contactless card transaction declined

[CT1212]

A customer's contactless card transaction was declined but my staff didn't notice it. The amount is £89. I have the CCTV footage to show that the customer took away the goods. Is there any way I can phone my merchant service provider, provide the CCTV footage as proof and ask them to put the transaction through? What is the best way forward? I would really appreciate your advice on this.

 

[Smithco]

I'd be inclined to deduct it from the staff member who made the mistake.

 

[CT1212]

Of course she didn't do it intentionally, but this is the second time she has done it. First time was £95, this time £89. I am seriously thinking about whether I should tell her that if this happens the third time, she will have to pay for it out of her own wages.

 

[fisicx]

Apparently this is quite common in supermarkets. People touch and go, pretending the payment is made when they didn’t hold for long enough.

As an aside, a lot of builders use the deodorants and then go get their sarnies for lunch. Top tip from the lady on checkout, never get the can from the front.

 

[Smithco]

She's not doing her job is she? She's not bothered because it isn't her money. Make it her money and it'll stop.

 

[UrbanRetail]

How is your POS system allowing the sale to be completed with a failed contactless payment?

 

[CT1212]

How is your POS system allowing the sale to be completed with a failed contactless payment?

We are using an old fashioned till. Perhaps I should switch to a Epos system in the new year, assuming the EPOS system will pick up all the failed contactless payments?

 

[UrbanRetail]

We are using an old fashioned till. Perhaps I should switch to a Epos system in the new year, assuming the EPOS system will pick up all the failed contactless payments?

I absolutely would, should pay for itself in no time! (jokes aside). Any POS system worth its salt should make mistakes like this nearly impossible, it would also help with reports etc

Is your current setup creating receipts for card transactions? If it is, I can't see how a staff member wouldn't notice. If it's not, it would appear to be a combination of a less than ideal till setup and a lack of staff concentration.

 

[CT1212]

No, we will have to ring up the transaction on the till for the contactless card transaction. Is there POS system you would recommend?

 

[thetiger2015]

Apparently this is quite common in supermarkets. People touch and go, pretending the payment is made when they didn’t hold for long enough.

As an aside, a lot of builders use the deodorants and then go get their sarnies for lunch. Top tip from the lady on checkout, never get the can from the front.

Some people cannot hear the beep. My elderly parents struggle with contactless, they rely on the cashier to tell them the transaction has gone through but sometimes they're too busy chatting away and a few times they've almost walked out without paying. The cashier eventually noticed the payment was still pending.

I'm not sure on the best EPOS for retail at the moment. Ours is integrated with Shopify as we do 90% online sales but maybe try this: https://www.merchantsavvy.co.uk/epos-systems/

Others will have better suggestions.

 

[DontAsk]

Is your current setup creating receipts for card transactions?

A lot of places seem to have "no receipt" as the default for contactless, at least for small transections. I always ask for a receipt if I am not offered one.

Some people cannot hear the beep. My elderly parents struggle with contactless, they rely on the cashier to tell them the transaction has gone through

Unless they are also visually impaired they can simply look at the display on the reader.

 

[Paul Norman]

I suspect that a lot of contactless transactions fail without being noticed. Of course, a decent EPOS system would flag this - otherwise the staff will need to slow down and little and double check it has gone through.

 

[ecommerce84]

We had similar where I used to work when we had our card machines first replaced with contactless ones.

To solve it, I asked the staff to simply initial next to the ‘Approved/Authorised’ on the merchant card receipt slip before putting it in the till drawer, and this stopped the problem overnight.

We did then replace the till with a proper EPOS system which was far better still as it would flash up ‘Declined’ on the till.

I’m glad you haven’t docked her wages though as (aside from it being potentially illegal) I never feel staff should be penalised in this way.

 

[Pezza55]

I think they have increased the number of times customers need to enter their pin. I find that it can be every third time, roughly, that it then asks for your pin number. I would speak to the company you use for your card machine, there must be a cancellation code they may be able to track the cardholder. I would definitely speak to the employee, especially if this is the second time. We all make mistakes but this could become a costly one if it isn't stopped.

 

[fisicx]

I think they have increased the number of times customers need to enter their pin.

It's contactless. You don't need to enter a PIN. That's the whole point of contactless.

 

[DontAsk]

It's contactless. You don't need to enter a PIN. That's the whole point of contactless.

Yes you do, when your bank (or maybe the retailer's payment processor) decides to ask for it.

It happens every so often at our local PO, but nothing like every three transactions. I suspect that a larger transaction, which always requires a PIN, resets the counter.