oceanskyJul 21, 2025

Would it look suspicious to use someone else’s credit card while out shopping (with their consent, of course)?

https://feddit.org/post/16076916

Would it look suspicious to use someone else’s credit card while out shopping (with their consent, of course)? - feddit.org

Here’s the situation: I just arrived in Japan from Germany to visit my long-distance boyfriend for the first time. He’s working during the day, so while he’s away, I’m on my own. He gave me his credit cards and told me to go out, explore, and enjoy myself if I get bored. I’d like to, but I’m a bit worried. I’m German, he’s Japanese. I’m a woman, he’s a man. So obviously, the name on the cards doesn’t match mine. I don’t want it to look like I stole them or something, it’s more about the optics. Maybe I’m just being overly anxious and overthinking it.

Show threadSpikesOtherDogJul 21, 2025

If you pay with cards in Japan the same way in the USA, nobody even looks at the names and just you just pay.

If you look like you are freaking out you might look suspicious enough for someone to double check.

Show threadgivesomefucksJul 21, 2025

They don’t even see/touch the card…

It’s not like the 80s where you hand them the card to swipe.

Show threadbreadsmasher
When I visited USA last year, I was dumbfounded that I had to give my card to whoever and they wandered off to charge it. Rather than UK where they bring a card machine to you
Jul 21, 2025 at 11:02amWeb
Show threadTranquilTurbulenceJul 21, 2025
I would 100% follow them to see what they’re doing with my card.
Show threadbreadsmasherJul 21, 2025
Gonna jump over the bar? Easy way to get kicked out
Show threadbladerunnerspiderJul 21, 2025
After you had your meal? Sounds like a win
Show threadRhynoplazJul 21, 2025
They are putting it in the only credit card machine that they have.
Show threadTranquilTurbulenceJul 21, 2025
Soo… they don’t have these wireless card reader things? Is that because of American capitalism again? Where I live, even random market vendors have them.
Show threadRhynoplazJul 21, 2025
Some do, but many haven’t bothered upgrading the system they installed 30 years ago.
Show threadTranquilTurbulenceJul 21, 2025
Yeah, that’s a classic. If it ain’t broken but just barely limps along, infuriating everyone who uses it, and while a new system would actually work properly but costs money and effort that no one wants to spend, don’t fix it.
Show threadDonjamosJul 21, 2025
I’d just not hand them my card
Show threadUniv3rseJul 21, 2025
I don’t believe you’d enjoy an interaction with our police…
Show threadDonjamosJul 21, 2025
I’m fairly certain that you are allowed to decline letting someone take your card and take it out of your sight. All the card company’s are propably even having something in their contracts that forbids you from doing exactly that.
Show threadUniv3rseJul 21, 2025
Sure, but you need to pay, and if all you have is a card, they’re not going to let you into an employee area because you’re being weird about a very basic interaction. In fact, that’s even more reason to not allow you into an employee area for their safety. When you’re in another country, you have to go with their flow, regardless of what you do at home.
Show threadTranquilTurbulenceJul 21, 2025
Why don’t they just have the machine in an accessible location near the entrance? You know, like all the normal stores do.
Show threadUniv3rseJul 21, 2025
Some places, like diners and cafes, do and you pay there with a cashier. But most bars and sit down restaurants have it inaccessible. As to why, I couldn’t say for sure, but I imagine it is to prevent theft of cash.
Show threadCorizaJul 21, 2025
Then you will “love” to know that they can still charge the card after they have swiped it. I was floored when I noticed it. So you give the card and then they come back with your card and a new bill that has a place for you to write down how much tip you wanna add. You do not give your card again, you just leave the paper in the table and they will add the amount to what they are gonna charge your in your cc. This would not fly in my country, I am actually shocked that cc fraud is not more widespread in the US with how “low security” it all seems. Once I when to buy something and I head forgotten my cc PIN (because now always using contactless pay and such", the person handling the register told me I can skip it, and sure enough, there was an option on the machine to skip entering the PIN. I guess the PIN stuff is new in the US and people are not used to IT so it is not even a red flag to say that you do not know your own PIN and they even have the case built-in in the software. Shocking.
Show threadTranquilTurbulenceJul 21, 2025

Oh wow. Just wow.

A system like that is just begging to be exploited to the point that it begins to smell like a honeypot operation.

Show threadjayboneJul 21, 2025
Restaurants do this. That’s pretty normal in the US. For other point of sale machines, like cash registers at a store, you should just be able to tap the card on a machine located next to the register.
Show threadTranquilTurbulenceJul 21, 2025
But apparently restaurants don’t have a normal point of sale machine at the entrance? Why tuck it away at the back?
Show threadSenator CollinsJul 21, 2025
Yeah, that’s not very typical. I’d like to make that point.
Show threadMidnight WolfJul 21, 2025
No cardboard. No cardboard derivatives…
Show threadAlcoholicornJul 21, 2025
?Its very typical at sit-down restaurants, they bring you the check, you write the amount you want to pay (tip), sign, and leave your card on the tray, they bring back your card and a copy of the check.
Show threadskrlet13Jul 21, 2025
And the PIN? You don’t use it in USA?
Show threadKhanzarateJul 21, 2025
No you don’t give them your pin. They don’t need it. They get your signature afterwards, though.
Show threadThisIsNotHimJul 21, 2025

The cards were definitely being called chip and PIN as they were being introduced.

I don’t recall the PIN ever being used outside of debit cards (which already used PINs in certain contexts).

Occasionally gas pumps will ask for the postal code of the billing address, but that’s about as close as we get.

Show thread13igTymeJul 21, 2025
Credit cards don’t have pin numbers. And a debit card can be charged as a credit.
Show threadskrlet13Jul 21, 2025
Huh, they do where I live
Show threadRhynoplazJul 21, 2025

In the US? Yes it is.

My expectation at a restaurant is that they’ll take my card and bring it back with a slip to sign. Some places have payment stations at the table, but that’s not very common.

Show threadNarrativeBearJul 21, 2025

I still remember going to the US and seeing these carbon copy credit card machines. Also what blows my mind is the US still does not have e-transfer.

They work like this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug4zEJglde0

Credit Cards in the 80s…before digital machines #80snostalgia #80s #educationalshorts

YouTube
Show threadRhynoplazJul 21, 2025
CHA-CHUNK!
Show threadBronzebeardJul 21, 2025
How is e-transfer different from zelle or venmo?
Show threadNarrativeBearJul 21, 2025

E-Transfer only requires a bank account, no “third party” accounts needed, recipients also don’t need to bank with the same bank.

E-transfers are similar in nature to written checks but transfers are instantaneous in nature and amounts don’t bounce.

Show threadSwordgeekJul 21, 2025

I was in the US (probably for the last time ever) in December and was amazed that they still do this.

Here in Canada, that was done away with…maybe 20 years ago? Trips to the UK, France, Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands have been similar.

Signing a CC receipt is something most people’s parents did. Except in the US.

Show threadRhynoplazJul 21, 2025

I wonder if our tip culture has something to do with it.

Gotta be able to add that 20% for the server.

Show threadSwordgeekJul 21, 2025

Nope. For some stupid reason, Canada pays servers passably (not great) but has almost exactly the same tip culture of the US.

Here when it’s time to pay, they bring a wireless machine to your table. You punch in the tip you want, and then either tap or insert your card to pay. A receipt printer is built-in, so you can get your paper as well.

Show threadLilB0kChoyJul 21, 2025

Really depends on the restaurant.

The smaller or local places where we are have all mostly switched to the handheld mobile devices.

The fast food places are all still front register POS style.

The larger chains or fancier restaurants are mostly still take your card away and run it then return for a signature.

I imagine the holdouts either don’t want to make the technological and cost investment to update (big chains) or they feel the mobile device is too “low class” (fancier restaurants).

Show threadwildcardologyJul 21, 2025
Luckily credit card skimmers are not yet prevalent in my country.
Show threadNutinButNetJul 21, 2025
Places are changing this especially now that tap to pay and Apple Pay/Google Pay/etc are getting more popular.