People who don’t carry their bank cards with them

[Auburngal]

I was in Sainsbury’s this morning and systems are down. No contactless, chip n pin taking ages to go through. Unable to buy gift cards, mobile top up vouchers.

Systems going down like this happen not very often but when they do it’s awful.

On the self scan next to me a woman screamed at the manager on why she can’t pay on her mobile.

Why do many people don’t carry their bank cards anymore? The cards don’t weigh much. Plus if the contactless payment system goes down, hopefully their card will go through via chip n pin. Also they won’t look like idiots either. No sympathy for these.

Regarding contactless payments- sometimes your bank, NOT the retailer etc asks you to do a CnP payment as part of security. “I dunno my PIN”. You can change your PIN to any number you want (not 1234, 1111) at any ATM under PIN services.

So no one is tracking you but traffic apps work by tacking users?

People say these things as though there are people sat looking at them on a map, or listening into their drivel of a conversation. There are not.

That's a shame as my life is scintillating, so they're missing out on a rollercoaster ride by not tracking my every movement and utterance!

Who are these people that think there will be a medical emergency if they go out without a phone, I often don't take my phone if just popping down town on foot, to the post office or somewhere like that, it wouldn't enter my head there might be an emergency I might miss, what sort of lives do people lead if they think like this, it must be a constant worry.

We still have those old card machines- the flat backs with the carbon copies slips in the cash office. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/evolution-credit-card-machines-from-imprinters-modern-amber-sotherden top photo

if we do need to use them - it would take forever to fill in as newer cards don’t have raised numbers and some don’t have the numbers on them (Chase)

I remember using them in my first job in a book shop

A lot of modern cards don’t have the raised numbers on the now to enable the use of the carbon copy machines.

So you’ve never witnessed a car accident, come across someone collapsed in the street, or someone having a mental health crisis? What a lucky life you lead.

Good lord.

Thank goodness you have your phone, ever ready, @OutOfTheHouse

Not once in 70 years. My life is clearly beyond lucky, it’s charmed.

Out of interest, do shops still accept cheques? It's rare for me to write a cheque nowadays and I've not tried to use one in a supermarket for ages.

I remember those, what an absolute nightmare 😂

I would be very surprised. There are a few things that need to be checked (no pun intended) and I can't see retailers splurging out on the training necessary for a once in a year event.

Also cheques place the burden of validation/verification onto the retailer. So if they (or their staff) get it wrong, they lose that money. Whereas with C&P/contactless, once the transaction is complete, it's the "banks loss" instead.

No! Thank god!

I say I have no issue with how people pay (cash, card etc) but I draw the line at cheques 😂

If the moneys in the bank to use a cheque with, then just use a card.

Cannot fathom someone whacking out their cheque book in the packing area and writing one out 😩 ffs

Yeah... but that's why I carry both a mobile phone with charger AND ask my breakdown service for a card when I sign up (they've been trying to push to app only the last few times). I've got zero problem using the app to call for help but I don't want to be f'd because I have a flat battery on my phone

We had the electricity go out in the shop I worked at a few years back. We had to write it all manually. Thankfully, the shop wasn’t busy and the training for it was still somewhat fresh in mind.

Cheques still have their place. Despite all the whizzy hi tech the geniuses have dreamt up, there is nothing that can implement their functionality.

I dont think not coming across those things indicates a lucky life, more a totally normal one, who regularly comes across people collapsed in the street?

I did once witness a car accident but it was before mobile phones had been invented and I had to knock on the nearest door to ask them to phone for an ambulance

Since having a phone rather disappointingly I've never been at the scene of an emergency

Most companies that used to pay by cheque have their bank details on bills and you do a bank transfer on banking app or on bank’s website. Just put invoice number or car reg (if it’s a garage) as a reference.

Remembered before able to do this yourself it cost money at the bank and probably more if it’s a different bank.

Such as?

I hate cheques with a passion! I can see how they were useful as a means for people to transfer money to one another back in the days before online or telephone banking, but they’re slow, inconvenient and prone to fraud/bouncing, leaving people without the money they are owed.

Whenever I receive a cheque my heart sinks. Not as bad now they can be paid in online via the app, but when you had to take them to the back I just used to give them to my mum to pay in as I simply couldn’t get to a bank in their working hours!

Now, we can just transfer money via online services, pay by quick and easy methods like PayPal, use cards basically anywhere, I don’t see much of a place for cheques anymore for the everyday person.

I’m old enough to remember spending most of my lunch hour queuing in banks to pay credit card bills etc. Online banking is a boon.

I'd love to know when and how they're any better or more convenient than online banking, card acceptance, Faster Payments, etc etc.

In my business, we get one cheque per year from a neanderthal client who is a total nutcase. He's the only client who pays by cheque, and he's not even that old (middle aged), but just refuses to use online banking and wastes a lot of our time telling us (every sodding year) how he doesn't trust banks, doesn't trust computers, etc. I'm very tempted to tell him to sod off and find a different accountant to pester, and one day I will as he's draining.

I didn't say cheques were any faster or better than online payments.

I said that cheques provide a feature that has yet to be translated into online payments*. And unless and until that happens, for some applications, cheques are still the only solution. And if people can't imagine why, they probably aren't adding much to the debate.

*widely into online payments. There are mechanisms. but governments really don't like them.

In what sense though? You haven’t explained (that I can see) what this functionality is? Making a statement then saying “if you can’t work it out then go away” just makes it sound like you’re doubling down on a non point.

I still get laid by cheque each term by one of the schools I work for. It's a bit inconvenient but isn't a major issue. I wouldn't describe the school's bursar as being Neanderthal or a nutcase as taxguru so rudely described their client.