I meant “you” as in the display software designer - I realize that you as the merchant have no control of this, of course.
Is it ever. Who designed a system to use a buzzer to say that everything worked and it’s all done? It should have a bell or little musical tone on success, and save the buzzer for failure.
There’s one line of POSs out there that has a really obnoxious sound as the signal to remove your card – I have no idea who. The first time I heard it I remarked to the cashier, “That sounds really rude.”
“You should try hearing it a hundred times a day.”
I traveled out west at the beginning of December on an emergency. My wife and I were at the car rental counter in Portland late at night and the following annoying events transpired.
First, I had purchased the tickets and car rental online using a card with my wife’s name, and the lady said I had to provide a card with my name on it. This was already paid in full, so it was bogus to introduce a new rule at the counter—besides, my name was also on that account though I don’t carry around the card.
I handed her the only card I carry, my cool looking Apple Card. She said she needed to type in the last 4 of the card to proceed. Why have a chip if a human still needs to type in the number?
The card has nothing at all printed on it, but I know the secret card number that Apple says to use for online orders. She tried it and it did not work. She then told me there was another, more secret card number I could find in the app. Sure enough, Apple Card has a double secret number as well.
I gave her that number and she said it was declined.
Normally, in such a situation my next action is to call the phone number on the card to speak with the bank, except the darned Apple Card has no writing on it whatsoever, beyond the branding. I had to Google “Goldman Sachs customer support”, while in line, to find their number.
When I spoke with the bank CSR, she told me there was no declined transaction, but the merchant had probably canceled it…try again. So we did, and it went through.
Between the changing rules, the card terminal, the register software, the fat-fingered agent who couldn’t tell she canceled it, and that stupid card with its double secret numbers, it’s amazing we got out of there with a car that night,