I have recently changed financial institutions. I received my new debit card the other day which reminded me of a strategy of mine.
I carry my debit card in my pocket and, in past iterations, my signature line would smear off causing problems at the checkout.
Now, when I get a new debit card, I make sure to take a strip of scotch tape and cover over the signed signature area on the back of the card.
Once the tape is in place, it is trimmed to size. My previous debit card’s signature line is still in as good of shape as it was when I attached it two years ago.
Previously I attempted to tape over more areas to preserve the number shine and the magnetic stripe, but those proved to cause errors in scan reads or elicit peculiar looks at the checkout.