Merchants Can’t Ask for Customer’s ZIP Codes

Photo Credit: Lotus Head, via Wikimedia Commons

The California Supreme Court has ruled that merchants in the state can no longer ask credit card customers for their ZIP codes.

The unanimous ruling on Thursday came following a lawsuit against Williams-Sonoma Inc., whose clerk asked Jessica Pineda for her ZIP code several years ago.

Pineda sued the company in 2008, alleging the retailer violated the credit card law and her privacy.

In issuing the ruling, the high court didn’t address Pineda’s privacy claims, but agreed that the retailer’s request violated provisions of a law passed in 1990 that protects consumers from divulging personal identification numbers.

The ruling overturned an appeals court decision tossing out the lawsuit.