Credit card rules change

You may need to change your credit-card receipts this year to comply with the The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACT), which demands truncation of credit-card and debit-card numbers. The new regulations specify that receipts must not show more than five digits of the card number or the expiration date. Three important details:

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• The new regulations don't apply to receipts that are the sole means of recording the card number; for example, hand-written or imprint copy receipts.

• Practices that bought machines before Jan. 1, 2005, have three years to comply.

• Practices with machines purchased after Jan.1, 2005, must comply by the beginning of 2006.