Getting a new credit card activated is a three-step process. After you've verified your information and called Chase to activate the card, the last step is signing your legal signature on the card itself. If you read ahead, you'll find out exactly where you'll need to add your signature to your Chase credit card.
The signature line on a Chase issued credit card is located on the back of the card. It will be a white strip that is a little more than half the length of the card. This signature line will be located just below the toll-free number for Chase. Sign your credit card immediately after activating it with the issuer.
Now that you know where exactly to sign your Chase credit card, you might have some other questions about the card itself. We researched the Chase brand cards extensively and have presented our findings in this post. If you've ever wondered what the benefits of the Signature Card are, or if Chase has a CHIP and pin card, you'll be able to have these questions answered by reading ahead in this post.
Why you should always sign your credit card
Not signing your credit card can have a multitude of consequences, so you'll want to make absolutely certain that you sign it immediately after the credit card is activated over the phone. You might be wondering to yourself what will happen if you leave this signature line blank. Here's what we found out in our research:
- The signature shows that the card is activated and ready to use. If it's not signed, a merchant can legally refuse to accept the card as a payment form. This can be embarrassing and is easily avoided by signing the card before you ever use it.
- Suppose your card is stolen. Then, just anyone can sign the back of it, and the signature on the card will match the crook's signature on the receipt. Rarely do clerks ask for identification if a credit card is used, so not signing your card could very well make it easy for someone else to use your personal line of credit unlawfully.
- Signing the back of your card signals to the issuer that you accept the terms of use of the card and lawfully and dutifully use it. It's always recommended to sign the card immediately after it's activated.
What is a Chase signature card?
The Signature series cards are credit cards issued by Visa and issued by several different credit card companies. Fortunately, Chase Bank is one of the companies that offer this line of cards. The Signature series has many benefits to the cardholder that others do not have, making it a solid addition to your wallet. We've listed and broken down all of the benefits of the Signature cards here:
Extended warranty protection
This feature will extend one and two-year manufacturers' warranties by an additional year. Keep in mind this only extends the warranty; it does not enhance it in any way.
Travel and emergency assistance
For the travelers out there, this benefit gives you a dedicated hotline number that will provide you with weather and health information, currency rates, and other pertinent info for your journey. This is a free service, but some of the additional features may cost extra.
Year-end spending summary
This annual summary will break down your spending habits so that you have a comprehensive look at how you spend your money and where you spend it.
Visa Signature concierge
A concierge is just a phone call away if you are issued a Visa Signature credit card. Need help finding someone a gift? Would you like some help arranging travel plans? Call the concierge and have them help make arrangements.
Roadside assistance
For anyone that's ever been stranded on the side of the road, this feature is a huge benefit. Roadside assistance has a dedicated hotline number that will dispatch someone to assist you with jump-starting your car, changing a flat tire, unlocking your vehicle, or hauling your car out of a ditch. It will also deliver up to five gallons of gasoline to your car, should you run your car out of fuel. Should you need any of the roadside assistance benefits, you call the hotline and pay a flat fee of $69.95.
Auto rental collision damage waiver
If you've ever rented a car, you'll remember how the car rental company will always try to upsell their collision coverage. If you rent a car with your Signature credit card, the issuer will cover the gap between what your personal insurance pays and the deductible amount.
Zero fraud liability
If you've been a victim of fraud using the Visa Signature card, this will protect you against any financial liability.
Lost/stolen card reporting, emergency replacement, and emergency cash
Should you lose your Visa Signature card or have it stolen, Visa makes the reporting process fast and simple. They'll also quickly issue an emergency replacement, and some issuers will even provide emergency cash. The issuers that do provide this are treated as a cash advance on your credit card.
Cardholder inquiry service
This service is a toll-free number that has a dedicated representative available to answer any questions you might have about the different features of your card, as well as any inquiries you might have about your account.
Is it necessary to sign the back of a credit card?
Yes, it is necessary always to sign the back of any bank card or credit card. As we discussed earlier in this post, an unsigned credit card isn't considered active. Not having your legal signature on the back of your card means that merchants do not have to accept the card as a form of payment.
Does Chase have a chip and PIN card?
Chase Bank has usually led with adapting to cutting edge technology. Thankfully, Chase kept this tradition moving forward by outfitting newly issued Chase credit cards with chip and pin technology.
In case you've never had a credit card that requires a chip and pin, you might be wondering what this does. Simply put, a chip and pin card has a microchip built into the card, which must be read when the card is scanned. Accompanying this chip is a pin requirement. As soon as the card is scanned and read, a personal identification number must be entered into the merchant's keypad before the transaction can be approved.
This form of technology makes it much more difficult for people to illegally use someone else's credit or debit card. For safety reasons, card issuers caution against letting anyone know your credit or bank card's pin and using a number that is easy for someone else to guess.
In Conclusion
In this post, we covered where to sign your Chase branded credit card and discussed in great detail the reasons you should sign it. We also learned about the Visa Signature credit card series and all of the features and benefits this line of credit cards offers the owner. While nothing is absolutely fraud-proof, the chip and pin system adds two extra security layers for cardholders. Having a card with this technology makes it harder for an unauthorized person to use, but it does not eliminate the reasons why you should always sign the back of your credit card in the first place.
If you found this post on Chase credit cards to be helpful, we believe that you'll find the following posts informative:
Credit or Debit Card Signature Smudge – What to Do?
What is a credit card cash advance?