6 ms·

How would you propose recording electronic payments and linking data back to restock/procurement while offline?

atatatat 5y ago
Couch/Pouch offline-first PWA Manual fallback option when the most predictable failure scenario happens (only backend server fails)
rightbyte 5y ago
Like they used to do it? Store the transactions locally and send them later. Taxis still do that with their terminals.
gpm 5y ago
A credit card imprinting machine [1], and paper records of inventory change that can be uploaded afterwards. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7wutgAlNHk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7wutgAlNHk A few years ago, during a power outage, a stores clerk actually used one of these for/on me. I was pretty shocked ;)
- ceejayoz 5y ago
  Most of my cards don’t have embossed numbers these days.
  - gpm 5y ago
    Strange, I think all credit (not debit) cards here do. Might be regional.
    - kzrdude 5y ago
      In sweden they don't - at least not on the debit cards, which are common. They also just removed the holder's signature field too, nobody ever uses that (it's authenticated with pin + optional ID).
    - wrycoder 5y ago
      I'm in the US - my latest Mastercard has chip and stripe, but no embossing. The number, exp, and cvv are all on the backside.
  - reaperducer 5y ago
    The embossing is a convenience. The clerk writes the number in the space provided if there is no embossed number. They did the same thing in the 70's if your card was worn down. This is a solved problem.
hellbannedguy 5y ago
1. Require cash. 2. Have clerks write down what is needed on the shelfs.
- dijit 5y ago
  Cash is incredibly rare in Sweden these days. But Swish (mobile payments) could work.
- DavidVoid 5y ago
  >1. Require cash. They'd have to make that very clear at the entrance to the store. This is just a guess, but I think most Swedes don't carry enough cash to even pay for groceries when they go shopping. I haven't had any paper money in years, just a few coins.
- swarnie_ 5y ago
  Cash makes up less then 15% of transactions in my country. It would be less disruptive to just close the store.
  - radiator 5y ago
    But if the store in question would accept cash, then it could at least server some of its customers. I expect it would not only be 15% of the customers. I would add those customers who are, you know, a little capable of adapting to circumstances and would actually go to their ATM to pick up some cash if they don't have any in their wallet. If not, I guess they don't need those groceries so urgently.
    - guerrilla 5y ago
      > go to their ATM I think you're underestimating how little we use cash. There aren't even ATMs in some parts of town and there are plenty of villages without one for tens of miles. Nobody uses cash anymore. It's all either debit cards or direct transfers (either via and app or the bank.)
- wrycoder 5y ago
sschueller 5y ago
This is not that hard. Each store can keep a local record of what is going on. Back in the "dark ages" this was done anyway, credit card transactions were settled at the end of the day. Inventory at a physical location can be tracked locally and updates sent to a central system later to figure out what needs to be restocked where. Unlike other distributed databases you don't have one store selling an item of food from another store (especially if your online system is down) and need to do a split brain recomp.
- OskarS 5y ago
  Enough people rely on debit cards nowadays that only work online that it would still cause significant disruption. Enough that it's probably not worth keeping the stores open until it can be fixed.
  - londons_explore 5y ago
    Many card machines can work 'online' but not using the stores own servers.
- guerrilla 5y ago
  I don't even know a single person with a credit card here. Everything is done with debit cards which require being online to check the balance and reject the transaction if it's insufficient.
prepend 5y ago
Distributed databases are cool. There are a couple of approaches that could involve multiple payment providers over redundant networks so switch to something else. For inventory, since it’s likely only temporary transactions can be stored locally and then synced when back online. Theoretically the design could be distributed all the time and just keep working the same while disconnected with some potential reorders and restocks slowed down or delayed. Or, you know, blockchain inventory or something.

Couch/Pouch offline-first PWA Manual fallback option when the most predictable failure scenario happens (only backend server fails)

rightbyte 5y ago

Like they used to do it? Store the transactions locally and send them later. Taxis still do that with their terminals.

gpm 5y ago

A credit card imprinting machine [1], and paper records of inventory change that can be uploaded afterwards. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7wutgAlNHk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7wutgAlNHk A few years ago, during a power outage, a stores clerk actually used one of these for/on me. I was pretty shocked ;)

ceejayoz 5y ago
Most of my cards don’t have embossed numbers these days.
- gpm 5y ago
  Strange, I think all credit (not debit) cards here do. Might be regional.
  - kzrdude 5y ago
    In sweden they don't - at least not on the debit cards, which are common. They also just removed the holder's signature field too, nobody ever uses that (it's authenticated with pin + optional ID).
  - wrycoder 5y ago
    I'm in the US - my latest Mastercard has chip and stripe, but no embossing. The number, exp, and cvv are all on the backside.
- reaperducer 5y ago
  The embossing is a convenience. The clerk writes the number in the space provided if there is no embossed number. They did the same thing in the 70's if your card was worn down. This is a solved problem.

hellbannedguy 5y ago

1. Require cash. 2. Have clerks write down what is needed on the shelfs.

dijit 5y ago
Cash is incredibly rare in Sweden these days. But Swish (mobile payments) could work.
DavidVoid 5y ago
>1. Require cash. They'd have to make that very clear at the entrance to the store. This is just a guess, but I think most Swedes don't carry enough cash to even pay for groceries when they go shopping. I haven't had any paper money in years, just a few coins.
swarnie_ 5y ago
Cash makes up less then 15% of transactions in my country. It would be less disruptive to just close the store.
- radiator 5y ago
  But if the store in question would accept cash, then it could at least server some of its customers. I expect it would not only be 15% of the customers. I would add those customers who are, you know, a little capable of adapting to circumstances and would actually go to their ATM to pick up some cash if they don't have any in their wallet. If not, I guess they don't need those groceries so urgently.
  - guerrilla 5y ago
    > go to their ATM I think you're underestimating how little we use cash. There aren't even ATMs in some parts of town and there are plenty of villages without one for tens of miles. Nobody uses cash anymore. It's all either debit cards or direct transfers (either via and app or the bank.)
wrycoder 5y ago

sschueller 5y ago

This is not that hard. Each store can keep a local record of what is going on. Back in the "dark ages" this was done anyway, credit card transactions were settled at the end of the day. Inventory at a physical location can be tracked locally and updates sent to a central system later to figure out what needs to be restocked where. Unlike other distributed databases you don't have one store selling an item of food from another store (especially if your online system is down) and need to do a split brain recomp.

OskarS 5y ago
Enough people rely on debit cards nowadays that only work online that it would still cause significant disruption. Enough that it's probably not worth keeping the stores open until it can be fixed.
- londons_explore 5y ago
  Many card machines can work 'online' but not using the stores own servers.
guerrilla 5y ago
I don't even know a single person with a credit card here. Everything is done with debit cards which require being online to check the balance and reject the transaction if it's insufficient.

prepend 5y ago

Distributed databases are cool. There are a couple of approaches that could involve multiple payment providers over redundant networks so switch to something else. For inventory, since it’s likely only temporary transactions can be stored locally and then synced when back online. Theoretically the design could be distributed all the time and just keep working the same while disconnected with some potential reorders and restocks slowed down or delayed. Or, you know, blockchain inventory or something.