It's called a number for a reason

[Worker-Intellectual]

A while ago I had this gem of intelligence...a guy who wasn't too bright purchasing something with one of those business cards that prompts you for the purchase order NUMBER...

Me: "Is there a PO number?"
SC: "Bob."
Me: "Excuse me?"
SC: "Bob."
I look down at my keyboard. There are no letters.
Me: "It has to be number."
SC: "If there is no number, you're supposed to type in my name."
Me: "I don't have a keyboard."
SC: *Points at keyboard* "Bob."
Me: "Fine" *types in 808* "Sign here... have a nice day"

Thank god his name was Bob and not something that contains letters that aren't I, B, S or O

[karma_gypsy]

SC: "If there is no number, you're supposed to type in my name."
Me: "I don't have a keyboard."

So, how did the customer know this? What . .no, how . . .? He knew you didn't have a keyboard . . . O.k., I've got nothing . . . he obviously wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.

[Gurndigarn]

In the customer's defense, many companies use letters in their PO numbers, or allow the use of names, even though the last part kinda defeats the whole purpse of the thing.

[Lehk]

Thank god his name was Bob and not something that contains letters that aren't I, B, S or O

you can also do

'T' (7)
'Z' (2)
'g' (9)
'E' (3)
'A' (4)

example: 'wow, that cutomer was a total 455 849

[Kogarashi]

Oh, so that's what a PO number is! That prompt occasionally shows up on my register screen (only twice now in three months), and neither I nor the customers ever knew what it was for.

[Gurndigarn]

Oh, so that's what a PO number is! That prompt occasionally shows up on my register screen (only twice now in three months), and neither I nor the customers ever knew what it was for.

It probably thinks the charge is from a corporate account. The PO is a way for the corporate offices to make sure incoming bills are actually theirs. Which is why just a name is mostly pointless. If you're going to allow the guy to purchase and bill stuff to his company just on his say-so, why not just give him a corporate credit card and make it simple on everyone?

[Kogarashi]

I think in both instances, they were business credit cards, though for small local businesses.