Tiffany’s Wants Your Name If You Pay Cash

I just purchased a Valentine’s Day present from Tiffany’s over the weekend and was somewhat surprised at being asked for my name because I was paying cash. They wanted both my first and last names, but didn’t ask for I.D..

I find this a bit odd.

To me, the notion of purchasing with a credit card and being prompted for identification, creating a paper trail, having my number in a database, etc. all are a bit invasive. That’s old news, and it’s something I’m mostly immune to given its advantages.

But I’ve always taken solice in the belief that if I wanted to, I could avoid this evil by paying cash. That seems to not be the case anymore. As most things dealing with privacy in this country, I see this getting worse and not better. How long until they prompt for I.D. when someone pays cash? And how long until that I.D. is bound to the individual by something other than picture?

It’s all a bit eerie, if you ask me.