Around midnight awhile back my girlfriend and I were visiting a Wachovia ATM which is located inside one of their branches and is protected by one of those card reading slots which you have to insert your ATM card in order for the door to be unlocked.

A friend that was with us asked “What if I’m another bank’s customer and just wanted to use the ATM?” which was a valid question so we tried using her Bank of America card to see if it worked and it sure does.

Next we started trying various other cards, such as Starbucks gift cards and NYC Metrocards (train fare cards) and they all worked! We should’ve tried a card without a magnetic strip just to see if literally anything that fits into that slot works.

So the next time you’re using an ATM inside a bank’s branch late at night, don’t assume that only people with that bank’s card can get through those doors. Also good to know if you ever get chased by wild animals and a need a place to hide.

Also note this isn’t only a Wachovia deal. A quick test at the HSBC branch next door revealed that they used the exact same card reading slot required to get in the door.

On my recent trip to California with my girlfriend I noticed an extremely disturbing trend out there. Almost everywhere you go merchants ask for ID when you choose to pay with a credit card. Some merchants even have minimum amounts like $20 minimum for them to accept a credit card.

These two things annoy me a great deal.

You shouldn’t be required to show ID. It’s against the merchant agreement with the credit card companies to require ID. Requiring ID doesn’t prevent fraud as it’s extremely easy to create an ID with name and a picture to match. The credit card companies don’t want the hassle of showing ID because they want using a credit card to be as easy as using cash (or easier).

The minimum purchase amount is total BS. It’s also against the merchant agreement to set up an arbitrary minimum purchase amount. The whole point of a minimum purchase is basically because of profit margins. Merchants will typically pay $0.30 cents or so per transaction plus 2-3% free. By setting a minimum purchase, the $0.30 cent fee gets spread over a larger dollar amount so they don’t lose money on say $1 purchases. However setting a minimum amount like $20 is ridiculous. If you think $10 credit card purchases are a hassle then don’t accept credit cards.

Disneyland is a mixed bag. At Disneyland when I purchased 2 day admission tickets at the front gate for $132 I was not asked for ID. Neither was I asked at the gift shops where I bought my “I’m Bringing Grumpy Back T-Shirt” and Mickey Mouse hats where my purchases totaled roughly $50. However at two food locations we frequented where the purchases were around $15 and $10 respectively. Both cashiers… I mean “cast members” asked me for ID. Perhaps the training isn’t consistent in the differing departments.

The Consumerist has a great post on information for reporting merchants that require a minumum purchase or require you to show ID.

Back from California, haven’t been doing much lately. My first class starts on the 25th. My efforts have been directed more towards reading other blogs than actually writing on my own. Here’s two blogs I enjoy.

Consumerist – Great GREAT blog involving personal finance and consumer complaints (and sometimes praise). Check out: 6 reasons to keep more than one credit card, get basic tax info with publication 17, 7 things to regularly check on your car to save money

Slate – The explainer section usually takes up tons of my time with interesting stuff. Check out: Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli, Why the Mafia Loves Garbage, The Good News About the Recession

Expect a series of posts regarding various things regarding my California trip such as flying on Virgin America, the economics of Disneyland, etc. etc.

Currently getting away from it all in California. My sister who lives out here just had her kid last month too so I’m seeing my niece for the first time. That’s all -Hejustlaughs