What does 'Terminal Suspended' mean for a declined transaction?

miketaff1408

Hi,

I have been trying to get freebies using the AMEX £5 shop local scheme. It has been successful for me so far, but when I attempted to purchase some items in a local pharmacy, the transaction was attempted twice, and the cashier said it wouldn't go through. They said they took AMEX, but the message on the voided receipt which they gave me said "terminal suspended".

Can anyone shed any light what this means?

[Deleted User]

It means the transaction didn't go through.

miketaff1408

Deleted_User wrote: »

It means the transaction didn't go through.

Thanks! :T

You have cleared it all up now.


Does anyone know SPECIFICALLY what it means? When I have used AMEX before in a retailer that doesn't accept AMEX, the receipt usually says "DECLINED" or "INVALID CARD". I was wondering whether 'TERMINAL SUSPENDED' was a fault with the retailers equipment?

agrinnall

That sounds like a feasible explanation, and probably the most likely one, although it could also be that the terminal was temporarily suspended by the merchant service provider because of an issue with the transaction (that's only a guess, I have no idea if it's even possible).

reclusive46

Looks like a bad Amex merchant ID to me. Either a suspended account with Amex or an incorrect number. Basically American Express never received the transaction.