MasterCard Will No Longer Require Signatures Starting April 2018

MasterCard has announced that starting April 2018 it will no longer require cardholders to sign their name when making purchases with their credit or debit card in the United States and Canada. The company says that over 80% of in-store transactions are already completed without the need for a signature.

Eliminating the need for signature is another step in the digital evolution of payments and payment security. At first glance, this might sound like a radical proclamation, especially to people who have had credit and debit cards for decades. However, the change matches all of our expectations for fast and convenient shopping experiences. Our consumer research found that a majority of people believe it would be easier to pay and that checkout lines would move faster if they didn’t need to sign when making a purchase.

MasterCard notes that secure network and state-of-the art systems combined with new digital payment methods that include chip, tokenization, biometrics and specialized digital platforms use newer and more secure methods to prove identity. In addition, there is behind the scenes technology at work to protect each transaction. Recently, they introduced an Early Detection System to help financial institutions proactively and quickly pre-empt serious attacks. This new service provides issuers with a unique advanced alert for cards and accounts at a heightened risk of fraudulent use based on their exposure in security incidents or data breaches.


Ditching the signature requirement should help merchants speed up checkout for customers and decrease costs associated with safely storing signatures.