If you use your ATM or Credit card, it will not be approved unless you have more balance on your card that your total bill.

Example: If you have $20 left on your card, $25 in groceries will not be approved. Running it 5 times will not make a difference.

I've seen people run 3 or 4 cards before they found one that wasn't at the limit.

Haven't we all been on line behind somebody who is trying this?

It seems to happen more frequently in the "10 items or fewer" express lane.

When I see someone go through that, especially in today's economy, I really feel for them.

I saw a young mother doing something similar ($30-ish) with her child next to her. I just said "Merry Christmas" and paid for it.

The hug and tears in mom's eyes was all the thanks I needed.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
When I see someone go through that, especially in today's economy, I really feel for them.

Yep.

Now, if they're getting declined while trying to buy a carton of cigarettes and a pack of energy drinks, that's different.

But someone who's struggling to afford basic food items deserves my help, not my scorn.

quote:

But someone who's struggling to afford basic food items deserves my help, not my scorn.

Absolutely! If they are struggling with the necessities, I am willing to help.

Today's economy? Drive up and done a main road. See how many help wanted signs are out.

When unemployment was high, we donated food and time to food banks. We donated holiday meals to families.

quote:

Originally posted by ulsterman:
Today's economy? Drive up and done a main road. See how many help wanted signs are out.

When unemployment was high, we donated food and time to food banks. We donated holiday meals to families.

if your first grader has to stay home for school (granted many schools are open for attendance) and daycare isn't affordable - how to you justify leaving the kid at home?

I understand the comment however; some parents need to stay home until their kid(s) reach a certain age.

And just because they're broke doesn't mean they're unemployed, or a bum. There are plenty of "working poor" out there.

Most of those help wanted signs you see are entry level/minimum wage positions that likely wouldn't pay any more than what they're currently making. Plus there are other legitimate situations that can limit someone's ability to work.

I've been there before, making just enough from my full time job to pay the bills, and little more. (And lucky me, I made juuuuust over the limit for government assistance too, so no food stamps or other help there.) Any unexpected expense, like a medical issue, or my car battery crapping out and having to replace it, or gas doubling in price to nearly $4/gallon, would mean skimping on groceries that paycheck. The only reason why I never found myself getting declined at the register is that I was super anal about tracking my bank account balance and was able to do mental math as I shopped, partly because I wanted to avoid the shame of having to decide which food to put back while people in line behind me stared and judged.

but to ulsterman's point, trying your card a second time is understandable. by the fifth or tenth time, the card's owner should have a clue...

There should be error messages: generic "didn't work, try again" vs "insufficient funds"

I've had similar problems w/ CC while travelling - I have good credit and amble balance. Yet my CC would get rejected but only in certain stores, not other stores. No error messages other than didn't work.

Need better error messages.

This shit happens to me every single time I am at the grocery store. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

It is always a person who maxes out their EBT card, then uses their personal card for the majority of the remaining balance, and then digs into their bra, shoe, waistband, what have you until a sweaty, boob cheese covered bill is produced. The same people will often be with their Auntie, Grand Auntie, Nay-Nay etc and put all of their shit on the conveyor belt and have the cashier break it up into two separate transactions. This is why I go to Whole Paycheck and Fresh Market almost exclusively now.

I’ve had my limitless card declined before several times.

Made people in line wait until they restarted their system. Worked fine after that.

I made zero excuses, don’t give a shit if they think I can’t afford it behind me.

I have one credit card that is nowhere near the limit. Paid in full every month and always, without exception, has several thousand dollars available to use.

This card works fine everywhere I use it, except two places:

1. It fails every time I try to use it at 4 Rivers BBQ, and
   
   
2. It fails at every location I have tried, of a national pizza chain.

Funny thing about the pizza places -- I have the card registered with their app, and if I pre-order and pay through the app, it works. But if I try to use the card at a terminal in one of the stores, it fails.

The error messages at both the BBQ place and the pizza joints indicate some sort of system error, not lack of funds.

quote:

Originally posted by OttoSig:
I’ve had my limitless card declined before several times.

Made people in line wait until they restarted their system. Worked fine after that.

I made zero excuses, don’t give a shit if they think I can’t afford it behind me.

Nice. Thanks for reminding me of something.

I got my first credit card about 1985, A 500 dollar limit.
They started sending me offers,sign here and we'll up your limit.
I ignored them. Then they just started uppying my limit automatically.
I think my credit limit now is over 25,000 . What a joke. I pay bill off
in full every month.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
When I see someone go through that, especially in today's economy, I really feel for them.

I saw a young mother doing something similar ($30-ish) with her child next to her. I just said "Merry Christmas" and paid for it.

The hug and tears in mom's eyes was all the thanks I needed.

Good on you LS1 GTO. I’ve done similar. Like V-Tail I have only one CC, not counting my Nordstrom CC that I use only at Nordstrom to get the better price (and “points”) there.

Paying with a debit card is begging to get cleaned out by fraud. My debit cards are used for nothing but getting cash at the ATM or, on rare occasions, paying at the grocery store because getting $100 cash back costs nothing at most stores or, at most, $.50 at others. If someone compromises my Amex, I don't care. It might be a headache, but I won't be on the hook for a dime. If my debit card gets double swiped or compromised, the thieves could clean out my checking account and I'd probably not be rescued by the bank.

I have countless customers who don't have any credit cards, but who live on their debit cards. At least 3-4x a month I get calls that they have changed bank accounts due to fraud on their debit cards and they got cleaned out ... without having much to clean out to begin with.

quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee:
Paying with a debit card is begging to get cleaned out by fraud...

Interesting. In all the years I've been using my debit card, I've never had an issue with it.
And I use it for almost everything. Gas station, groceries, Costco, etc.

My VISA card, however, has been hacked several times. And it's not used nearly as often as my debit card.

quote:

Originally posted by mod29:

quote:

Originally posted by Rick Lee:
Paying with a debit card is begging to get cleaned out by fraud...

Interesting. In all the years I've been using my debit card, I've never had an issue with it.
And I use it for almost everything. Gas station, groceries, Costco, etc.

My VISA card, however, has been hacked several times. And it's not used nearly as often as my debit card.

My debit card info was stolen, I believe at a gas station swipe. Luckily the fraud department knew I wasn't in Afghanistan and declined the transaction. They thought it was interesting that the charge was done using an actual swipe. I was told they used my info to create an actual card.

Now I use my rewards credit card for all transactions. I carry zero balance. Nevertheless there have been times when multiple swipe attempts failed and I had to switch cards. No doubt the EBT users behind me felt bad that I had to actually pay for my groceries.