When it comes to paying with plastic at the cash register, you know the drill. A quick swipe, a signature and the contents of your shopping cart are yours. But sometimes the cashier asks for one more thing: 

“May I have your ZIP code, please?”

You may think it’s necessary to complete the transaction or it may seem like a harmless piece of information to give out, so you go ahead and reveal it.

But that simple decision can result in more junk mail heading your way and more telemarketers disrupting your day, said Paul Stephens, director of policy and advocacy for Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit watchdog group based in San Diego, Calif. (READ ARTICLE)