MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Banks and Banking

By: Representative Martinson

AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT MERCHANTS, SELLERS AND LENDERS SHALL REQUIRE ANY PERSON WHO WISHES TO USE A CREDIT CARD FOR A TRANSACTION THAT IS $200.00 OR MORE TO SHOW PHOTO IDENTIFICATION BEFORE THE PERSON MAY USE THE CREDIT CARD FOR THAT TRANSACTION; TO PROVIDE AN EXCEPTION FOR TRANSACTIONS WHERE THE PURCHASER AND THE MERCHANT ARE NOT IN THE SAME PHYSICAL LOCATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) Whenever a person wishes to use a credit card to obtain money, goods, property, services or anything else of value in a face-to-face transaction with the merchant, seller or lender, and the amount to be charged to the credit card is Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) or more, the merchant, seller or lender shall require the purchaser to show photo identification of himself or herself in order to verify that the purchaser is the cardholder, before the purchaser may use the credit card for that transaction.

(2) This section shall not apply to transactions in which the purchaser uses credit card information to conduct the transaction by mail, telephone, Internet or some other means in which the purchaser is not face-to-face with or in the same physical location as the merchant, seller or lender, and the merchant, seller or lender cannot physically check an identification card of the purchaser.

(3) For the purposes of this section, the term "credit card" shall have the meaning given in Section 97-19-9.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2000.