Restaurant advertises they take CCs, then won't, what do you do?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Restaurant advertises they take CCs, then won't, what do you do? (Page 1 of 3)

Posted: 3/13/2011 10:57:14 AM EDT

I rarely ever carry cash anymore. Same for my chick. Last night, we went out to eat at a place that's CC and Cash only. No big deal, between the two of us, we only carry 7 debit/credit cards

Anyway, we sit down, we eat, we go to pay, and then (and only then) do they tell us that their machine is broken and they're cash only.

Luckily an ATM machine was across the street, but what if their hadn't been?

They advertise that they take a certain form of payment, then won't, what do you do?

Posted: 3/13/2011 10:58:34 AM EDT

[#1]

"Well, we don't have cash .... I guess we have to write you an IOU until you get your machine fixed, huh?"

Got me; never run into that scenario before.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:00:06 AM EDT

[#2]

They would have had to inform me before I sat down or it's not my problem.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:00:12 AM EDT

[#3]

Blade at a 45 degree angle while shouting "Don't touch my cash! Don't touch my cash!"

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:01:39 AM EDT

[#4]

Don't insist on credit from all merchants.
They are under no obligation to extend it to you.
Pay for your goods and services at the time of delivery.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:02:58 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
Don't insist on credit from all merchants.
They are under no obligation to extend it to you.
Pay for your goods and services at the time of delivery.

debit cards are doing exactly that.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:04:45 AM EDT

[#6]

Most anyone who has a CC machine knows they go down....... And keeps the hold fashioned carbon copy swipe thing around just in case.

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Posted: 3/13/2011 11:05:03 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:

They would have had to inform me before I sat down or it's not my problem.

Actually I am going to go with this answer.

Even if there is an ATM near by, If it isn't my bank why the fuck should I have to pay ATM fees because the restraunt is misrepresenting the forms of payment which they accept.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:05:18 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:

Don't insist on credit from all merchants.

They are under no obligation to extend it to you.

Pay for your goods and services at the time of delivery.

The restaurant isnt giving the credit, the card company is.

I would have told them to pound sand since you werent notified before hand

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:05:40 AM EDT

[#9]

I carry between 500 to 2000 cash on me at all times.

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Posted: 3/13/2011 11:07:00 AM EDT

[#10]

I went to a restaurant one time that only took American Express. Surprise surprise. Fortunately I was able to go to the restaurant next door and they ran my Visa on their machine for the place we ate at. The next day I got an American Express.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:07:34 AM EDT

[#11]

Need to keep the old imprint device around for these times. Pretty sure it's a work-a-round...has been in the past.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:08:32 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
They would have had to inform me before I sat down or it's not my problem.

Yup. It sucks when the machine goes down, but it happens. You get a free meal if I can't process your payment method.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:08:53 AM EDT

[#13]

I did this once at a place that only took cash and I didn't read that on the way in. The town was so small that the only gas station ATM didn't work either

. Seriously, I had to drive 10 miles to the next town, get some cash and drive back. That pissed me off, but guess I could have read the door also.

Lesson learned here....I've always got cash on me now.

The places that do take CC's lose 3% of the sale for that option, so I can see some of them not using them. But then again, surely, they lose more in business by not taking them.....Look, if you think I'm ever going back to that place again, your crazy! Was it worth it? Only they know.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:09:11 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:

Need to keep the old imprint device around for these times. Pretty sure it's a work-a-round...has been in the past.

Wost case scenerio is you put the card under a piece of paper and rub it with something to get an imprint. This is proof that the card was at the location after they manually put the numbers in when the machine is back working.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:09:34 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Need to keep the old imprint device around for these times. Pretty sure it's a work-a-round...has been in the past.

This.

Machine goes down then break out the old imprint with carbon copies. If they don't have it then it's their problem.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:10:21 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:

Quoted:

They would have had to inform me before I sat down or it's not my problem.

Yup. It sucks when the machine goes down, but it happens. You get a free meal if I can't process your payment method.

When a place handles it like this, I'd have no problem stopping by at a later time to pay for it.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:11:54 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Don't insist on credit from all merchants.
They are under no obligation to extend it to you.
Pay for your goods and services at the time of delivery.

Wow. Brilliant post.

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Posted: 3/13/2011 11:12:15 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
I carry between 500 to 2000 cash on me at all times.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

I always feel uncomfortable with more than $200 on my person.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:15:01 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Don't insist on credit from all merchants.
They are under no obligation to extend it to you.
Pay for your goods and services at the time of delivery.

I hate people who make zero sense while professing their elitism.

As for the OP, I would inform them that I would send a check in the mail and leave. If asked, I would show them my ID card, but not let them copy it.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:15:31 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:

Quoted:

They would have had to inform me before I sat down or it's not my problem.

Yup. It sucks when the machine goes down, but it happens. You get a free meal if I can't process your payment method.

When a place handles it like this, I'd have no problem stopping by at a later time to pay for it.

If a restaurant doesn't bother to keep an imprint machine, it's not the customer's fault.

I had to hand ring thousands of CC transactions at night through our gas terminals when the lines would go down.

It happens and it's the business' owners job to prepare for it. I don't think that is an unreasonable expectation on the customer's part.

I did run into a few customers who refused to let me imprint their cards. All were stopped and/or turned over to the police for theft and not allowed back in my store. None of them gave me any intention of paying at a later date and even if they did, I wouldn't have let them. That would have led to a double standard I couldn't justify as a business owner. So... Buh bye.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:15:32 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I carry between 500 to 2000 cash on me at all times.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

I always feel uncomfortable with more than $200 on my person.

I frequent one place that doesn't take cash, and it has an ATM next to the order window.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:16:30 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Don't insist on credit from all merchants.
They are under no obligation to extend it to you.
Pay for your goods and services at the time of delivery.

When you pay for something with a credit card, the credit is not being extended by the merchant. It's extended by the credit card company with whom the purchaser presumably has a pre-existing agreement.

Now you are correct that a merchant has no obligation to maintain an agreement with credit card companies to accept payment in that form. Businesses that do this have little signs up, (generally at the door and register), with visual indicators that they accept payment in this fashion. These indicators are usually in the form of credit card company logo stickers.

If a merchant has visual indicators that it accepts a credit card as payment, delivers a non-returnable service or product, and then announces that they won't accept payment in a form they have previously indicated that they accept, the onus is not on the customer to "make things right". The onus was on the restaurant to clarify it's preferred methods of payment prior to delivering the food.

Such rewriting of contracts after they're agreed upon generally only passes muster on arfcom if it has something to do with a union.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:16:43 AM EDT

[#23]

Thats the exact reason I carry a $50 folded up and tucked in between some business cards in my wallet.

With gas the way it is, I should probably be carrying a $100.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:17:13 AM EDT

[#24]

Cash is king and allows you to negotiate prices.

Im also jewish so I can tell you exactly how much is in my wallet.

$1017.95 right now.

T

Quoted:

Quoted:
I carry between 500 to 2000 cash on me at all times.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

I always feel uncomfortable with more than $200 on my person.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:17:18 AM EDT

[#25]

I'd have my supermodel girl friend pull two hundred dollar bills from between her tits and tell them to keep the change

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:17:54 AM EDT

[#26]

They have the option to call it in. When i was in the restaurant biz i had the cc machine go down acouple of times and you just call the 1800 number abd manually run it. this sucks when your in a place that takes alot of calls.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:28:31 AM EDT

[#27]

this happened to me recently. I went to a new Vietnamese joint. I saw the sticker on the door with various cc logos but asked in case it was left over from previous owners. the guy said yeah. I order and its about 8 bucks. I go to pay and this woman comes out and I hand her my card and she says there is a 15 dollar minimum charge. I tell her the guy never said that and I only have 5 bucks on me.

she said "oh I should make a sign but ill take the five and we'll be even"

end delicious banh mi and bun bowls were eaten that day

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Posted: 3/13/2011 11:28:35 AM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:

Quoted:

They would have had to inform me before I sat down or it's not my problem.

Yup. It sucks when the machine goes down, but it happens. You get a free meal if I can't process your payment method.

When a place handles it like this, I'd have no problem stopping by at a later time to pay for it.

If a restaurant doesn't bother to keep an imprint machine, it's not the customer's fault.

I had to hand ring thousands of CC transactions at night through our gas terminals when the lines would go down.

It happens and it's the business' owners job to prepare for it. I don't think that is an unreasonable expectation on the customer's part.

I did run into a few customers who refused to let me imprint their cards. All were stopped and/or turned over to the police for theft and not allowed back in my store. None of them gave me any intention of paying at a later date and even if they did, I wouldn't have let them. That would have led to a double standard I couldn't justify as a business owner. So... Buh bye.

I wouldn't give you a hard time about taking a print of the card..

But in the scenario that damcv62 mentioned, he basically said that since the problem is his problem, enjoy your free lunch. But me, I would fell I was taking advantage of someone's misfortune and would make it up.. If there was an ATM from my bank I would do it then, if not, I would have cash and stop back at a later time

Whereas in the opposite scenario where they attitude is our shit is broke, it is your problem to come up with cash to pay for it. my response is fuck you and your attitude(not you personally).

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:33:11 AM EDT

[#29]

Our debit machines go down once or twice a year for a few hours. (fast food)
Generally, I'll give customers trying to pay at that time their food free, get signs on the door and DT saying no debit available, and let future orders know there is an atm about 400 meters away. If people order, and then realize they don't have cash, I'll usually throw them a discount when they come back with cash.

For the guys saying restaurants should keep a manual machine... This isn't some third world country, I don't know of anywhere that has the ability to process transactions like that.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:33:53 AM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:

Quoted:
They would have had to inform me before I sat down or it's not my problem.

Yup. It sucks when the machine goes down, but it happens. You get a free meal if I can't process your payment method.

When a place handles it like this, I'd have no problem stopping by at a later time to pay for it.

And I've had lots of customers do this. But I'd rather have someone leave with the thought that they got a free meal, not that my machine broke, so they had to go find an ATM or what not to be able to pay for their meal, and that it was a hassle.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:36:18 AM EDT

[#31]

My brother runs a cash-only restaurant in Wisconsin. Works very well $$$ wise, but they have a little ATM machine by the restrooms (it's a money maker too).

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:36:28 AM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:

Our debit machines go down once or twice a year for a few hours. (fast food)

Generally, I'll give customers trying to pay at that time their food free, get signs on the door and DT saying no debit available, and let future orders know there is an atm about 400 meters away. If people order, and then realize they don't have cash, I'll usually throw them a discount when they come back with cash.

For the guys saying restaurants should keep a manual machine... This isn't some third world country, I don't know of anywhere that has the ability to process transactions like that.

Then your store is weird.

I worked at Target for 5ish years. Every single cash register still had the manual imprint machine. This is a multi-million (billion?) dollar corporation. It was imperative for us to be able to accept payments no matter what.

Same deal here. Systems fail. That's part of life. Have a backup plan.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:36:52 AM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:
For the guys saying restaurants should keep a manual machine... This isn't some third world country, I don't know of anywhere that has the ability to process transactions like that.

Where I work we make photocopys of cards to run at a later date all the time.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:38:24 AM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:

My brother runs a cash-only restaurant in Wisconsin. Works very well $$$ wise, but they have a little ATM machine by the restrooms (it's a money maker too).

If advertised as such or not displaying that you do take CC This is also plenty fair

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:38:41 AM EDT

[#35]

<George Carlin voice> Get some fucking cash, man! <George Carlin voice>

Seriosly though, not your problem if not advised a head of time.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:39:47 AM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:
I rarely ever carry cash anymore. Same for my chick. Last night, we went out to eat at a place that's CC and Cash only. No big deal, between the two of us, we only carry 7 debit/credit cards

Anyway, we sit down, we eat, we go to pay, and then (and only then) do they tell us that their machine is broken and they're cash only.

Luckily an ATM machine was across the street, but what if their hadn't been?

They advertise that they take a certain form of payment, then won't, what do you do?

They can do a manual credit. They can even call it in and get an approval number over the phone.

They need to make it work, not force the customer to make it work.

Unless they tell you upfront that they have no way of accepting CCs, then it's your problem, little VISA/MC signs or not.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:40:33 AM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:

Quoted:
They would have had to inform me before I sat down or it's not my problem.

Yup. It sucks when the machine goes down, but it happens. You get a free meal if I can't process your payment method.

When a place handles it like this, I'd have no problem stopping by at a later time to pay for it.

If a restaurant doesn't bother to keep an imprint machine, it's not the customer's fault.

I had to hand ring thousands of CC transactions at night through our gas terminals when the lines would go down.

It happens and it's the business' owners job to prepare for it. I don't think that is an unreasonable expectation on the customer's part.

I did run into a few customers who refused to let me imprint their cards. All were stopped and/or turned over to the police for theft and not allowed back in my store. None of them gave me any intention of paying at a later date and even if they did, I wouldn't have let them. That would have led to a double standard I couldn't justify as a business owner. So... Buh bye.

Which is fine for you to do that. We used to have a manual swipe machine. But they nixed that when the CC company wouldn't cover us if we had them in the store. Too much chance of fraud and theft.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:41:21 AM EDT

[#38]

If you weren't notified before you ordered and they didn't have a paper card swipe backup on hand.....I guess they're shit out of luck. That's neither the customer's fault nor their responsibility.

Any E-chef, GM, or owner that doesn't have enough on-the-ball to have an alternative credit card capture method on hand....needs to look for new employment.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:42:23 AM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Our debit machines go down once or twice a year for a few hours. (fast food)
Generally, I'll give customers trying to pay at that time their food free, get signs on the door and DT saying no debit available, and let future orders know there is an atm about 400 meters away. If people order, and then realize they don't have cash, I'll usually throw them a discount when they come back with cash.

For the guys saying restaurants should keep a manual machine... This isn't some third world country, I don't know of anywhere that has the ability to process transactions like that.

Then your store is weird.

I worked at Target for 5ish years. Every single cash register still had the manual imprint machine. This is a multi-million (billion?) dollar corporation. It was imperative for us to be able to accept payments no matter what.

Same deal here. Systems fail. That's part of life. Have a backup plan.

None of the stores in our restaurant chain can process like that. Our point of sales terminals simply will not allow us to manually key in cards after the fact. I'd assume most fast food chains are the same. I suppose thousand dollar transactions with huge amounts of markup are a bit different than a $10 combo with only a couple percent markup.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:43:42 AM EDT

[#40]

Quoted:

Quoted:
For the guys saying restaurants should keep a manual machine... This isn't some third world country, I don't know of anywhere that has the ability to process transactions like that.

Where I work we make photocopys of cards to run at a later date all the time.

That is a lawsuit waiting to happen. I wouldn't want to have that chance in my stores.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:44:51 AM EDT

[#41]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Our debit machines go down once or twice a year for a few hours. (fast food)

Generally, I'll give customers trying to pay at that time their food free, get signs on the door and DT saying no debit available, and let future orders know there is an atm about 400 meters away. If people order, and then realize they don't have cash, I'll usually throw them a discount when they come back with cash.

For the guys saying restaurants should keep a manual machine... This isn't some third world country, I don't know of anywhere that has the ability to process transactions like that.

Then your store is weird.

I worked at Target for 5ish years. Every single cash register still had the manual imprint machine. This is a multi-million (billion?) dollar corporation. It was imperative for us to be able to accept payments no matter what.

Same deal here. Systems fail. That's part of life. Have a backup plan.

None of the stores in our restaurant chain can process like that. Our point of sales terminals simply will not allow us to manually key in cards after the fact. I'd assume most fast food chains are the same. I suppose thousand dollar transactions with huge amounts of markup are a bit different than a $10 combo with only a couple percent markup.

Perhaps.. Someone else can say for sure, but I do vaguely remember being a surcharge from the cc company for manually keying in the card info

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:44:55 AM EDT

[#42]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Our debit machines go down once or twice a year for a few hours. (fast food)
Generally, I'll give customers trying to pay at that time their food free, get signs on the door and DT saying no debit available, and let future orders know there is an atm about 400 meters away. If people order, and then realize they don't have cash, I'll usually throw them a discount when they come back with cash.

For the guys saying restaurants should keep a manual machine... This isn't some third world country, I don't know of anywhere that has the ability to process transactions like that.

Then your store is weird.

I worked at Target for 5ish years. Every single cash register still had the manual imprint machine. This is a multi-million (billion?) dollar corporation. It was imperative for us to be able to accept payments no matter what.

Same deal here. Systems fail. That's part of life. Have a backup plan.

That's funny because about a year ago the Target near me had a big sign in both doorways that said "Credit Card Machines are down, Cash Only!".

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:45:08 AM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:
I went to a restaurant one time that only took American Express. Surprise surprise. Fortunately I was able to go to the restaurant next door and they ran my Visa on their machine for the place we ate at. The next day I got an American Express.

Fortunately I was able to go to the restaurant next door and they ran my Visa on their machine for the place we ate at.

how does that work?

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:47:12 AM EDT

[#44]

Quoted:
I rarely ever carry cash anymore. Same for my chick. Last night, we went out to eat at a place that's CC and Cash only. No big deal, between the two of us, we only carry 7 debit/credit cards

Anyway, we sit down, we eat, we go to pay, and then (and only then) do they tell us that their machine is broken and they're cash only.

Luckily an ATM machine was across the street, but what if their hadn't been?

They advertise that they take a certain form of payment, then won't, what do you do?

Start carrying cash

Sounds like you should have received a free meal.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:47:27 AM EDT

[#45]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Our debit machines go down once or twice a year for a few hours. (fast food)

Generally, I'll give customers trying to pay at that time their food free, get signs on the door and DT saying no debit available, and let future orders know there is an atm about 400 meters away. If people order, and then realize they don't have cash, I'll usually throw them a discount when they come back with cash.

For the guys saying restaurants should keep a manual machine... This isn't some third world country, I don't know of anywhere that has the ability to process transactions like that.

Then your store is weird.

I worked at Target for 5ish years. Every single cash register still had the manual imprint machine. This is a multi-million (billion?) dollar corporation. It was imperative for us to be able to accept payments no matter what.

Same deal here. Systems fail. That's part of life. Have a backup plan.

None of the stores in our restaurant chain can process like that. Our point of sales terminals simply will not allow us to manually key in cards after the fact. I'd assume most fast food chains are the same. I suppose thousand dollar transactions with huge amounts of markup are a bit different than a $10 combo with only a couple percent markup.

That sounds like something particular to your POS software. There are ways around it, like using a standard credit card terminal, manually keying in the paper copies, batching, and making the corrections in the BOH side of the financial data....showing the income on the general ledger and others.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:49:08 AM EDT

[#46]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Our debit machines go down once or twice a year for a few hours. (fast food)

Generally, I'll give customers trying to pay at that time their food free, get signs on the door and DT saying no debit available, and let future orders know there is an atm about 400 meters away. If people order, and then realize they don't have cash, I'll usually throw them a discount when they come back with cash.

For the guys saying restaurants should keep a manual machine... This isn't some third world country, I don't know of anywhere that has the ability to process transactions like that.

Then your store is weird.

I worked at Target for 5ish years. Every single cash register still had the manual imprint machine. This is a multi-million (billion?) dollar corporation. It was imperative for us to be able to accept payments no matter what.

Same deal here. Systems fail. That's part of life. Have a backup plan.

That's funny because about a year ago the Target near me had a big sign in both doorways that said "Credit Card Machines are down, Cash Only!".

Well your Target's fucked up!

All the ones in the two districts that I worked in had the swiper.

I should know. I got my finger caught in one once.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:49:19 AM EDT

[#47]

Quoted:

Quoted:
My brother runs a cash-only restaurant in Wisconsin. Works very well $$$ wise, but they have a little ATM machine by the restrooms (it's a money maker too).

If advertised as such or not displaying that you do take CC This is also plenty fair

Yes, event e wait-staff's black shirts say "Cash Only" in bight yellow on the back.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:49:33 AM EDT

[#48]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I went to a restaurant one time that only took American Express. Surprise surprise. Fortunately I was able to go to the restaurant next door and they ran my Visa on their machine for the place we ate at. The next day I got an American Express.

Fortunately I was able to go to the restaurant next door and they ran my Visa on their machine for the place we ate at.

how does that work?

Cash back I'd assume.

And to manually type in, I've read a couple percent extra CC charge is normal.

I'm also pretty sure that the bank that we're contracted to use for our machines does not do the whole manual thing. Especially considering 99% of cards out there are chip cards now.

Edit- That reminds me. Are chip cards common in the US now?

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:52:45 AM EDT

[#49]

Quoted:

I rarely ever carry cash anymore. Same for my chick. Last night, we went out to eat at a place that's CC and Cash only. No big deal, between the two of us, we only carry 7 debit/credit cards

Anyway, we sit down, we eat, we go to pay, and then (and only then) do they tell us that their machine is broken and they're cash only.

Luckily an ATM machine was across the street, but what if their hadn't been?

They advertise that they take a certain form of payment, then won't, what do you do?

You made it sound like they had some foul intent...system problems happen; life isn't perfect.

Posted: 3/13/2011 11:55:58 AM EDT

[#50]

Quoted:
Cash is king and allows you to negotiate prices.

Im also jewish so I can tell you exactly how much is in my wallet.

$1017.95 right now.

T

The "fuck I lost my wallet" thread will be awesome.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Restaurant advertises they take CCs, then won't, what do you do? (Page 1 of 3)

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