Weird card problem

AstonSmith

I don't know the answer, but a few years ago the card machine at my workplace wouldn't accept any Tesco credit cards. It did the same thing as your garage; it didn't matter if it was chip & PIN or contactless, the authorization would always fail. All other cards worked as usual.

I asked the company we rented the card machine from about it, and they said it wasn't them. I asked our merchant about it, and they said they accepted those cards and blamed the machine.

We changed both merchant and machine to a combined package with a different provider (better deal etc) and there's been no problems since.

jet01

Also same issue with Amex at Sainsbury’s self service tills. My Amex works fine everywhere else including normal manned checkouts at Sainsbury’s but always rejected at their self service and scan and shop tills. 

Gerry1

molerat said:

I seem to remember a similar problem with MBNA ? cards at Asda pay at pump a few years ago.

I could never use my Tandem card at Asda pumps, but it always worked fine if I went to the kiosk. Then they introduced a rip-off monthly fee, so I cancelled it!

sourcrates

Never yet found a machine that wont accept cash

Emily_Joy

Same problem here - my local butcher has got a card machine which doesn't accept my Lloyds card, which is accepted everywhere else.

Fingerbobs

oxocubes said:

ceremony said:

It's also entirely possible that the machine in that shop just doesn't accept that card. My main card is a TSB card that works absolutely fine in every shop I visit except the Co-Op. The store acknowledges that their machine is "fussy". I rarely go there so I just try my best to remember to use a different card when I do.

That seems to be a very similar problem, maybe I'll just start carrying two cards, but I would still like to know why it happens. I'm pretty sure HSBC (and all the other Banks) know exactly what causes the problem, but it is unfixable and to admit to a problem could undermine confidence in the banks systems and in electronic payments in general.
In fact, this has reminded me of cc problem from the past, don't remember which bank. I bought petrol near Heathrow and when I got my statement, the purchase was shown twice. The other purchase was for a petrol station over 100 miles away, but exactly the same amount and time. I pointed out this was impossible but they insisted it was correct and sent me evidence of the correct purchase. I asked them to stop the nonsense as I was not disputing the correct purchase. This was met by silence, and the issue just drifted away.
So Zx81' advice at 11.06pm was correct, what does he know that we don't know?? the plot thickens

Did you get the incorrect transaction reversed?

Mnoee

sourcrates said:

Never yet found a machine that wont accept cash

Try any London bus. 

Gerry1

sourcrates said:

Never yet found a machine that wont accept cash

Lots of unstaffed Southeastern stations have ticket machines that refuse to accept cash.  Find yourself unexpectedly stranded with cash, willing to pay but without a card (perhaps because you're unbanked), board a train and you're a criminal.