If you're like me, the ID cards in your wallet are like a miniature photo album of awkward memories. Here's me in the post office, half-way through blinking. This is me on my first day of uni after introducing myself to the uni bar. Here's me in the Department of Transport, hoping to avoid yet another photo that resembles the mugshot of a semi-conscious DUI offender. 

And now, we can all have one more.

Introducing photo ID credit cards: a card with a small identification photo in the top corner with your signature underneath, designed to prevent the fraudulent use of lost or stolen credit cards.

The idea is that the presence of photo ID on the card should be enough to deter criminals from attempting to use it. If not, the merchant can prevent the transaction if the photo ID doesn't resemble the customer.

Merchants can also compare the signature on the front of the card to the one on the back (just in case you didn't sign the back panel and the criminal signed it for you). Because the signature and ID are part of the card background image, they can't be altered or erased like your signature on the back panel.

Bank of American began offering photo ID credit cards a few years ago, but the idea hasn't been a runaway success. Understandably, some people are reluctant to have yet another ID photo taken, particularly when it requires a trip to a branch. Also, merchants are not required to check the photo ID, so any security benefit will depend largely upon where the card is used.

If you'd like a photo ID credit card, you could always use ANZ's Design Your Card feature, which allows you to upload an image to appear as the background on your credit card.

What next?

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