Emerging problem with non Chip & Pin Cards

Altarf

They couldn't find a pen in Boots today, so I could sign the slip for my Amex card. In the end the cashier had to go and borrow one from the pharmacist.

I can see this situation arising more often as time goes on and C&P becomes the norm.

Robert_Sterling_3

The pharmacist has not dispenced with pens then?

daveboy

The money saving aspect of this is.....what exactly?

You were doing very well then to find a Boots open before 7.30am on a Sunday.

I could have sworn that is illegal (well, maybe not technically as they can open for a set number of hours).

InsuranceLiability

Staff in a large clothing retailer have been told to ring up for authorisation on all Amex (Amex not having chip and pin) cards as they hope that customers will then say 'oh that's alright I'll use my other visa/mastercard/debit card/cash'.

This is because Amex are more expensive to process for this particular retailer.

Perhaps Boots are doing the same?

Stonk

Staff in a large clothing retailer have been told to ring up for authorisation on all Amex (Amex not having chip and pin) cards as they hope that customers will then say 'oh that's alright I'll use my other visa/mastercard/debit card/cash'.

Fair enough, I say. I can't see how Amex has survived so long, what with its higher fees for retailers, annual fees for many customers, and it being accepted next to nowhere.

Hunnymonster

It's good for scraping light icing from the windscreen in an emergency (as I told the Amex rep at work when she commented on the tattered appearance of my card in a "how can we improve?" forum I was pressganged into)

M_Thomson

Stonk wrote:

Fair enough, I say. I can't see how Amex has survived so long, what with its higher fees for retailers, annual fees for many customers, and it being accepted next to nowhere.

Because statistically Amex users spend roughly 3 times more per transaction than Visa or Mastercard holders. And I wouldn't say it is accepted next to nowhere. I know it is not as many places as Visa or Mastercard but most high st stores and a lot of internet sites will take it.

M_Thomson

Altarf wrote:

They couldn't find a pen in Boots today, so I could sign the slip for my Amex card. In the end the cashier had to go and borrow one from the pharmacist.

I can see this situation arising more often as time goes on and C&P becomes the norm.

Maybe somebody else had taken his or her pen away from him or her. I think you are reading way to much into it. There are stilll chip and signature cards in this country and worldwide so shops are not going to be able to do away with signing until every country worldwide becomes chip and Pin.

Stonk

Because statistically Amex users spend roughly 3 times more per transaction than Visa or Mastercard holders

This sounds like an Amex statistic designed to make them sound as if they have more affluent customers, and, hey, if you join the club then you'll become affluent too!

My preferred alternative explanation is that Amex is less likely to be accepted in places where smaller transactions occur (e.g., supermarket) because it costs the retailer so much. It tends to be places selling higher value goods and with higher margins that can afford to accept it. Hence, naturally, the average transaction size is higher.

Statistics ...

ti1980

Exactly, you can manipulate statistics into giving out the information you need from them.

Murtle

Stonk wrote:

This sounds like an Amex statistic designed to make them sound as if they have more affluent customers, and, hey, if you join the club then you'll become affluent too!

My preferred alternative explanation is that Amex is less likely to be accepted in places where smaller transactions occur (e.g., supermarket) because it costs the retailer so much. It tends to be places selling higher value goods and with higher margins that can afford to accept it. Hence, naturally, the average transaction size is higher.

Statistics ...

Sainsburys is my local supermarket and I always use my Amex card in there. You'd be surprised how many places do take it!!

My OH ha s a barclaycard - chipped, but not pinned....that causes more problems for retailers that we've been to then not having a pen!!!