Do you think it would be helpful to have our pictures on our credit or debit cards?

No, I do not think it is likely this would be helpful to me.

Yes, there are banks that do it.

The main reason it’s considered helpful is to try to prevent use of your card by others. This is mainly useful to the bank, to theoretically reduce their risk of being liable for things done when someone else is using your card.

That could be useful to you too, if it actually ends up deterring someone from doing something with your card that might cause problems for you.

But it seems more likely to me to have an effect such as having your spouse not be able to use your card as easily. Or possibly someone deciding they’re not sure you look like your picture, and/or wasting your time looking at your picture in whatever other annoying circumstances may come up. I don’t think it will confound many people in the case that someone does take your card, unless they’re extremely dense.

Yes, a couple do. CapitalOne lets you upload a picture and they print it on your card. Wells Fargo bank does, too, on their debit cards.

Both banks tout this as a ‘feature’. The question is – why do it? Most merchants don’t look at the card; in many cases and in many stores the customer slides his/her own card through the card reader and the sales person or cashier never touches it.

So what problem are you trying to solve?

I have a memory of this being a plan, for most cards or maybe from my bank. But I can’t Google up any confirmation. I can see the advantages.

Nowadays,I don’t hand my card to the cashier, I just swipe it or put the chip end in the slot. About the only time I hand it to a cashier is when checking in to a hotel.

Seems pointless. I can’t remember the last time any clerk actually handled my card.

I don’t think it is necessary.

When you make a high dollar purchase stores require authenication with a photo ID. At least I know that Target, Lowes, Home Depot and Ford does.

Also nowadays credit card companies offer wallet apps that allow you to deactivate your card when not in use or when it is missing.