The bar code on this receipt   contains ALL the information necessary for any half witted criminal to steal your identity. If you visited our page on "what on a credit report" you should be at a point where the hair on your arms is standing up.  You should be shocked, furious and ready to fight.

The reason the bar code is on the receipt is two fold. (1) The retailer has figured out a way to track the progress and buying habits of the consumer. When an individual returns a product because it was defective the bar code reveals how you paid, cash, credit or debit card.

Now the hammer falls. The clerk will tell you to go select another item to swap for the defective one.  You tell the clerk you want a refund (you found another one at a cheaper price at a different store).  The clerk says OK, let me see your receipt. You dig into your pocket or purse and hand her the crumpled receipt which she promptly scans.

SHE SCANS IT. Scanning it tells her when you bought it and how you paid for it. You paid by debit card. Now the clerk ask's you a few simple questions and hits a few keys on her computer and hands the receipt back to you, no cash.

You tell her you would like cash back and she proudly announces that she put the money back in your account. Ok fine, but how do I know it's back in my account. You state clearly "I would like cash please". This time she states "sir if you arent happy with us putting your money back in your account I will gladly give you a gift card. This saga continues back and forth until out of frustration you settle for the gift card. After all, it's better than wondering if you cash ever mand it back into your account.

There are several things wrong in the above senerio. (1) Your personal information is bieng passed around. (2) You still don't know if the right keys were pushed on the computer transfering funds back into your account and (3) You were just made a hostage. If you haven't viewed our page on "Gift cards" you need to. How were you made a hostage? Simple. By giving someone a Gift Card, you forefeited their option of going to any other store. The receipent has to buy from the issuing retailer. They lost control of where they can spend the money.