I've been back from China for almost two months but this is a story I have to share.
This last time in China, I discovered that there are some hotels that are now accepting major credit cards, even Amex. Great news for me - I don't have to front the cash for the hotel now, which is especially nice when you're spending two weeks in hotels even in China. So, now that I know credit cards are accepted (I dont know about Amex yet), I'm at the front counter checking-in. The front desk hands me the receipt for my room and I sign it. Then I hand him my personal credit card. He takes it and swipes for the deposit. I get the receipt and sign it. The next thing I know I'm getting a confused look from the front desk and he starts rapidly talking to my colleague in Chinese.
After much back and forth it gets communicated to me that my signature doesn't match my card. My first thought is - "Well, duh.". The back of my card says Check ID. I hand them my passport and try to explain this concept through my colleague, except it's not working real well. Eventually, I get heads nodding but they are obviously not satisfied. So what's the solution? Sign my name again on the first room receipt - only now my name is Check ID.
Finally, that is all sorted out and I get to my room. I stay in the hotel for five nights. During my one free day on the trip, I am enjoying the air conditioning and looking at the random information from the hotel. This is when I find out that they take American Express. Awesome! I don't have to figure out reimbursement. When checking out, I slowly communicate that I don't want anything on the Check ID card, but on my Amex. I get it swiped, they hand me the receipt, and I sign it. Only now we have another problem. My signature doesn't match again. On the back of the card I signed C Spinelli-Moore since that's what is on the front of the card. But on the room receipt I have my full signature and Check ID. So I have to sign sign the room receipt for a third time. Oy.
Lesson learned ... always use the exact same signature regardless of what you think is most secure (Check ID) or what it says on the front of the card (your full name or just the first initial and your last name).
This last time in China, I discovered that there are some hotels that are now accepting major credit cards, even Amex. Great news for me - I don't have to front the cash for the hotel now, which is especially nice when you're spending two weeks in hotels even in China. So, now that I know credit cards are accepted (I dont know about Amex yet), I'm at the front counter checking-in. The front desk hands me the receipt for my room and I sign it. Then I hand him my personal credit card. He takes it and swipes for the deposit. I get the receipt and sign it. The next thing I know I'm getting a confused look from the front desk and he starts rapidly talking to my colleague in Chinese.
After much back and forth it gets communicated to me that my signature doesn't match my card. My first thought is - "Well, duh.". The back of my card says Check ID. I hand them my passport and try to explain this concept through my colleague, except it's not working real well. Eventually, I get heads nodding but they are obviously not satisfied. So what's the solution? Sign my name again on the first room receipt - only now my name is Check ID.
Finally, that is all sorted out and I get to my room. I stay in the hotel for five nights. During my one free day on the trip, I am enjoying the air conditioning and looking at the random information from the hotel. This is when I find out that they take American Express. Awesome! I don't have to figure out reimbursement. When checking out, I slowly communicate that I don't want anything on the Check ID card, but on my Amex. I get it swiped, they hand me the receipt, and I sign it. Only now we have another problem. My signature doesn't match again. On the back of the card I signed C Spinelli-Moore since that's what is on the front of the card. But on the room receipt I have my full signature and Check ID. So I have to sign sign the room receipt for a third time. Oy.
Lesson learned ... always use the exact same signature regardless of what you think is most secure (Check ID) or what it says on the front of the card (your full name or just the first initial and your last name).
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