Every store seems to have a different reader

All but one of my cards (the exception is the Academy card) now have that thing where you tap it, but Walmart's reader still requires inserting or swiping. Another store lets me get cash back with a purchase using a debit card, but this function doesn't work if I tap the card; it has to be inserted. But another store lets me do it either way. That said, this is a First World Problem.

My daughter has commented on the variety of systems, capabilities, and requirements. I think she referred to them as "a bunch of f'n IQ tests".

It’s one of the three: swipe, insert or tap/hover. What’s the big deal?

It would be nice if they could at least standardize on the location of the 'Non-Contact' tap/hover sensor...You know, kinda like the automobile industry adopted a global standard on the location of the gas and brake pedals! It seems it's in a different location in every POS Credit Card Reader, and you have to guess/hunt for it EVERY time!

I don't think it's very hard to figure any of them out. Whether they will always function properly with your card is a different matter.

POS is a deep and wide market. (Point of Sale).

Safety is not an issue.

quote:

It’s one of the three: swipe, insert or tap/hover. What’s the big deal?

^^^^^^^^^^
That was not my question. Lets introduce a lack of uniformity in all our choices. You know make life more difficult. Watch people try to pull open a glass door that has PUSH written on it.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
It’s one of the three: swipe, insert or tap/hover. What’s the big deal?

The small irritation I have with no uniformity is when it comes to me using my debit card. When it asks for a PIN, I do not want to enter one so my card is processed as a credit card. Everywhere is different on how to bypass the PIN; yellow button, red button, back button, etc. When I thought they were all the same when they first came out, most times I then ended up accidentally canceling the transaction when I hit the button another retailer used. I like H-E-B, because the option of the word “bypass PIN” actually comes up.

I’ll give an example of where I think Michael is headed:

If I go to Lowe’s in the town where I work and use my Lowe’s card, I have to put it through the reader such that the magnetic stripe is to the right. When I’m shopping at Lowe’s in the town where I live, I find that the machines are set up such that the stripe goes to the left.

Same chain of stores, different types of readers.

Mildly irritating, no doubt.

- - - - -

ETA: There’s no chip on my ancient card.

The "evolution" is moving to 'no touch' processing.

In the beginning, the "air gap" was very large and the "close proximity theft" reading of cards occurred.

Now the idea is the "tap" where the card must be laid flat on the reader.


I believe the most likely thing soon, is the phone will be the "source", with the ability to select what payment account to use, and direct close distance (mm to couple cm) interrogation, that will need your "authorization" on the phone side rather than it be "automatically" and no need to type on the POS device.

This will prevent "hackcess" to a card, and the reader will simply be a terminal connection at the POS. No screen, no buttons, only close proximity to connect and use your phone in place of the merchant's equipment.

So, the "universal" will arrive soon.

Our Walmart still doesn't have tap-to-pay. They are like the Waffle House of Walmarts.

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
It would be nice if they could at least standardize on the location of the 'Non-Contact' tap/hover sensor...You know, kinda like the automobile industry adopted a global standard on the location of the gas and brake pedals! It seems it's in a different location in every POS Credit Card Reader, and you have to guess/hunt for it EVERY time!

This is a giant pet peeve of mine. There’s absolutely no standardization whatsoever and it’s all a guessing game.

I think it's driven by the card payment processing companies; there's several credit card processing companies that have their own hardware/software system.

There's also the different needs of the merchant. A company like Wallmart has to tie in the credit card reader into their inventory and finance systems. I don't know if Walmart does it but quite possible like big chains like Jamba Juice required hourly aggregation of the numbers. A small stand alone store doesn't need all that and to capture that market, the CC processing company would offer simpler readers without all that complexity.

Readers are IO devices, all the processing you're referring to is at the application level.

Card processing companies are "middle men" and not involved in design of equipment, but there are interactions between the various people in the all areas of Retail, Processing, Banking etc. to ensure security, and some "standards", and why there is not more involvement with ergonomics and motion study has always baffled me.

My question (after years of direct observation) is why does the engineer not get his butt out of the chair and try the damned thing he is designing/developing himself to see how it does or does not work?

Hard to believe no engineer of the POS card readers has never used one...

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
POS is a deep and wide market. (Point of Sale).

Safety is not an issue.

Maybe not for the customer's safety, but you can bet that merchant and care issuer safety are top priorities.

When I volunteer at gun shows (which are pretty much the only time I handle credit card payments) I find myself wishing for the classic click/clack "take an imprint of the card" readers. Easy to use, and it is evident when you get a good "read." We get a lot of fraud when users (mis-)enter card numbers by hand on a form, just to get the swag, as the card numbers are not verified at the time of reading.

Those portable WiFi readers (Clover, Square, etc.) are very unreliable and hard to configure/use. Almost impossible for a first time user even with printed instructions at hand. Very particular about the phone/mobile device with which they are used.

And, as the monkey said, engineers do not seem to design for their user base, not unlike auto endine designers that locate routine maintenance items like filters and spark plugs in inaccessible locations, or mailer programmers that hide the delete button in some otherwise unused menu.

I have long sought a TV that automatically mutes commercial messages, and a remote where the mute button is the largest and most obvious one on the device. I will not believe that some engineer somewhere has not had the same idea.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
It’s one of the three: swipe, insert or tap/hover. What’s the big deal?

“You have to push the green button.”
“Don’t tap until the screen changes.”
“You have to hold your card on it for it to register.”
“It didn’t read it, tap again.”
“You tapped too soon, you have to wait for the green light. Let me reset it.”
“You might need to wipe your card off for it to read the chip.”
“Insert it again, you had it in backwards.” (It wasn’t backwards, the chip was in the reader)
“You’ll have to swipe it, it’s not liking your card’s chip.”

Ad nausea.

Admittedly, a lot of places have decent readers that pick up the card’s chip seemingly instantly, but I’ve encountered all of the above and more plenty of times. They’re all different, and some of them don’t work well.

quote:

My question (after years of direct observation) is why does the engineer not get his butt out of the chair and try the damned thing he is designing/developing himself to see how it does or does not work?

^^^^^^^^^^^
Exactly. A convience store card reader had two buttons one in red and one in green. You press the red button to accept the transaction. The guy behind the counter spends all day instructing them to press the green button to accept.

My irritation is when the tap point is under the damn screen and you don't know whether it is approved or not.

The same reason all automobiles aren't the same. It's called the Free Market.