Can a Credit Card Number Appear on a Receipt?

By law, your credit car number must be shortened on an electronic receipt.

Your receipt, whether it's from a restaurant or a clothing store, contains a lot of information, from the the purchases you made to the total amount paid. If you paid with plastic, there is additional information that is of great concern to you -- your credit card number. By law, your credit card number cannot appear in full on an electronic receipt.

Truncate Numbers

Since 2006, the Federal Trade Commission has required that exposure of your credit card information be blocked on electronic receipts. Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act, receipts must truncate credit card numbers. No more than the last five digits of a credit card can be revealed.

Handwritten Receipts

Handwritten receipts and those created from imprints are the exception to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act, provided those are the only ways to record credit card information. In those cases, the business will need the full credit car number for its records and to process the transaction. The last five digits will not serve the purpose.

Expiration Date and CVV

Your credit card number is not the only item that must be excluded from a credit card receipt. Your credit card's expiration date must also be hidden or deleted. On the back of your card is the card verification value (CVV), which is a three-digit or four-digit security code. Merchants do not require this information when transactions are completed, so there is no reason for the CVV to appear on your receipt.

Why Protect Information

Your information is protected because, if exposed, fraudsters or thieves can easily use your credit card without your authorization. A fraudster would need your name, card number and expiration date to make numerous fraudulent purchases. It is in a business's best interest to protect customer credit card information to demonstrate it is a trustworthy organization that values the protection of client information.

References

• Federal Trade Commission: Fair Credit Reporting Act.
• Cleveland.com: Company Erred in Printing Full Credit Card Number on Receipt; Sheryl Harris; March 2009
• Federal Trade Commission: Slip Showing? Federal Law Requires All Businesses to Truncate Credit Card Information on Receipts; May 2007