Why does using a chip credit card at the pump take so much less time than using one in the store?
In: Technology
Partly because they insist on asking 20 questions.
Do you have a membership card?
Credit or Debt?
Enter you Zip Code/Pin.
Would you like a carwash?
Would you like a octane boost?
Do you want a receipt?
Most times if I’m going in the store for something I’ll just pre pay for gas because its so much faster.
Transactions at self serve pumps are often offline, so the card will say this person is good for certain amount of money. After you’ve filled up, the transaction is sent to your bank and taken from your account. Transactions in the store are often online, so a request is sent over the internet to your bank to check if you have available funds. Online transactions have to go through various networks and be processed by software so it takes longer.
Source: I implemented a debit card system for a bank.
Pumps are typically using swipe, not chip, for processing transactions. That’s why it takes so much less time.
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