HHHZ Quicky: Credit Card isn't the same as debit!!

[HALFHUMANHALFZOMBIE]

Why is it that when a till says the debit isn't working customers have to say "Can you take Credit Card"? I don't understand how both of them function the exact same way even though I know some Credit Cards takes debit but it's specifically for "DEBIT"!! Even when I am in the till adjacent to this one people ask if my debit's working. How many more signs must be put up so people won't stop asking dumb questions?

[Broomjockey]

This is an easy one, once I deciphered it. People ask because they don't know the REASON that debit is down. If the connection is down, then credit might not be accepted too. I've gotta ask, which would be worse? People checking to make sure that they can use their cards, or people complaining about not being able to use them? Because really, I've been in a situation where the whole theatre couldn't take any form of electronic payment, and that's way worse than some people asking "Can I still use X?" You're getting kinda nit-picky, I think.

[Andara Bledin]

Yeah. This would have to go under the "not sucky" column.

I've actually run into situations where one (either debit or credit) wouldn't be available but the other still was due to the strangeness that can be network outages.

^-.-^

[Jacen]

In some parts of the world "debit cards" and "credit cards" are technicly the same thing.

[Foxglove8778]

I have to say, in this case, it is better than they ask a question than make an assumption. The only truly stupid question is the one that goes unasked. Also, just because you've heard the question far too many times, it is the first time that individual has asked.

[RammsteinGirl]

I think most (if not all?) debit cards can be run as credit, and it still takes the money out of your checking account the same as if you ran it as a debit card. I know mine does, and I use it like that at places that only accept credit cards.

[Andara Bledin]

I think most (if not all?) debit cards can be run as credit, and it still takes the money out of your checking account the same as if you ran it as a debit card. I know mine does, and I use it like that at places that only accept credit cards.

Not quite. Debit cards that are set up with a Visa or MC logo can also be used as prepaid credit cards. They run exactly the same as one, and the money gets taken from the account through the credit card transaction process, which is usually run at the end of that or the next business day. Although if the merchant sets it up, they can place a hold for the funds to be called for immediately.

Regular debit transactions just pull the funds from the associated bank account right then, and add any transaction fees either to the transaction itself or as a separate charge.

^-.-^

[Aressel]

Let's not forget, some places still have the imprint machines around. (The name escapes me at present, but I know that it's some highly technical term.) So, they can still take credit cards, even if the system is down.

[Gabrielle Proctor]

I totally understand, it gets annoying. But keep in mind that it's not the same person asking over and over again.

[trunks2k]

A lot of times credit and debit run off the same network. So if debit is down, there's a chance that the credit cards aren't going to work either.

[Rapscallion]

Let's not forget, some places still have the imprint machines around. (The name escapes me at present, but I know that it's some highly technical term.) So, they can still take credit cards, even if the system is down.

I believe it's called, according to a post I read recently, a 'wim-wam'.

We didn't get one when we got a credit card machine in our place. I suspect they thought it would always work correctly, the fools.

Rapscallion

[Aressel]

Thanks Raps! I had read it here too, but couldn't remember the name. Like I said, some HIGHLY technical term

[jayel]

I believe it's called, according to a post I read recently, a 'wim-wam'.

Rapscallion

In my restaurant, we called it a 'knuckle-buster'. And we only used it if the debit/credit machine was down.

Highly technical

[HYHYBT]

Ours, apparently, can run credit without a network connection: it just saves everything and sends it whenever it's working again. Hopefully nothing gets declined because it'd be too late to ask for cash (and if the computer goes down before the network comes up I guess we'd just be out a good 1/4 of the day's sales!) Gift cards, debit, and credit-over-$25 have to have it on though.