Metropol

Philip wrote:Don't Asda have oddly branded Asda Wal-Mart Superstores?

Those are "Supercentres".

In Asda's world:
Supermarkets are the ex-Netto convenience/discounter challenge offering
Superstores are 'normal' largeish Asdas with a George
Supercentres are hypermarkets with extended George and Home ranges. For a bit these were selectively co-branded, and most which received it still have it (Asda West Bridgford is an example of a *massive* supercentre which for some reason never got the Wal-mart label beyond "part of the Wal*Mart family").

We use to have a small Disney concession years ago when the Co-op have the LIVING department store. The Asda by my workplace still has Wal-mart branding.

In the Little Waitrose I went to today I paid by card but did it via swiping and signing the receipt instead of Chip and PIN? I thought Chip and PIN became compulsory at some point, so why would Waitrose of all places be the ones to abandon it? The person who served me seemed a bit confused by it at first, asking me to put my card in when the screen on the card reader said 'swipe card', but then knew everything to do in such a rehearsed manner it was as if they often don't use Chip and PIN...

They sometimes don't work if the chip is dirty, also I think they do on the spot checks now and again too.

I'm sure the chip isn't the reason I had to swipe, because the terminal said 'swipe' before I'd put the card in, which is directly avoiding Chip and PIN, which is odd. Maybe it's because Waitrose think card-fraudsters would look obviously un-middle class so wouldn't allow them through the door anyway...

In other news, I still enjoy being called 'sir' in a supermarket.

Some Chip & Pin pads have a bit more independence when it comes to that sort of thing. Some will say "use mag swipe" when the chip is mucky but won't just let you polish the chip and re-insert, instead requiring the tender be cancelled on the EPOS and then card payment restarted to reset the pad itself. Others will see the insertion of a new card as a chance to recheck

Been ages since I've seen a "use magnetic stripe" instruction. Nowadays the transaction just fails (typically treated as 'declined' by self -service tills).

WillPS wrote:Been ages since I've seen a "use magnetic stripe" instruction. Nowadays the transaction just fails (typically treated as 'declined' by self -service tills).

Bringing this over as I assume it was posted in the wrong thread...

But yes, reading about the whole Chip and PIN thing a lot of the literature says swipe transactions will just be declined when the card has the capability to do Chip and PIN, unless the card doesn't have a chip or it's a 'chip and signature' card for those who have a disability that prevents them using a PIN, so I'm quite surprised it was authorised! What confused me most was the way the 'colleague' (as I believe Waitrose call them, even if they're not my colleagues) responded, knowing what to do as if it is a regularity, with a well rehearsed speech of 'we're doing it the old fashioned way today, if you could just sign whilst I check the card'. I haven't used swipe+sign in years and I never see anyone else doing it!

Right, just to put this one to bed....

Used two separate self-service tills at Paddington Sainsbury's these past two nights while I've been on lates. On both occasions entered my card into the C&P reader while the screen was at the "select payment type" option. On both occasions it then went to a screen saying "Please press the card button".

New style logo (with JJ Abrams lens flash on the Safeway-style wavy line), uses the font that isn't Interstate or the wackier LSD-inspired brother of comic sans, but rather is the one that looks like a distant cousin of the Guardian Font that only comes round for Boxing Day every year.

End of story. And if you still don't believe me, next time i'll video it.

I remember the early days when the first self serve checkouts came to my local Tesco and looking at them like they were some kind of intriguing invention. This must have been about 2005/2006ish.

Anyway the machines weren't capable of using Chip & PIN machines and only had a mag strip swipe facility. Unbelievably once you swiped the card that was the end of the transaction, no need to sign anything, not even a receipt.

Needless to say it wasn't long until they did install Chip & PIN devices on them but it was a shockingly easy way to commit fraud in the early days.

Alexia wrote:Right, just to put this one to bed....

Used two separate self-service tills at Paddington Sainsbury's these past two nights while I've been on lates. On both occasions entered my card into the C&P reader while the screen was at the "select payment type" option. On both occasions it then went to a screen saying "Please press the card button".

New style logo (with JJ Abrams lens flash on the Safeway-style wavy line), uses the font that isn't Interstate or the wackier LSD-inspired brother of comic sans, but rather is the one that looks like a distant cousin of the Guardian Font that only comes round for Boxing Day every year.

End of story. And if you still don't believe me, next time i'll video it.

This behavior has been the case for ages, Alexia. I don't believe JS Self-Services have ever automatically launched the payment screen - to my knowledge the only ones who ever have are Tesco.