Swiping before chip and pin?

xbenjiiman

xbenjiiman

xbenjiiman

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Joined
4 Feb 2011
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580
Location
Halifax
So this happened today. I went to a clothes shop in town (Officers Club) and bought some new shoes. The guy at the checkout scans the shoes and I go to pay with my card. Just before I put it in the chip and pin machine he grabs it and says "I just have to swipe this", proceeding to swipe it in the till and gives it back to me to put in the chip and pin. I asked him what he did it for and he just says "Oh we just have to". Didn't look like any sort of skimmer, since I could clearly see him swiping it on the keyboard attached to the till.

Anyone else experienced this? Seems very weird to me.
 
Never encountered that before in my life. Very strange. :/

I'd have probably asked to take a look at the swipe scanner, to see if it was detachable from the keyboard. Sounds a bit brazen for skimming, though. How weird.
 
I've had this a few times, never had a problem with it. I'm sure there's a few different chip and pin systems, probably you can swipe some of them.
 
I've had this done, but i dont like it and refuse.
put my card in with pin number still
A few shops around here have it now(scan with no pin)
 
^

I think what the OP is describing here is a little different. The teller took his card, swiped it in a reader and then handed it back to him to complete the full normal chip and PIN procedure... ie. inserting the card into the reader and then entering his PIN. Seems like a very uncommon/unnecessary step in the swiping.
 
Pestilence said:
^

I think what the OP is describing here is a little different. The teller took his card, swiped it in a reader and then handed it back to him to complete the full normal chip and PIN procedure... ie. inserting the card into the reader and then entering his PIN. Seems like a very uncommon/unnecessary step in the swiping.
Click to expand...

Yeah, this. He swiped it and then I had to complete the sale using the chip and pin.
 
I have seen it a couple of times before.... typically when the card machine is completely separate from the till system (Halfords used to do a similar thing a few years ago)

I'm suprised that there are stores still doing it today though
 
We had to do this when I worked in retail years ago. You scanned the card to make sure it was not stolen or "wanted" first, and then processed it for payment. I can't remember what the system was called but it was to protect the merchant and customer from card fraud.
 
We had this when I worked for O2. We had to swipe it on the tills then put it in the card machine. It was because the payment system was separate to the tills therefore we did this to marry the two receipts.
 
Lopéz said:
We had to do this when I worked in retail years ago. You scanned the card to make sure it was not stolen or "wanted" first, and then processed it for payment. I can't remember what the system was called but it was to protect the merchant and customer from card fraud.
Click to expand...

While this does sound like a perfectly reasonable reason, it would have saved a lot of confusion and worry if he was told this.

I think i'd be wary of it too, I think i've only had to scan my card a couple of times when the chip+pin wouldn't work.
 
I'm sure a couple of places around here still do this. Was the first swipe in a slot which is part of the till itself. If so I wouldn't worry personally.
 
They used to do it in PC World too, I'm sure.

Almost certain I recall thinking it was odd that a "technology company" had such archaic systems.
 
Yep. It will be to record the card details against the sale in a system seperste to the payment chip and pin system.

Rare, but not unusual.
 
I work for a retail company and some people do it in our stores, it's to get your details for the store client list normally it's followed by can I get your post code or email address. He probably just swiped it so it looks like he has been taking client details and keep his percentage up
 
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