ID when paying by card

[BlueChip]

A lot of Brits in Spain get a credit card sized laminated copy of their passport photo page to carry around, I use my driving license as you have to carry it when driving.
I think the use of id is a relic of their slow take up of chip and pin credit cards, many times I still have to sign the slip even though I have a chip and pin card.

 

[Finesse II]

I used my Costco card as id when hiring bikes in Cherbourg.
SWMBO still doesn't have a plastic driving license and when asked for ID she gets out her tatty old paper license, most times to my amazement they accept it.

ICC card is a good option

 

[concentrik]

Carry my passport,.................. its not that heavy.........................or my ICC

Not a burden in itself, but losing it would be........ so I've found that my old (prev address) photocard driving licence works a treat. Checkout operators just want to see something because they've been told to - it doesn't seem to matter what it is!

 

[maxi77]

At the end of the day in many countries it is a legal requirement to carry identification, this within the EU is either an EU country ID card, or a Passport. In most countries the police do not accept copies or other documents which check out operators may accept and having to sort those details out with the local plods can be a trifle of bother. I see no greater risk in carrying my passport when the alternative is to leave it somewhere like a boat which is very easily broken into.

 

[pteron]

It would make sense if all cards were like that, it would cut down on fraud, admittedly not online fraud.

You'd have thought so, but the companies that did put pictures on the credit cards had an initial drop in fraud whilst people found it novel, but then found the fraud benefit disappeared as the novelty factor wore off.

Presumably, the cost to add the picture outweighed the long term benefit hence the lack of such cards now.

We had picture ID at one of the places I worked - you had to show your ID at the gate to get in. One of my colleagues replaced his picture with that of an orang-utan. He used it successfully for many weeks.