Credit Card Receipt Laws Present Challenges
A number of laws restrict the dissemination of credit card numbers on receipts. California's law has provisions that became effective this year that differ from other laws.
California prohibits any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation or limited liability company that accepts credit or debit cards for the transaction of business from printing more than the last five digits of the credit or debit card account number or the expiration date upon any of the following:
- any receipt provided to the cardholder;
- any receipt retained by the person, firm, partnership, association, corporation or limited liability company, which is printed at the time of the purchase, exchange, refund or return, and is signed by the cardholder; or
- any receipt retained by the person, firm, partnership, association, corporation or limited liability company, which is printed at the time of the purchase, exchange, refund or return, but is not signed by the cardholder, because the cardholder used a personal identification number to complete the transaction.
These requirements only apply to receipts that include a credit or debit card account number that is electronically printed; the requirements do not apply to transactions in which the sole means of recording the person's credit or debit card account number is by handwriting or by an imprint or copy of the credit or debit card. It also does not apply to any documents used for internal administrative purposes, other than receipts described above.
Part of this law became effective on Jan. 1, 2009, so reviewing your policies is recommended.