Retail worker faces off with oblivious customer who can't work a credit card: 'It's your credit card, sir'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Feb 28, 2025 5:00 PM EST

We all make silly mistakes now and again—especially when we're under pressure. 

Have you ever spent 10 embarrassing seconds trying to "push" your way into a building with a "pull" door? Or maybe as you're scoping out a store and searching for the changing room, you just can't find it, so you ask an employee and, lo and behold, there's a giant sign above your head pointing you to it. And if you're a modern person using this new-fangled technology called an iPhone, you might pay for a lot of your stuff via tap-to-pay. I'm obsessed with the feature, which never fails to make me feel like I'm in a futuristic sci-fi movie. 

Of course, not everywhere takes tap-to-pay, and you have to pull out your wallet and use your good old-fashioned credit card. Do you swipe? Probably not, this is current year, after all. Do you tap? Maybe. Do you insert the chip? Also maybe. 

There may be signs to guide you, but we've all felt the pressure of trying to get the card to work while the bored cashier glares at us. It can get so awkward… please, just let us tap that phone and avoid our old ways. 

Next, read about the bride-to-be who kicked out a bachelorette party guest who spent $2,000+ on the trip: 'I snapped, and the room went silent.'

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    Cheezburger Image 10474187008
    via Clay Banks For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    I Think this transcript will speak for itself. there is always a bigger idiot, a real conversation I had
    via u/Yeetster3000
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    moron: yes I would like to pay with this card me: sure go ahead machines ready for you moron: is it insert tap or swipe? me: I'm not sure sir its your card but most cards here (Australia) tend to be tap or insert moron: well which is it?
    via u/Yeetster3000
  • 04
    me: I don't know, its your card sir moron: ok tap worked but how am I meant to know which account to use me: I don't know its your card sir moron: will debit work? me: I don't know, its your card sir moron: ill try savings, why is it asking for a pin?
    via u/Yeetster3000
  • 05
    me: i don't know, its your card sir moron: it didn't ask for my pin at [Australian grocery store], why do you need it me: I don't know, its your card sir moron: well now that hasn't worked, so I was meant to use debit
    via u/Yeetster3000
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    me: I don't know, its your card sir moron: would credit work? me: I don't know, its your cards sir it was at this point my collogue stepped in because I could see her watching the interaction in my peripheral vision and she was just stunned, she jumped in could she could see the cluster head ache forming before even I could.
    via u/Yeetster3000
  • 07
    I walked away so don't know what happened to Mr Bluntcrayon but I did go to the break room to scream.
    via u/Yeetster3000
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    GardenTop7253 Back when I was a cashier, the questions I got most often were always really obvious things about the card reader. But my favorite (haha) has always been "it says 'remove card', what should I do?"
    via u/Yeetster3000
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    ************* **** 2009 AIRFRANCE/ AMERICAN EXPRESS FLYING Hold Near Reader
    via CardMapr.nl on Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 10

    This person had a cute idea for catching a customer's attention

    Denied Appeal1 So, for future reference, if you keep saying the same thing and they keep ignoring you, you need to actually get their attention. Say something that doesn't quite make sense to snap them back to attention, like "big money, no whammies, STOP!" and, then, when they finally make eye contact with you, tell them that you cannot answer any
    via u/Yeetster3000

    Instead of saying the same thing like 10 times in a row, this might be more helpful. 

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    questions about how to use their card as all cards are different and you don't know how theirs works. If they ask about the whammies thing, just tell them that it's a trick meant to get the person you're speaking with to focus better so you can effectively communicate.
    via u/Yeetster3000
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    Half of that encounter didn't have to happen and you would've had a lot less stress by addressing it in a way that actually works. tl;dr: saying the same thing over and over again does not work and just wastes everyone's time. If someone isn't listening, you have to get their attention and then spell it out quite clearly for them.
    via u/Yeetster3000

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Tags

cash register credit card retail shopping retail worker coworkers debit card working cashier purchase workplace shoppers
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