Identity theft can happen to anyone. Even if you're careful to safeguard your private information, a restaurant or retailer may put it on a receipt that can get into the wrong hands. For this reason, the Fair Credit Reporting Act limits what businesses can put on customer receipts.
1
The law
The Fair Credit Reporting Act states that businesses can't print more than the last five digits of your debit or credit card number on a receipt, and they cannot print the expiration date. If they do, they are violating the law.
2
Exceptions
This law applies only to electronically produced receipts. If the business uses imprints or takes credit card numbers by hand, it does not apply. In these cases, the business is permitted to include the otherwise prohibited information on your receipt.
3
What you can do about it
The law allows you to sue a business who prints the prohibited information on an electronic receipt. If someone gets ahold of such a receipt and uses the information to steal your identity, you can recover the money you lost as a result. In some cases, you can take action regardless of whether your identity was stolen. You may be automatically entitled to some money if a business violates this law.
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