4 ms·

In the US, it'd be considered déclassé in most sit-down restaurants for the customer to run their own card. You see it at fast food and "fast casual" places, bu

In the US, it'd be considered déclassé in most sit-down restaurants for the customer to run their own card. You see it at fast food and "fast casual" places, but not really anywhere fancier; to a good first approximation you can quickly understand in which market segment a restaurant would like you to perceive it by how easy or difficult it is to see any point-of-sale equipment from anywhere in the dining area. I have the sense that tipping is much more customary in the US than in Europe, which may also make a difference. Certainly there is a significant semiosis around the concept here, which would also have to change in response to a change in the shape of the practice; I don't know exactly how much that contributes to things staying as they are, but I doubt it's of no import.

mytailorisrich 3y ago
> In the US, it'd be considered déclassé in most sit-down restaurants for the customer to run their own card. Oh, I see. The US are so 1980s ;) In Europe all card payments are chip-and-pin so they have to hand the card machine to you for you to type your pin.
- throwanem 3y ago
  Yeah, there's a lot of tech debt here owing to us having invented payment cards and all ;) EMV is pretty common here these days, but evidently optional for restaurants; I suspect there's a carveout in the relevant association rules.
aembleton 3y ago
> In the US, it'd be considered déclassé in most sit-down restaurants for the customer to run their own card. Interesting; I rarely carry a card and just pay with my phone. I've never been to the US, but it certainly wasn't an issue when I visited Canada. I should probably remember to take my card if I visit a restaurant in the US.
- throwanem 3y ago
  I'm old-fashioned enough to prefer carrying a discrete wallet, not least since my barbershop is cash-only, but also because to forgo it would promote a lost or broken phone from headache to catastrophe. That said, I assume even restaurants whose POS equipment is well hidden would be generally able to handle folks who prefer the single point of failure.

mytailorisrich 3y ago

> In the US, it'd be considered déclassé in most sit-down restaurants for the customer to run their own card. Oh, I see. The US are so 1980s ;) In Europe all card payments are chip-and-pin so they have to hand the card machine to you for you to type your pin.

throwanem 3y ago
Yeah, there's a lot of tech debt here owing to us having invented payment cards and all ;) EMV is pretty common here these days, but evidently optional for restaurants; I suspect there's a carveout in the relevant association rules.

aembleton 3y ago

> In the US, it'd be considered déclassé in most sit-down restaurants for the customer to run their own card. Interesting; I rarely carry a card and just pay with my phone. I've never been to the US, but it certainly wasn't an issue when I visited Canada. I should probably remember to take my card if I visit a restaurant in the US.

throwanem 3y ago
I'm old-fashioned enough to prefer carrying a discrete wallet, not least since my barbershop is cash-only, but also because to forgo it would promote a lost or broken phone from headache to catastrophe. That said, I assume even restaurants whose POS equipment is well hidden would be generally able to handle folks who prefer the single point of failure.