You know, the one the wait staff brings to your table.
Or the pizza delivery guy, etc?
Here, we seem to have settled on the really inventive term of “the machine.” “Do you need the machine?” “Can I get you the machine?”
I guess we all know what that means, but surely there’s a better, more descriptive term people are using out there.
The only time I’ve ever encountered them was on a trip to Canada. They don’t seem to have made it here in the States yet, not that I’ve seen. So I think you guys get naming dibs!
If you’re talking about mobile accessories like Square, I’ve seen them a lot at craft fairs and street vendors. IME it’s usually referred to just by the brand name, Square, if at all.
If you’re talking about something else, I have no idea what that means.
Wait staff, pizza delivery guys, etc. that I’ve encountered have never brought anything besides a paper check/receipt.
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I’ve seen them in the US about 2 times. I have no idea what people call them.
My friend who runs a food truck uses a brand called Square. It plugs into his cell phone, and he calls it “the Square.” He does most of his sales with it.
I’ve generally heard it referred to as the Square. Basically the company has gotten into the market so early and expanded so quickly (a lot of counter-order restaurants now have it) that it’s become the name around here (like how people say “Google it” to search for something).
In Australia, we usually call them EFTPOS* machines.
I don’t know if they’ve made it to the States yet - here’s a page with some pictures and info. They connect to the bank over a cellular connection.
*Electronic Funds Transfer Point Of Sale, I think.
The swipe machine, though it is becoming an insert machine. Sort of a slut I’d say.
I ask if they have a card reader. I don’t know what everyone else asks for.
StG
I live in America, where the college dropout I’ve never met before tonight disappears with my credit card for 5 minutes or so.
Credit card machine / card machine / portable credit card machine in South Africa. They’re everywhere you go.
https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=portable+credit+card+machine
I’ve never seen that. What Leaffan is referring to is the mobile version of a point-of-sale machine -same thing as at Safeway, except it’s mobile.
Pizza guy brings it to your door with the pizza. I insert my card, enter my PIN and a tip, it takes a minute, and spits out a receipt.
Same thing at restaurants. Server brings bill and the machine (I think that’s all I’ve ever heard it called) to the table, I insert my card, etc, and payment is done.
Thing is, here in Canada they’re not just for credit cards, but credit and debit cards. It’s been a few years since I’ve been in the US, I guess I assumed they were ubiquitous by now. They’re wireless devices that everyone uses.
I barely recall NOT having them here. I can use my debit card for pizza delivery, all restaurants, taxis, beer at hockey games, … actually I don’t know where I CAN’T use it at this point.
Are you saying that debit cards aren’t in common use for some of these activities in the US?
“Card reader” does sound better than “machine” though.
They have that whole “are you using your credit card as a debit card?” thing in the States. I’ve never understood it.
At a restaurant, you give the waiter your card, they go to the back, swipe it, give it back to you, and you sign the receipt. This works for both credit cards and debits cards back by a credit card company. Pizza delivery, well I just order online and put in my credit card info there. No reason for them to swipe anything.
No PINs to be entered? I thought you were migrating to chip and PIN years ago?
How do you use a debit card without a PIN?
I had that same question a few weeks ago, when I got a debit card with a fairly high balance on it as a “rebate” on some expensive stuff I bought. When it arrived in the mail, I dutifully went online and set up a PIN.
First time I used it in the real world, they swiped it just like every credit card I have and just asked for a signature. At that point, I started wondering about what would happen if it got stolen/lost since there appeared to be less than zero security on it (I don’t assume a signature is secure) and used up the balance asap.
The USA actually mostly migrated to Chip and Signature. As I understand the thought was that requiring a PIN represented too much change (in addition, Americans are conditioned to think that “PIN” = ATM cash advance = fees and interest).
You use a debit card without a PIN by running it as a credit card transaction.
All four of the major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover) will actually be doing away with signatures altogether for most transactions in April, so then we’ll just be “Chip.”
https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/signatures-soon-may-not-be-required.php
I’ll be vacationing in the US in May with my Canadian cards.
Well, this should be interesting.
I see card readers often. Cab drivers, pizza deliverers, almost anyone who provides a service that’s not at the point of sale provides them. I recently had surgery and had a cleaning service come in to do my apartment. They had a card reader. Some chain restaurants have little menu screens you order from at the table, and you pay (including tip to the server who brings your order) using those at the end of the meal.
I’ve seen this in various U.S. cities over the last 4 or 5 years, so they’re nothing new.