Try that at home, you cheap SOB

[Pixelated]

I was off last week due to some very minor surgery, so was eating breakfast (well ... brunch, actually ... ) at my favourite little diner.

There's a reasonably visible sign on the door that says debit cards and cash ONLY. This has caused problems in the past, with people blowing right past it and then trying to pay with credit cards, and getting pissed off because, hey, you can't!

However ...

Server comes up to my table and discreetly nods towards elderly customers at the cash. "See them?"

Apparently they tried to pay with their debit card. It didn't work -- they are from outside the country and I guess businesses have to pay for every additional "frill" they want the machine to have, so they've never paid the extra $$ to allow out-of-the-country debit cards to be used. Cashier explains this.

Guy is ticked off, even though guy has a fat wad of bills in his wallet. "But I don't want to break my bills!" Because that means he will get Canadian change back and he doesn't want Canadian change. They go back and forth and he finally manages to scrounge up money that is just $4 short of the total (no tip, of course!) He actually says "But can't your boss make up the tip?" Seriously??

Cashier took the money he was holding and told them not to bother coming back. Ever.

[bainsidhe]

Guy has a wad of bills in his wallet but wants to be $4 short? Screw him, I'll patiently explain over and over again how he needs to pay the full bill.

[raw1989]

Guy has a wad of bills in his wallet but wants to be $4 short? Screw him, I'll patiently explain over and over again how he needs to pay the full bill.

this all the way!!!

[MoonCat]

Oh FFS, all he has to do is take the Canadian money to the bank and get it changed.

What a crybaby.

[Sliceanddice]

ok yes this guy is a jerk but i got to say, the business was also in the wrong here.

If you are only willing to and tell me that you will only take x methods of payments, then you have better be able to take it them. Not making the effort to actually take a method payment you claim you take, and is one of only two you will take, will make even me consider stiffing you, and I over tip everyone. I would probably break a big bill, but yeah the server might not get a tip depending on how rude to me they were at the register.

If out-of-country debit cards are so hard for them then they should make sure that their sign says 'Our Country' debit cards.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

^This. If only Canadian debit cards will be accepted the sign should say this, especially if foreign tourists make up a sizable portion of the clientele.

Customer should've sucked it up and had his bills broken though.

[notalwaysright]

Eh, as someone who lives in a border town, I would agree the the business. You can't expect every business to accept foreign cards, and you can't expect every business to accept foreign cash. In this case it sounds like the customer didn't even have Canadian cash, so they were lucky they could pay at all.

[wolfie]

Ran into something similar at a "private label" ATM at a TA in Baltimore. Previously, when I used truck stop ATMs, they didn't ask for a network. This one did - Interac or Plus? Whenever I use my card for debit in Canada, it's Interac, so I chose that - card was rejected. Called the support line, found out that it worked as a Plus card in the U.S. Tried again and selected Plus - card worked.

The OP's restaurant might have its debit machines set up to only use the Interac network (might have lower fees than the Plus network), and the customer's card might have been Plus-only. Still, they should have stickers on the windows saying which networks of debit cards they accept. Of course, customer's card might have been the reverse of mine (Interac in U.S., Plus in Canada), so if they'd seen the Interac sticker on the door they would have thought it would work.

[Racket_Man]

Guy has a wad of bills in his wallet but wants to be $4 short? Screw him, I'll patiently explain over and over again how he needs to pay the full bill.

Welcome to a wonderful side bar of pizza delivery.

ME still holding onto the delivery bag as I unfurl and count the wadded up ball of bills the just handed me: "Sorry but there is not enough money here to cover the order. I need $x.xx more"

AHHHHHHH sorry but can I owe it to you??
NO

Sorry I will need the full amount or I will have to take the order back.

BUT you will just throw it away anyway

Yes But NOT my call. You owe me $x.xx please (as I will not pay for any part of a customers order as in that amount comes OUT OF MY pocket).

Repeat a few times

Now change the above to include a LOT of coin. YES I will stand there and count out every coin to make sure I have at least the order total. NO I do not care that the customer is huffing and puffing and making impatient noises and giving me the stink eye. Yes I may let say 5 or 10 cents slide but really anything more than that COUGH IT UP or no food.

[Rosco the Iroc]

I have a cup of change from all over the world so I would not be "that guy"

[flyonthewall]

Some people just need to be shot. -.-

[Jay 2K Winger]

Some people just need to be shot. -.-

...out of a cannon.

[Aria]

Oya veya... it's like some people, Canadians and Americans both, don't comprehend that we're not the same country. Get away from the border and we might not accept American money at all!

[Pixelated]

Apparently on top of the debit card issue, he also wanted his Not-This-Country's money to be accepted at par. Sorry, do you see a line of tellers here? Or do the banks in your country have people sitting around tables eating bacon and eggs?

Yes, the restaurant probably should specify "Only This Country Debit Cards Accepted Here." They are, however, a small mom 'n' pop place, well out of any area that's likely to draw tourists (frankly, so's my entire hometown, IMO ... ) so I'm guessing this is the first time they've had this particular problem.

In any case, 'expect the unexpected' is probably a good motto to have, especially for travellers. And even though the business should've been more specific on that sign, the verbiage of the sign is not under the control of the guy's server, and he should not have turned into an Entitlement Douchebag over it. Hope they enforce that ban, assuming that particular group ever shows up again.

[bankworking]

ok yes this guy is a jerk but i got to say, the business was also in the wrong here.

If you are only willing to and tell me that you will only take x methods of payments, then you have better be able to take it them. Not making the effort to actually take a method payment you claim you take, and is one of only two you will take, will make even me consider stiffing you, and I over tip everyone. I would probably break a big bill, but yeah the server might not get a tip depending on how rude to me they were at the register.

If out-of-country debit cards are so hard for them then they should make sure that their sign says 'Our Country' debit cards.

Disagree. Who assumes that out of country anything will be accepted?