Debit and credit cards are everywhere you look, and restaurants are a notorious spot for identity thieves to gather the personal information of others. Consumers today are frantically trying to protect their identity at any cost, but it is becoming increasingly difficult. There are plenty of ways that restaurant industry personnel could copy your credit card information right in front of your eyes. How much easier is it when they take your card away from you to an out-of-sight location to cash out your meal ticket?

This is not to say restaurant personnel can’t be trusted, but some identity thieves have caught on that the restaurant business can be a goldmine. So, the credit card industry has urged restaurants to do away with card departure payment services. This payment method involves the consumer handing their credit or debit card to a server at the table or from the car window in the case of curbside service.

Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover — all undoubtedly dealing with astronomical numbers of identity theft cases and related costs — are urging restaurants to implement alternative payment solutions. Pay-at-the-curb or pay-at-the-table would not cause the consumer to lose sight of their card. In a world with ever more technology options, it seems like common sense and something that should have been made available a long time ago. Really, it would be just like what the national Sonic fast food chain already has. Why can’t more restaurants be like Sonic?