8 ms·

If you go anywhere where they hold a tab open, such as a bar, you can't do that with tap/chip. Not that that's a blocker, since worst case you do a bunch of sin

If you go anywhere where they hold a tab open, such as a bar, you can't do that with tap/chip. Not that that's a blocker, since worst case you do a bunch of single transactions, but it's an annoyance.

krzyk 4y ago
Every time I'm in the US I'm amazed that I have give my card to the waiter who gets the card to some place and gets its back after few mins. Don't people have wireless terminals in the US like the rest of the world?
mbreese 4y ago
Originally I was thinking they could handle an open tab like a gas station — place a hold on the card for $X for an open tab. But then, the more I thought about it, I’m not sure I want to be the bartender that has to explain why there was a hold of $100 on a college kid’s debit card. Sorry you can’t buy lunch, but the hold will get released in a few days, so it’s ok! There’s got to be a better way…
- 2muchcoffeeman 4y ago
  You could just prepay $X. Then extend it every so often. Any remainder gets refunded at the end. Honestly, in Australia I have not swiped my CC in over a decade.
  - girvo 4y ago
    In some ways we are pretty spoiled here in Australia, with regards to fintech adoption. The local farmers markets either take cash or contactless (or both depending on the stall). Its the literal only remaining place that I visit that takes cash-only at some stalls. Everywhere else is all contactless, all the time.
    - 2muchcoffeeman 4y ago
      I suppose so. But it still blows me away that doing basic everyday payments in the largest economy in the world is still so poor and their physical money is terrible.
- Nextgrid 4y ago
  > Sorry you can’t buy lunch, but the hold will get released in a few days, so it’s ok! I've bought gas in France with a Monzo card and the pump was able to hold and release money immediately - ~150EUR hold initially, as soon as I put the pump down it adjusted to the real amount. Seems like the tech to make this happen does exist, it's just a matter of not using a shitty bank.
- ThePowerOfFuet 4y ago
  If the merchant is closing out the preauth correctly, the remainder of the hold is released on the spot.
bmitc 4y ago
Why is that? Due to older machines used or something else?
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
samatman 4y ago
Do you not give them the card, then they swipe it once at the end and you get it back? How does a stripe affect that?
- bri3d 4y ago
  There are a large number of “smart” tab systems in use in US bars where the system retains your magnetic stripe data for the duration of your visit. You pass off your card, it is swiped and immediately returned. If you don’t settle your tab, it’s automatically settled with a pre-set tip using the stored track data. It’s convenient for bar owners and patrons as the bar doesn’t have leftover cards to deal with and the patron doesn’t have to retrace their steps to recover their forgotten card the next day.
  - justsomehnguy 4y ago
    >> It’s convenient for bar owners and patrons LOL. It's convenient for bar owners. Patrons doesn't give a shit about that.
    - bri3d 4y ago
      When the alternative is “hold onto the card” and you have to track it down or order a new one, sure it’s more convenient for the customer too…
    - pdntspa 4y ago
      Speak for yourself, I can't tell you how many times I've left my card at the bar because of an open tab. Nowadays I'll favor places that give me my card back when I open a tab.
  - Reason077 4y ago
    Interesting, I haven't encountered such a system at UK bars/pubs. Either it's entirely pay-as-you-go (easy when everyone has contactless), or, at fancier places, they'll trust you to run a tab without taking a card up front.
  - 4y ago
Macha 4y ago
Tabs work just fine in europe where mag stripe payments have been phased out. You pay at the end in the pin terminal.
- FractalParadigm 4y ago
  And in Canada. 99.9% of the time if the machine asks you to use the magstripe period there's something wrong and the payment isn't going to process regardless.
astura 4y ago
>If you go anywhere where they hold a tab open, such as a bar, you can't do that with tap/chip ??? Yes you can. At least the bars around me have no problem with holding a tab with chip and/or tap. Maybe they just use newer terminals.
- mrguyorama 4y ago
  So many people here extrapolating a one time issue they once experienced to cover the whole 50 states of the union and all 330 million of us.
mrguyorama 4y ago
This is incorrect. All the bars here in maine have no trouble opening a tab, no matter what payment method you have, including cash. Some establishments take your card as collateral, some actually swipe it into their system to keep track, but that's not that common.

krzyk 4y ago

Every time I'm in the US I'm amazed that I have give my card to the waiter who gets the card to some place and gets its back after few mins. Don't people have wireless terminals in the US like the rest of the world?

mbreese 4y ago

Originally I was thinking they could handle an open tab like a gas station — place a hold on the card for $X for an open tab. But then, the more I thought about it, I’m not sure I want to be the bartender that has to explain why there was a hold of $100 on a college kid’s debit card. Sorry you can’t buy lunch, but the hold will get released in a few days, so it’s ok! There’s got to be a better way…

2muchcoffeeman 4y ago
You could just prepay $X. Then extend it every so often. Any remainder gets refunded at the end. Honestly, in Australia I have not swiped my CC in over a decade.
- girvo 4y ago
  In some ways we are pretty spoiled here in Australia, with regards to fintech adoption. The local farmers markets either take cash or contactless (or both depending on the stall). Its the literal only remaining place that I visit that takes cash-only at some stalls. Everywhere else is all contactless, all the time.
  - 2muchcoffeeman 4y ago
    I suppose so. But it still blows me away that doing basic everyday payments in the largest economy in the world is still so poor and their physical money is terrible.
Nextgrid 4y ago
> Sorry you can’t buy lunch, but the hold will get released in a few days, so it’s ok! I've bought gas in France with a Monzo card and the pump was able to hold and release money immediately - ~150EUR hold initially, as soon as I put the pump down it adjusted to the real amount. Seems like the tech to make this happen does exist, it's just a matter of not using a shitty bank.
ThePowerOfFuet 4y ago
If the merchant is closing out the preauth correctly, the remainder of the hold is released on the spot.

bmitc 4y ago

Why is that? Due to older machines used or something else?

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

samatman 4y ago

Do you not give them the card, then they swipe it once at the end and you get it back? How does a stripe affect that?

bri3d 4y ago
There are a large number of “smart” tab systems in use in US bars where the system retains your magnetic stripe data for the duration of your visit. You pass off your card, it is swiped and immediately returned. If you don’t settle your tab, it’s automatically settled with a pre-set tip using the stored track data. It’s convenient for bar owners and patrons as the bar doesn’t have leftover cards to deal with and the patron doesn’t have to retrace their steps to recover their forgotten card the next day.
- justsomehnguy 4y ago
  >> It’s convenient for bar owners and patrons LOL. It's convenient for bar owners. Patrons doesn't give a shit about that.
  - bri3d 4y ago
    When the alternative is “hold onto the card” and you have to track it down or order a new one, sure it’s more convenient for the customer too…
  - pdntspa 4y ago
    Speak for yourself, I can't tell you how many times I've left my card at the bar because of an open tab. Nowadays I'll favor places that give me my card back when I open a tab.
- Reason077 4y ago
  Interesting, I haven't encountered such a system at UK bars/pubs. Either it's entirely pay-as-you-go (easy when everyone has contactless), or, at fancier places, they'll trust you to run a tab without taking a card up front.
- 4y ago

Macha 4y ago

Tabs work just fine in europe where mag stripe payments have been phased out. You pay at the end in the pin terminal.

FractalParadigm 4y ago
And in Canada. 99.9% of the time if the machine asks you to use the magstripe period there's something wrong and the payment isn't going to process regardless.

astura 4y ago

>If you go anywhere where they hold a tab open, such as a bar, you can't do that with tap/chip ??? Yes you can. At least the bars around me have no problem with holding a tab with chip and/or tap. Maybe they just use newer terminals.

mrguyorama 4y ago
So many people here extrapolating a one time issue they once experienced to cover the whole 50 states of the union and all 330 million of us.

mrguyorama 4y ago

This is incorrect. All the bars here in maine have no trouble opening a tab, no matter what payment method you have, including cash. Some establishments take your card as collateral, some actually swipe it into their system to keep track, but that's not that common.