Is a merchant allowed to photocopy a GSA SmartPay Charge Card?
Both VISA and MasterCard state in their guidelines that a merchant is allowed to make/store a photocopy of a charge card provided they do NOT record or copy the PIN and/or CVC data in any manner or for any purpose.
VISA guidelines state: A merchant must not require a cardholder to provide any supplementary cardholder information as a condition of honoring the card including photocopying the card, unless it is required or permitted elsewhere in the US Regional Operating Regulations.
MasterCard guidelines state: The merchant must absolutely not copy the back of the card because the merchant is not allowed to record the CVC data. Although there is no rule prohibiting making a copy of the card front, there are standards regarding storing and destroying account data, which would include a copy of the card front.
Note: According to US Code Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 33, 701, it is illegal for a merchant to photocopy your Government ID.