Comments on: Accept, Clear or Cancel? http://www.theangriestpharmacist.com/2007/02/10/accept-clear-or-cancel/ You want your prescription filled when? Eat shit... Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:57:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: MW http://www.theangriestpharmacist.com/2007/02/10/accept-clear-or-cancel/comment-page-1/#comment-4585 MW Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:14:50 +0000 http://www.theangriestpharmacist.com/?p=10#comment-4585 Late to the party, I know, but in my defense: I have one of them new-newfangled debit cards. It draws money from my checking account (like an ATM card or a check) but it also can draw through the MasterCard network (like a credit card.) At some of them new-new-newfangled POS stations, I can select, with my little button head, whether I want to use the card as an ATM card - in which case I put in my PIN number, but don't have to sign - or as a credit card - in which case I don't put in my PIN number, but may have to sign. It used to make more difference (and may soon again since banks are resurrecting all kinds of old fees) in that some kinds of bank accounts have limits on how many of each kind of use you could do before a fee applied, or different limits on how much money you could take out at one time (or in a day) through each kind of use. It also affects how much the merchant is charged and how much of a fee the bank has to pay to the payment processor. So I usually have a preference as to which kind of transaction I want. However, POS terminal manufacturers/programmers/retailers do not have a consistent method for indicating one's preference. USUALLY, what happens is I swipe my card and it assumes I want to use it as an ATM card (put in my PIN.) The most frequent way to tell it I don't want to do that is to hit CANCEL. It then either assumes I meant credit card, or asks me if I want credit, debit, or to do something else. HOWEVER, this is far from universal, which means if I let myself get in the habit of pressing CANCEL, which I do from time to time, if I am confronted with a POS which doesn't do things that way I will just cancel the transaction and have to start all over again, perplexing and dismaying the innocent merchant. I'm really NOT stupid, I swear to you. I am being presented with inconsistent and often non-apparent choice requirements. (There are some of them where the CASHIER has to do something. There are some of them where the cashier has to do it before I swipe my card. There are some where they have to do it afterward. Cashiers never, ever volunteer this information in advance. Ever.) That being said, I hasten to add that most of your customers are probably dipshits who wouldn't do it right even if it wasn't so screwed up. I'm just asking for you to confirm your target before you fire. Late to the party, I know, but in my defense:

I have one of them new-newfangled debit cards. It draws money from my checking account (like an ATM card or a check) but it also can draw through the MasterCard network (like a credit card.) At some of them new-new-newfangled POS stations, I can select, with my little button head, whether I want to use the card as an ATM card – in which case I put in my PIN number, but don’t have to sign – or as a credit card – in which case I don’t put in my PIN number, but may have to sign.

It used to make more difference (and may soon again since banks are resurrecting all kinds of old fees) in that some kinds of bank accounts have limits on how many of each kind of use you could do before a fee applied, or different limits on how much money you could take out at one time (or in a day) through each kind of use. It also affects how much the merchant is charged and how much of a fee the bank has to pay to the payment processor. So I usually have a preference as to which kind of transaction I want.

However, POS terminal manufacturers/programmers/retailers do not have a consistent method for indicating one’s preference. USUALLY, what happens is I swipe my card and it assumes I want to use it as an ATM card (put in my PIN.) The most frequent way to tell it I don’t want to do that is to hit CANCEL. It then either assumes I meant credit card, or asks me if I want credit, debit, or to do something else.

HOWEVER, this is far from universal, which means if I let myself get in the habit of pressing CANCEL, which I do from time to time, if I am confronted with a POS which doesn’t do things that way I will just cancel the transaction and have to start all over again, perplexing and dismaying the innocent merchant. I’m really NOT stupid, I swear to you. I am being presented with inconsistent and often non-apparent choice requirements. (There are some of them where the CASHIER has to do something. There are some of them where the cashier has to do it before I swipe my card. There are some where they have to do it afterward. Cashiers never, ever volunteer this information in advance. Ever.)

That being said, I hasten to add that most of your customers are probably dipshits who wouldn’t do it right even if it wasn’t so screwed up. I’m just asking for you to confirm your target before you fire.

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