CC & Debit Card machines "off-line"

raddy59

Not sure if anybody else has experienced this. A few times recently at restaurant when presented with the bill I was informed that the restaurants CC machine was out of order, so I would have to pay cash - even advised one time that there was a cash machine 'juts 'round the corner'. This stinks of the restaurants trying to avoid paying the CC fee - and in one case when I said I couldn't pay the CC machine miraculously came back to life.

Now this morning at the local Tesco garage, with an empty tank, I pulled in only to find notes plastered everywhere that all electronic payment systems were odd line (the notices gad obviously been up for some time) and that only cash payments were being accepted.

This has never happened to me before, yet seems to becoming a quite frequent occurrence. I'll have to start carrying a cheque book around with me.

Anybody else noticed this?

jenniewb

Not noticed being asked to pay by cash more and I doubt stores and restaurants would do this to get around the fee (simply because they'd eventually lose custom) but I have noticed a few times trying to pay and the machine saying "declined". I chase it up with my bank as it freaks me out- I was a victim of ID theft before, and I was told there had been no attempt to take money so either the online connection was not made, the machine was not plugged in properly or the machine itself was faulty.

I also heard from my mobile phone company today that there was no internet connection via their systems all of monday due to an error they were trying to amend. (I don't buy that for a second- think they don't know what they were talking about tbh as London would be in mayhem if all connection died for 24 hours on a week day!) but maybe there are technical issues going on more frequently atm.

scubaangel

I can't imagine it has much to do with the cc charges to the business, the cost of handling cash is far greater - insurance premiums for having cash 'stored' on site, the cost of one or more safes, the cost of cash shrinkage (ie mishandling of small sums in change or till dipping on a larger scale) etc.

This week especially though we seem to have had more issues with transactions at my work place than previously - discounting the recent influx of foreign customers who always seem to be a 'mare to process - things declining for no apparent reason, then going through a second time, a high number of cards we're having to swipe and sign instead of pin auth, or the systems running incredibly slowly (almost 4 mins for one poor sod this afternoon).