When Should You Give Someone Your Social Security Number or Zip?

Individuals are often asked to share personal information for perfectly valid reasons. However, it’s becoming increasingly common for companies and other individuals to request social security numbers even when they are not actually required. Social security numbers (SSN) should be protected – they are both vitally important and a huge aid to identity theft should they become known to too many people. There are situations when providing your SSN is important – but it’s also important to know when you have the right to decline, or to provide alternative methods of identification.

You can always negotiate a different form of identification or payment if the SSN is not a legal requirement.

SSNs were originally designed to keep a record of earnings and benefits paid under the Social Security program, but now they’re widely used as a form of identity. State and federal laws govern both when you’re required to provide your SSN, and when you are protected against privacy violations. Basically, any U.S. Government-linked service, such as taxes, food stamps, Medicaid, and unemployment compensation requires your SSN for records. Equally, banks and employers have a legitimate need for the information. By extension, credit card companies may also require your SSN – for credit checks and bank transfers, among other things. As long as the company you’re dealing with has the necessary security in place and can offer guarantees that the information is protected, SSNs offer a quick and easy-to-use way to fulfill their requirements.

Plenty of organizations ask for your SSN either due to a standard policy or a simple misunderstanding of its use, and it is these cases where you may wish to decline. Public schools, for example, should never need it. For proof of address, a utility bill is enough, and contact information can be provided in the form of email or phone numbers. Equally, sports teams or kids’ summer camps have no real need for it; you can use birth certificates and utility bills to show identity and residence. Paying up front or with direct debit should also avoid the need for your SSN, though if you pay by credit card, they may need the number. Shops should never need your SSN, even when opening a frequent shopper card – which is in reality only a way to track what you buy. The exception here is if you’re opening a store card which works as a credit card, in which case they may need the information. However, if you’re unsure, you can refuse to provide it.

Doctor’s offices sometimes require SSNs to protect themselves in case your insurance doesn’t fully cover the cost, or for death certificates in the event of a fatality. While these are legitimate reasons, but you can offer the contact details of someone who knows your social security number if you do not want to hand over the information. Finally, it goes without saying that you should never share your SSN details with a source you don’t trust – cold callers, unknown marketers – or with salesmen or even political organizations that have no actual need for it. Keep in mind that your number is your own, can be used to find out important information, and should be protected. Then, when deciding if you wish to share it, use this approach to size up individual requests. Simple ID checks can be completed with a driver’s license. You can always negotiate a different form of identification or payment if the SSN is not a legal requirement.

Turning to zip-codes: there are of course various situations where you need to provide your zip, including any time you give your address. Things get more complicated when making credit card purchases. An increasing number of companies – supermarkets, stores, gas stations and even automated machines – require a zip code to approve the transaction. Interestingly, this is not a requirement of the credit card companies but has become a mainstay for larger stores. While you can often decline to give the information, some stores may have designed their systems to require one, rendering credit card purchases impossible without a zip. The good news is that some states are making it illegal for this information to be used to direct marketing materials to your home. The bad news is that for now, it remains a widely used practice. As for SSNs, you never need to share your zip with unknown sources or street advertisers, or when you pay by cash or check.

Author Bio: H. Lee Thompson of The Thompson Law firm has been practicing law for more than thirty years. He graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Law before becoming licensed in Ohio, DC, and Federal Courts. Mr. Thompson handles cases in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, defective drugs and nursing home abuse.