It can be frustrating when a simple purchase requires personal information like your zip code. In today's world, data collection has become common, and businesses often use this information for various purposes. If you're uncomfortable sharing your data, you can politely decline or use an alternative, like providing an old zip code. It's essential to be mindful of your privacy and only share information when necessary and if you feel comfortable doing so. If you have concerns about the store's practices, consider sharing your feedback with the management. Striking a balance between convenience and safeguarding our personal information is vital in today's digital age.
Stores asking for your zip code: From my understanding the reason they ask for a zip code is if you pay by credit or debit card, they can match your card number with your zip code and get your mailing address that way. Then they'll sell your info on the open direct mail market to anyone who wants to mail you shit. It's essentially the same as them asking you outright for your mailing address (without having to). If you pay with cash and they ask for your zip code, obviously there's nothing they can match the cash with so they won't get any info from you that way.
