The owner's phone number can be looked up easily in a phonebook. Wouldn't it be better to just make everyone use their PIN number? It's quicker too, 4 digits instead of 7.

You raise a valid point, but I still think a phone number (perhaps having the option of either home or mobile phone) is a better idea.

Credit card holders won't want to memorize a PIN for each of their four or five (or ten!) credit cards. They also won't want to be issued a bunch of different PINs and then have to change them.

The ZIP code security change was implemented without cardholder knowledge or permission because the credit card companies could reasonably assume that all cardholders knew their ZIP code. This assumption should also be true for home or mobile phone numbers.

If the card companies started requiring PINs, they would have to notify every single card holder by letter or email. Some cardholders would miss the notification and have their cards stop working-which would be very aggravating to the consumer and cause a loss of revenue to the card company. PIN notification (and software to allow the PINs to be changed) would also require an overhead investment.

The overall goal of this idea is to make a potential credit card thief think twice before stealing a wallet or purse. "If I have to enter a phone number to use this stolen card, where will I get the number?" Would the thief be willing to find a phone book or internet access? What if the card stolen had an unlisted number, or a common name with multiple phone book entries or if a cell phone number was used that is not listed in any directory?

All we are trying to do is introduce some more risk (at low cost to the credit card company and consumer) into the mental Cost Benefit Analyses that thieves perform before stealing. Some will be desperate enough to steal regardless of whether they can use the card or not, but perhaps some will be deterred.

If someone got my wallet, my zip code is right there on my driver's license. So, yes, I think the zip is stupid. I think the 'primary' phone is a good one. Ironically, I found a wallet once and discovered most people don't have their phone number in their own wallet anywhere. I couldn't call the person, I had to go to their house.

I'm uneasy about using my pin for anything because if someone forced it out of me or spied to watch me enter it, they could have access to actual cash--I think a thief charging on my card is at a higher risk if they sign for it; their writing is testimony against them; they're likely to be on camera at a store register, etc. I think they break different/more laws when they sign too.

But if they run it with the pin (as a debit), they just type my pin and they're home free. I'm pretty sure I can loan my card to just about anyone and if they know the pin, they won't be questioned and may not even be breaking any laws.

I actually believe that any code number you could enter is easily fooled and I also think that signatures are a joke--they never look like my 'real' signature on one of those pads. I really believe the future solution for this is biometrics. Fingerprints or some other reliable measure. We'll see. But anyway, for now, yes, phone is better than a zip.