Why did my waitress add my credit card number to the bill? After finishing a meal at a local restaurant this morning, I went to the cashier station to pay my bill and presented my credit card. The cashier/waitress swiped it, ran a receipt, and handed it to me to sign.
I noticed she was writing something on the reverse side of my dinner bill. When I looked closely, I saw that she was copying my credit card numbers. I said loudly, “you’re not writing my credit card number, are you?” And she stopped abruptly after having penned about five digits, mumbled something, and returned the card to me.
Is there a legitimate reason a restaurant would write diners’ credit card numbers on the reverse sides of bills? For security reasons? Or is this possibly a racket?