FACTA Credit Card Protections Keep Card Numbers off Receipts

Retailers who print customer’s credit card numbers or expiration dates on sales receipts do so at risk of liability under FACTA, the federal Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act.

FACTA credit card protections limit the amount of card information that may appear on electronically-printed receipts given to a consumer at the point of sale. FACTA is a set of amendments to the FCRA, or the Fair Credit Reporting Act. It was passed in 2003 specifically to protect consumers against identity theft.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, FACTA adds particular provisions to improve the “accuracy of consumers’ credit-related records.”

The FTC says FACTA allows consumers the right to access one free credit report a year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies. In addition, consumers are able to purchase their credit score for a reasonable fee.

FACTA credit card protections include “provisions designed to prevent and mitigate identity theft, including a section that enables consumers to place fraud alerts in their credit files, as well as other enhancements to the Fair Credit Reporting Act.”

In mitigating identity theft, FACTA credit card protections require merchants to follow specific rules to help protect U.S. consumers from such issues and credit card fraud. This can occur from someone being able to piece together debit card or credit card information from a purchaser’s receipt.

Examples of FACTA Violations

FACTA limits the amount of information that is shown on purchase receipts from debit cards or credit cards. It specifically states, “no person that accepts credit cards or debit cards for the transaction of business shall print more than the last 5 digits of the card number or the expiration date upon any receipt provided to the cardholder at the point of the sale or transaction.”

Merchants’ receipts can violate FACTA credit card protections in two ways: by allowing any part of a consumer’s credit or debit card expiration date to appear on the purchase receipt, or by allowing any other than the last five digits of the card number to appear. Typically, this card information is hidden by using an * or # sign on the receipt to substitute for the omitted digits.

So, for example, a receipts that shows any of the following expiration date information would not be a FACTA-compliant receipt:

• EXP: 03/17
• EXP: 03/2017
• EXP: 032017
• EXP 0317

The FACTA applies to all electronically printed consumer receipts. These include receipts printed by cash registers, receipts printed to consumers at restaurants, and receipts printed at self-service kiosks. Excepted from this requirement are receipts written out by hand or printed using a physical imprint of the card.

Free FACTA Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you made one or more purchases and the retailer provided you with a receipt that contained more than the last five digits of your credit or debit card number or the expiration date, you may be eligible for a free class action lawsuit investigation and to pursue compensation for these FACTA violations.

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