Warning: Don't take out a Thomas Cook Credit Card!!

chattychappy

NickX wrote: »

Everyone knows that Scottish notes are legal tender.

No they're not... not even in Scotland! http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/legal_position.php

Of course, "legal tender" is a tight definition - it's what must be accepted in payment for a debt. Outside of this, anybody is free to accept or reject anything.

NickX

chattychappy wrote: »

No they're not... not even in Scotland! http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/legal_position.php

I didn't know this, but does it really matter whether they are legal tender or legal currency ?

The fact is that they can be paid into the UK banking system without problem. At the end of the day anyone can refuse a form of payment, they could simply refuse to serve you for any reason that they decide to dream up (your drunk, your not wearing the right attire for our bar, you don't look old enough etc).

Anyone with any sense would accept a Scottish Note, but CannyJock got the better of the situation by using his card;)

Any

NickX wrote: »

This suggestion that paying by card is holding other drinkers up is a myth.

Are you telling a girl who spent months working behind a bar that it's a myth?

Then you must have had only experience with different card terminal then ours...

NickX

Any wrote: »

Are you telling a girl who spent months working behind a bar that it's a myth?

Then you must have had only experience with different card terminal then ours...

Well obviously I can't comment on your experience, but for some years I have always used my Credit Card in certain pubs, some being locals, some being pubs that I have only visited once or twice.

I have never had a siginificant delay from paying by card, it usually takes around 60 - 90 seconds to process, just as when you pay for petrol on a card. There is no messing around with change, and the actual time to make the payment appears to me to be about the same as paying cash (unless you are paying with exact money which obviously is unusual).

The delays in getting served appear to be much more to do with waiting for others to get served and the actual time it takes to prepare the drinks.

Admittedly I have never had the transaction refused and declined which could be a problem. If that did happen I would just hand over a different card

I have also flown on airlines where they will only accept cards because it is so much easier and they do not necessarily have the correct change onboard.

I think you must have had a rather troublesome card machine at your bar.

Any

NickX wrote: »

Well obviously I can't comment on your experience, but for some years I have always used my Credit Card in certain pubs, some being locals, some being pubs that I have only visited once or twice.

I have never had a siginificant delay from paying by card, it usually takes around 60 - 90 seconds to process, just as when you pay for petrol on a card. There is no messing around with change, and the actual time to make the payment appears to me to be about the same as paying cash (unless you are paying with exact money which obviously is unusual).

The delays in getting served appear to be much more to do with waiting for others to get served and the actual time it takes to prepare the drinks.

Admittedly I have never had the transaction refused and declined which could be a problem. If that did happen I would just hand over a different card

I have also flown on airlines where they will only accept cards because it is so much easier and they do not necessarily have the correct change onboard.

I think you must have had a rather troublesome card machine at your bar.

If just a machine...
But also people, who had few drinks and try to put in wrong PIN code... Running out of paper... verification jumming up...
You name it, we had it...
And then all these people waiting around and watching you...
No, I wouldn't do that to any bar staff on busy Friday/Saturday night.

chattychappy

NickX wrote: »

The fact is that they can be paid into the UK banking system without problem.

Yep... true. Problem is people do have a habit of thinking they have "rights" they don't. They start from the position that "Scottish notes are legal tender" and then think they have a right to insist shops take them (which they don't, even if they were legal tender).

Rightly or wrongly, a lot of consumers south of the border just don't want to see a Scottish note in their change. So for this reason some shops don't like to accept them. Furthermore it's easier to pass a fake Scottish note - there are multiple issuing banks and cashiers are less familiar with them. This risk is probably more preceived than real - but with 3 issuing banks with notes ranging from £1 to £100 it's hardly suprising.

YorkshireBoy

NickX wrote: »

I have never had a siginificant delay from paying by card...

You might not have Nick, but the people standing behind and alongside you in the bar will have.

Taking your twenty pound note to the till and bringing your change back takes (almost) the same time as going to find the card machine and bringing it back to you...doesn't it.

The difference, though, is that when they return from the till they can immediately move onto the next customer.

You (or maybe rather I) expect to see someone paying for a meal (for 2-4 persons) by card...but a £12 round of drinks in a busy pub?...on a Saturday night?

NickX

Any wrote: »

If just a machine...
But also people, who had few drinks and try to put in wrong PIN code... Running out of paper... verification jumming up...
You name it, we had it...
And then all these people waiting around and watching you...
No, I wouldn't do that to any bar staff on busy Friday/Saturday night.

If peope can't remember their PIN, then no sale. Simples.

I've never had that problem, despite drinking more than I should on occasion

Running out of paper - sounds like bad organisation by the bar staff there (sorry).

Verification jumming up - again not had that problem, dodgy machine me thinks.

People waiting around and watching - their problem, not yours, you are just doing your job.

Out of interest why is this such a problem in a busy bar ? Do you not think that the same logic could be applied to a busy petrol station where people want to pay by card ? Does it hold people up in that environment also ?

YorkshireBoy

NickX wrote: »

Out of interest why is this such a problem in a busy bar ? Do you not think that the same logic could be applied to a busy petrol station where people want to pay by card ? Does it hold people up in that environment also ?

As I said in my earlier post, 'expectation' and 'transaction value' are the key factors Nick.

NickX

YorkshireBoy wrote: »

You might not have Nick, but the people standing behind and alongside you in the bar will have.

Taking your twenty pound note to the till and bringing your change back takes (almost) the same time as going to find the card machine and bringing it back to you...doesn't it.

The difference, though, is that when they return from the till they can immediately move onto the next customer.

You (or maybe rather I) expect to see someone paying for a meal (for 2-4 persons) by card...but a £12 round of drinks in a busy pub?...on a Saturday night?

A few things there YB.

I am finding that more and more bars are geared up towards card payments (especially with the price of alcholic drinks spiralling upwards). Now perhaps not many people do not expect to see people pay for drinks on a cards but I am seeing it more and more. Perhaps not so much in the rural local type pub, but in the city wine bar definitely. They don't have to go and "find" the card machine, its right there next to the till ready for processing.

Experienced bar staff are also quite capable of taking the next person's order whilst the card is processing, this is actually quicker than having to dig out change from the till.

Anyway, what about people (usually packs of girls) ordering rounds of cocktails that take about half an hour to make ? I'm not going to feel guilty about using my card for a few beers on a Saturday night