EFTPoS / Credit / Debit card read error woes.

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Forums › Finance and wealth management › EFTPoS / Credit / Debit card read error woes.

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netseeder

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#167419 26-Sep-2008 18:18

I've had the same problems ALL the time with my Kiwibank card. It will read fine at ATMs, and the old school eftpos machines, but the new eftpos machines are hopeless. They even feel like sh!t using them, and they are even worse when they can't read my card and the operator has to try tricks like putting tape on my card or a plastic bag. This is the only machine that will always work for me:

SNicolle

539 posts

Ultimate Geek

#167428 26-Sep-2008 19:07

I have those kind of issues from time to time. I primarily use a NBNZ credit card, it has good legs but I usually get it replaced before its 2 year expiry date.

I got a new AMEX for work recently and in some cabs it doesn't swipe and some it does. A bit of the pain but I think it is old equipment and general wear and tear. The thing that frustrates me the most is employees who double swipe cards (down and up/ back and forth) when it isn't really necessary and shortens the life of my card due to physical wear and tear.

Sounds like this isn't an uncommon problem.

RmACK

196 posts

Master Geek

#167430 26-Sep-2008 19:22

I know what you mean & they usually do it at ridiculously high speed so you just imagine the heat being generated. The only thing worse is those ones who triple swipe up down up and then look smug like they just did something really cool.

natedog

120 posts

Master Geek

#167433 26-Sep-2008 20:17

I have a Westpac Mastercard that I regularly strike trouble with when using it in machines (such as parking/fuel machines). The card is one of those ones which has a corner missing. Works fine in ordinary eftpos machines and ATM's but any other machines that you have to physically insert the card into don't want to seem to read it! Other cards work fine in the same machine. Very annoying!!!

shermanp

355 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#167436 26-Sep-2008 20:45

I feel sorry for all you guys...
My old TSB cashflow card got put through every type of EFTPOS/ATM slot imaginable, and I never had any problems with it whatsoever. The card was getting on in years however, and developed a split in one end (right over the magnetic strip no less). Card STILL worked perfectly but I thought I'd better replace it.
Walk into bank, ask for new card, lady pulls one out of stack, attatches it to my account, I put in PIN number and walk out with new card, while paying a fee of $0.

I expect to get just as long and trouble free a life from my new card as I got from my old one :D

*Whistles*

PenultimateHop

637 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#167445 26-Sep-2008 22:50

I'm in a similar position as shermanp - my cards seem to last forever. I basically live off my credit cards (due to travel), and I have never had to replace a card prior to expiry. The cards are usually completely knackered by the time it the expiry date is up, for instance one Amex card now no longer has a signature panel and the front side of the card where it gets swiped is now a very blurry mess of colours, but it works just fine - everywhere in the world. I have a 4 month old Visa where the Visa logo is gone, and there are huge white strips on the front of it from being swiped (aggressively) through terminals - often repeatedly until they figure out that it has to go into the chip reader - which is something else that seems to stump merchants in NZ!

I also have a 10 year old ASB Cashflow card that has completely delaminated and works fine in every ATM it gets used in, all around the world.

The only card I have issues with is a CBA MasterCard that seems to have developed some kind of scunge on the magstrip from where it sits in my wallet, it occasionally takes a few swipes.

Most of the mis-reads I've seen have been due to dirty equipment, rather than the cards themselves.

NB: New AmEx cards (and a few other issuers) seem to use mag strips which are narrower than previously, which I think might contribute to some of the read errors on newer model cards.

NokiaRocks

364 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#167452 27-Sep-2008 01:19

netseeder: I've had the same problems ALL the time with my Kiwibank card. It will read fine at ATMs, and the old school eftpos machines, but the new eftpos machines are hopeless. They even feel like sh!t using them, and they are even worse when they can't read my card and the operator has to try tricks like putting tape on my card or a plastic bag. This is the only machine that will always work for me:

That model cant be used anymore as it is not EMV compliant.

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netseeder

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#167465 27-Sep-2008 09:38

That's weird coz I'm sure thats what they use in some stores in Hamilton. Maybe I'm wrong.

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