To transact...

[Katisha]

Saw a leaflet in the bank today saying something along the lines of "you need to show your debit card to be able to transact."

Seemed wrong. Is it? Does one transact or perform transactions? I've never seen it used as a verb before today.

I would have said carry out transactions. Agree it sounds wrong. Surely the transaction is from the moment you hand over your card until you get it back - it doesn't make sense to use it as a normal verb as it doesn't have a subject.

Ta StealthPB. Evidently the other pedants have no view on it!

Apparently it is a verb but I agree that it sounds strange.
I think "you need to show your debit card to perform transactions" is much better.

I think it wouldn't look so odd if it was "to transact business", but just "to transact" on its own as a verb seems strange.

Even the definition has "to conduct or carry out (business)". You wouldn't say you had to "conduct" or "carry out" without something like "business" afterwards, would you?

I think it actually said "to transact your account"...

No, whatever else you do, I don't think you can trasnact an account! Just plain wrong.