The Declined Card

[RichS]

And then, sometimes, it's the operator - me, in this case.

I had the previous day off. A good customer of ours goes to buy a couple of items, gives me his card, I run it as usual, comes back declined. I tried a couple more times, same result. Customer pays with cash instead.

After that was done, I found out that no one had deposited the previous day's amount in the machine, and that it would decline cards unless the deposit was done. Told the customer the next time he was in, and we had a over it.

[blas]

I remember "rationing" at gas stations last summer.....my roomate filled up his new truck for the first time and couldn't go past $80 or something........he thought the pump had ran out of gas. The employee on duty told him to go to the next pump and pump the rest, they had a limit on gas. Not sure if that is legal or even rational (no pun intended), but that's how that certain store operated until gas went back to under $3 a gallon.

[powerboy]

Because it actually sometimes does. I worked in a supermarket for 5 years and I always suggested the customer try it once more after the initial failure especially if they were sure there were available funds. Sometimes it does work, I don't know why, maybe sometimes there is a connection error while it's trying to process it the first time? I'm also had this happen to me personally when I was shopping, asked to try it again and it worked.

Well yeah, if is an connection error, then I will have them do it again. But if it is declined, then find another way to pay, and find out what happened with the card.

[Giggle Goose]

I've actually had people think that manually swiping the card again will charge them twice. Uhhh, if it was declined, you don't get charged at all. Why would I charge you twice on purpose?!

[katie kaboom]

I've actually had people think that manually swiping the card again will charge them twice

I get that all the time too. I swear if i hear that bit of idiocy one more time i'm going to scream.

[Imogene]

it's better to give than to receive???

Two wrongs don't make a right.

Katie:
"No, sir, actually, running your card twice like this, it is more likely to cause my system to go wonky than it is to bill your card twice."

[imakemistakestoo]

I get that all the time too. I swear if i hear that bit of idiocy one more time i'm going to scream.

I did scream at my manager about that. Some of us workers would tell the manager the next day about a customers card declining and how we would swipe the card twice. If it still didnt work we would manually put the numbers in and anything else the machine asked us to do. She told us that the store owner didnt want us to do that because of fees or something of that nature. I was like "What?" So we quit swiping twice but only to get hollered at if a customers card got declined and came in the next day to bitc h about it. She would ask us why didnt we do the number thing? I looked at her and told her she better make up her mind as to what we are supposed to do.

[digilight]

About the CC's and trying to run them multiple times if you get a declined. I'm in the process of switching my CC processing company and have a copy of the CC Contract here.

"Among the reasons that a transaction may be charged back . . . . efforts were made to avoid a decline of the authorization (such as, but not limited to , attempts to obtain an Authorization after receiving either a decline or a referral to a call center or splitting a sale across multiple transactions of the same card)"

Basically it reads to me, that if you get a declined and try and run it again and get an approved, you have opened up the door to a chargeback.

When I read this on the contract from the company it kind of scared the shit out of me (since the $$$ comes out of my pocket if this happens/never has happened yet though).

[ditchdj]

Two wrongs don't make a right.

Maybe so, but it certainly wouldn't make me feel bad.

[Canadian In Maine]

Regardless of why the transaction is declined (not enough money, incorrect pin) with some customers it's always the cashiers fault. I am fed up of being blamed for customers entering the wrong passcode.

[The Angel of Missouri]

Why is it, that when the card declined, that the customer want it tried again a couple more times. It didn't get authorized the first time, it wont now.

That's not always true.. Sometimes the cardreader is disfunc.. It happens to me occasionally and usually works on the second swipe..

[norrina]

What it was, was that the gas stations were setting the pre-auth for like $100.00 just to CYA if a huge truck or SUV was filling up...

There is a gas station here with a sign on the pumps noting that if you pay at the pump with a debit card, there could be a hold on your account of $300 for up to 72 hours. Three Hundred freaking dollars! What sort of vehicles come through this station anyhow?

[Banrion]

There is a gas station here with a sign on the pumps noting that if you pay at the pump with a debit card, there could be a hold on your account of $300 for up to 72 hours. Three Hundred freaking dollars! What sort of vehicles come through this station anyhow?

Do they sell diesel? Or do they sell anything above a 95 octane? If they sell diesel, they may get a good amount of big rigs through there which would justify a $300.00 pre-auth. Over 95 octane, you are getting close to amateur racing fuels and again VERY expensive.

[RentalRacer]

I believe most CC companies will allow a retailer to swipe a CC 3 times in an attempt to authorize a transaction, after that they will charge the retailer. At least thats what my current company told me when I was first hired on. That could be specific just to us, or wrong all together, so don't take it to heart I guess.

I love it when the message "Pick up Card" comes up...for anyone who does not know Visa, MC, Discover, and Amex all offer a "reward" ranging from $25-$100 for sending these cards in. Of course, dealing with the idiot whose card is in pick-up status is pretty touch and go. For some reason, people don't like it when you take "their" CC's away......

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

I was talking about declined cards earlier with my mom. Why is it, that when the card declined, that the customer want it tried again a couple more times. It didn't get authorized the first time, it wont now.

I have a Wawa gift card which acts like a credit card as far as the gas pumps are concerned. I buy/refill them the day I get paid so I always have gas money at the end of the week when things get a little tight (if it's on the card, I can't spend it).

Anyway I go and get one, pre-pay $90 on the sucker and then go to the pumps to feed the car.

Declined [headscratch?]

Run it a second time

Declined [whiskey tango foxtrot?]

Go back inside and run it there

Declined

Now the clerk (who sold me the card with the $90) is now confused as well. Clerk checks the records, checks the transaction logs and sure enough he has it listed as a $90 pre-paid card transaction.

Run the card again and finally it goes through. We shrug and ponder why a card that is normally instantaneous took over 30 minutes to proc through the system.

M