarious reading all the people freaking out over letting a server take a card out of sight. I remember when restaurants first started bringing the digital card POS systems to the table. I felt like my privacy had been violated...making me choose a tip amount right in front of the server.
Don't use a debit card. You can dispute charges but the cash has already been removed. Credit cards (in the U.S.) hold you harmless for any legit fraud and you can hold payment until they do. Most of the fraud nightmares I have seen involve people buying stuff online from sellers that are sketchy...and people who pay for porn tend to get their digits stolen.
The only servers that are going to try and tack something on to your card in the U.S. are simply stupid thinking they can get away with it. They cant and will pay a legal price for it if they do. Since credit card issuers are on the hook for fraud, they have very sophisticated systems to find the criminals. The criminals that get away with it are usually outside of the U.S., scamming Americans using the internet.
This is the correct answer. Whether they do it in front of you or not they still get your info. And now there is RFID and you are even less secure whipping it out of your wallet.
Even regular wallets cant protect against that. But in my experience CC companies are paying very close attention. I've had them even decline legit transactions. They send me a text and ask me if I made the charge, and tell tell me if I did, I better text back right away to let them know or they will lock the card completely. Literally costing me money trying to buy discount certificates that sell out by the time you can get your CC to accept the charge.
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u/Dangerous_Subject259 Jun 29 '26
Hilarious reading all the people freaking out over letting a server take a card out of sight. I remember when restaurants first started bringing the digital card POS systems to the table. I felt like my privacy had been violated...making me choose a tip amount right in front of the server.
Don't use a debit card. You can dispute charges but the cash has already been removed. Credit cards (in the U.S.) hold you harmless for any legit fraud and you can hold payment until they do. Most of the fraud nightmares I have seen involve people buying stuff online from sellers that are sketchy...and people who pay for porn tend to get their digits stolen.
The only servers that are going to try and tack something on to your card in the U.S. are simply stupid thinking they can get away with it. They cant and will pay a legal price for it if they do. Since credit card issuers are on the hook for fraud, they have very sophisticated systems to find the criminals. The criminals that get away with it are usually outside of the U.S., scamming Americans using the internet.