Paying with credit card

[dogman]

I have noticed at the Southwest Airline terminals to board their planes faster if all you have is carry-on luggage, passegers can use "any" plastic credit card with a magnetic strip, this simple scans for the passengers address and name.PERIOD After that in then matches the persons info and prints out their boarding pass, Away they go, i have done this several times with out any concerns after talking to one of their employess.

I suspect the business is scanning for your personal info and then swiping it again on the pay terminal to get their $$$, Then they have a handy profile on everyone,and even what they ate! Kinda like "cookies" are on the internet.

This is just a comment , I would ask them what information each swipe gathers and demand to watch the screen as they do it, of course some folks get a little uneasy when your staring over their shoulder,next time pay ca$h.

[Relyt]

I'm quite sure we'd all have a "Charmin Moment" if we actually knew how many computers have our personal information, or are collecting it!

Our local super market has a membership card that is swiped along with our debit card, every time we shop there. The encouragement to use it comes from the large discounts they provide. However they are recording everything I buy. Thus the profiles are being created for later use. Ace Hardware Stores are also doing the same thing.

Sooner or later, it will probably all be compiled into a data base on the Gibson.

cheers

[vanman]

What I would suggest for the future is contact your bank and ask them if you can link your account activity to your cellphone...that way you would immediately see if it was swapped twice because the amount would then be subtracted twice from your account and you would get 2 sms ,s to your cellphone confirming that...We in SA can do that so I am sure it is possible in your country..In general I think it is a good idea because any activity on your account gets sent to your mobile..be it deposit, debit orders etc..

You have instant prove and can confront these people there on the spot

cheers
vanman