What do you think "Please slide card" means?

[Chromatix]

I'm so glad we don't use electronic signature pads here, except the portable ones used by couriers.

So I just had to learn the several different Finnish words that mean "sign here" on receipts.

[Andara Bledin]

She just chooses to have me buy her snackies for her instead, because the bank doesn't issue cards to lizards.

But... but... they've issued them to at least one cat. That's it! The banks are speciesist!

What's the difference in using a debit card as debit vs. credit? Other than using a PIN vs actually signing for the charge? I'm curious.

Debit comes out pretty much immediately. Credit takes a few business days (most of the time). Debit charges an extra fee (sometimes), Credit doesn't.

Close, but not quite.

Debit comes from an existing balance in the bank account and is withdrawn immediately. The vendor is charged a flat fee for every debit charge, which in the US can be passed on to the buyer.

Credit is checked against the available limit (which in the case of a hybrid card is your current balance), and then proceeds as a standard credit card transaction. The actual withdrawal and balance change will not occur until the night of the business day in which the charge is received. Most credit card processors clear their transactions at the end of the calendar day in the local time zone. It is quite easy to overdraft your account by using credit card type transactions since the available balance will not always reflect earlier transactions (one company took three days to actually apply a charge against my card). Credit card charges are based on a percentage of the total charge and it is against the terms of service with most credit card companies (AmEx has few restrictions but requires that if you accept other cards, you apply the other cards rules to AmEx as well) and is actually illegal in at least eight states to pass on the fees for accepting them to the buyer.

^-.-^

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I get that quite a bit at the Litter Box:

*customer slides card and completes transaction*

*receipt prints up and is handed to them*

*customer staring blankly at the screen*

"What do I do now?"


Our default screen says "Please Slide Card." This is what it reverts back to at the end of every transaction so the next customer can readily use it.

Me: It always goes back to that screen after the transaction is completed, Sir/Ma'am. Here's your receipt. Thank you and have a good day.

I guess it's gotten to the point this day and time where it just hurts too much to use that one remaining brain cell . . .

[mattm04]

Before a transaction will go complete our PIN pads have a confirm screen as the final step. Something like "$XX.YY Is that correct?" with a big green yes button and a big red no button displayed. Guess how often they press no than get confused as to why they have to start from scratch.

[Falor]

Before a transaction will go complete our PIN pads have a confirm screen as the final step. Something like "$XX.YY Is that correct?" with a big green yes button and a big red no button displayed. Guess how often they press no than get confused as to why they have to start from scratch.

Yup. Probably one out of ten (five?) of my customers who use a card of some sort I have to say, "And that was the cancel button, please swipe your card again."

[jjc927]

I noticed in Target that if you want to make a debit payment credit and you stupidly press cancel it will go to a screen asking if you wanted credit or if you really wanted to cancel. All stores should be like that (or people should be smart enough to not need this)!

[EricKei]

I noticed in Target that if you want to make a debit payment credit and you stupidly press cancel it will go to a screen asking if you wanted credit or if you really wanted to cancel.

I have noticed this at many places when you swipe a card that can be used as either debit or as credit...Generally, they assume debit unless you tell them otherwise (more $ for the merchant service provider) ...At some stores, you hit Cancel to make it use Credit; at others, you hit Enter; at still others, you need to advise the cashier in advance so that they may hit the proper button on their end.