American Express Charges

The following MUST BE OBSERVED when accepting an American Express charge:

1. The customer must present their card.
2. The card must be signed.
3. The signature on the back of the card must match theirs.
4. You must get another form of ID (driver’s license, etc.) and check that the picture is that of the customer presenting the card.

We have recently been ripped off by a customer using a fictitoius American Express card. Getting an approval code may not protect us. So it’s up to us to take extra precautions.

When accepting a telephone order using American Express charge as payment:

1. Get their driver’s license number.
2. Get their billing address. When you call for approval, call the voice approval and request verification of the billing address. If it’s not the same, call the customer again and ask for the billing address. Don’t give it to them, let them tell you. If they can’t come up with the same billing address as American Express has on file, we can’t accept their card.

If you do get an approval for a phone order, always take the name of the person at American Express who checked the address for you. Always mail the item to the billing address only, registered mail restricted delivery only.

If someone in the store appears flakey, bring in the Sales Manager or some other senior person in on it. The more the merrier to prevent fraud.