Avoid Credit Card Confusion by Paying Attention

The restaurant warning

Don't get in trouble over a careless mistake.

Restaurants create an unusual scenario for credit card users. In most situations — retail stores, fast-foot places and salons — your credit card never leaves your sight. You hand over the card, watch the employee run it, and it’s returned. There’s no chance of your card getting mixed up with some else’s.

But at restaurants, after you sit down to dinner and then request your bill, the server walks away with your card. It’s out of your sight until the server returns later. It’s not surprising that with all the different cards being shuffled around in restaurants, every once in a while cards get mixed up.

Alfred’s story

I read a story online recently about a family who this actually happened to. A man who went by “Alfred” in a letter reported that he and his family went out to lunch in Maui. It was one of their favorite spots. Just as he’d done many times before, Alfred gave his card to the server, waited patiently for the server’s return, signed the check and put his card back into his wallet.

This man could be considered lucky because he is one of those people who keeps receipts and files them. As he was filing the receipt that night, he noticed an item his family hadn’t ordered on the bill. Upon further scrutiny, he realized the whole check was wrong. He checked in his wallet, and sure enough he not only had someone else’s lunch bill, he had someone else’s credit card. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Avoid Credit Card Confusion by Paying Attention"