Credit cards. Learn your system and teach your employees!! P

[Bham]

Okay, it has happened enough I have to bitch and get it over with.

I have a credit card that won't swipe properly. Yes I know it need to be replaced. BUT-- don't tell me you can't manual entry the card.

Three times now, at three different types of businesses, I have either an owner or employee tell me " we can not enter a card manually".

Really I'm sorry, either you are not that smart, or you don't know your system. If I'm looking at a keypad for a credit card, or you have been swiping cards for years,,, then guess what,,, you CAN enter a card manually. All three times, it took ME, not them, a few minutes to find how to do it, but I did it. I even had one guy try to tell me that after a certain date(because of the chips) that you won't be able to enter manually any more. I asked, so you can't buy over the phone anymore?? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

Come on people, these cards don't work without numbers. You will ALWAYS be able to enter a card manually!! It is the beginning of the entire process. The swiping part is actually secondary.

So please learn your system. And teach your employees how to do manual entry, so that you don't lose business. AND, if for some stupid reason you have a system that doesn't do manual entry, then please get rid of that system and get the proper stuff.

Rant over --------- ish.

[jh812]

well worth the rant. I would say I'll just take my business else where's.

[Rjsi]

A transaction that is entered manually not only is the business charged more for the entry, but also they will lose on the transaction if the person decides to claim to be a fraudulent transaction.  

 

Until it happens to you and you enter one manually and the client saw you and decides to play 'hookie' on you, then you will understand why that business much rather lose your business today, than loosing even greater tomorrow. 

 

I will never enter a card manually, it is just another example why some C/C criminals do not want you to swipe a card. 

[Bham]

It is not that hard to make sure the card belongs to the proper person. You should be doing that anyway.

Refusing to do it over a few pennies on the dollar, or because of an -- if -- , or that you - might - get scammed.........

[Tintguy1980]

Had the same problem when my card got swiped. It had a thin scratch across the magnetic strip that caused it to work in some machines but not others. Happened at Lowe's one day and young guy working the register took one of their plastic (shopping) bags, inserted the card in the bag, pulled it tight and smooth along the magnetic strip and swiped it again. Ha, them there youngsters come up with the darnedest ideas. I finally tired of having it keyed in and called the bank for a replacement. 

[Roach]

Smartie beat me to it... but I was going to suggest the bag trick. Have used it many times and for some reason, it works.

 

Around here you can only find those bags at every single store... so it's never a problem to find one. Not sure if that's all over or not.