IIRC it is against merchant agreements (or maybe that was paypal). Just like asking to see a ID if the back of the card is signed. A lot of places do both becau

IIRC it is against merchant agreements (or maybe that was paypal). Just like asking to see a ID if the back of the card is signed. A lot of places do both because a) they don't actually read the contracts they sign and b) they don't care: the "small business owner makes up his own rules" attitude. There's a grocery discount chain by me (Woodmans) that simply doesn't take credit cards because of the fees. If you want to pay by plastic you will pay by Debit Card with PIN. Walmart's discount chain (Sam's Club) has the same policy except for MasterCard.