Whenever I buy something at Borders, the credit card machine seems to be lightning-fast - it’s spitting out my receipt for me to sign immediately after the person swipes it. Yet almost anywhere else I go, there’s some lag before the transaction is ok’ed and the receipt prints out.
Why? Does Borders have some sort of special, direct connection to the credit card companies instead of having to dial-in? Why don’t other stores have this?
There are different protocols for different credit card authorization companies. Some CC authorization companies offer an “always connected” option (kind of like you having DSL) as long as you are willing to pay for it.
When I worked for Radio Shack, they used to use a dialup modem for CC authorizations, which is what you’ll find most places. Later, they installed DSL in their stores, and used that for CC auths, as well as internet access, and it was lightning fast, as you say. I suspect Borders has some sort of broadband CC authorization system in place. Most places don’t have this because it’s fairly expensive, and the increased speed of transactions simply wouldn’t justify the cost. You’re more likely to find it in places that have a need for broadband internet access already.
I’ve noticed on many gas station roofs a smallish non-television satellite dish antenna. I wondered if these are for high speed CC authentication, too.
It’s very possible. I know that McDonald’s now uses a satellite CC auth system, and transactions go through fairly qiuckly. However, like all small-dish satellite systems, the signal becomes very spotty, if not nonexistent, during heavy rain- or snowstorms.