Credit Cards.com just released an article on 9 Things You Should Know About Your Credit Card Receipts, and 9NEWS Your Money Reporter Heidi McGuire helped us break down some of the recommendations.
First, if you don't want a receipt, you don't have to take one. A lot of retailers will even ask you these days before they print, and some places will even email it to you if you want one for your records. Ultimately, not taking a receipt does two things: It's more secure than throwing it in the trash and it saves waste.
It's estimated it takes 9.6 million trees to create the 640,000 tons of paper that go into receipts each year.
If you can be persuaded to keep your receipts, experts recommend it for a few common sense reasons like if you're audited by the IRS, need to return something, or need it for a warranty.
Also, if you ever have to dispute a charge, having the receipt as backup will give you ammo in your dispute.
Speaking of restaurants, no need to fret if you pick up the merchant copy and leave the customer copy behind - they are both same and the restaurant will still charge you.
All in all, these little pieces of paper that often clog our wallets don't have sensitive information on them. Unless a merchant has made a mistake, a receipt should only have the last four digits of your card number on it and that's not enough to steal.
People have been known to go to great lengths to phish for the whole number; calling and posing as someone with the credit card company or utility service. Just keep in mind, your card company would never ask you for your number, so never give it out.
Finally, you should not sign with a fake name. Your receipt is a legally binding contract, and if the seller realizes it's a bogus name, whether it's a joke or not, they can void the transaction. If you ever need to dispute a charge, your signature can be evidence.
To read all nine recommendations for what to do with your credit card receipts visit: http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/9-things-to-know-about-credit_card-receipts-1273.php.
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