Do you find it annoying that some people insist on using credit and debit cards to pay things under $5?

Question

Have you ever stand in a long line up at the cash register only to see some idiots in front of you insisting on using their debit and credit cards on small things under $10 or $5 like a pack of gum or a bottle of water. Each person doing this probably takes another 3-5 mins to the line up. I can understand if you are buying big ticket items but to use cards to buy a pack of gum, come on! There should be an express check out line for those paying cash, afterall the merchants make an additional 4-5% because they don't pay commission to the credit card companies.

Answer 1

I get paid to keep the customer happy and if it means taking a whole 30 seconds longer for them to use a credit/debit card than so be it.

Answer 2

Here in the UK most supermarkets have check outs for 10 items or less, and some have a cash only checkout...been caught out with those before now as the sign is usually way above my head and I never think to look up there....

I always pay with a credit card because the housekeeping money is put into my savings account at the start of the month. The credit card bill is settled in full a day or two after the statement arrives. That way I am not charged any interest on useage of the card, but I am earning interest on the money being kept in my savings account....make your cards work for you not the banks..

Answer 3

I use my debit/credit card for just about everything. Especially now since my bank started a new program that gives me 5% interest on my checking account if I use my debit card 15 times a month as a credit card. I pay no additional fees for using it. Sounds like a win-win situation for me.

Also if the stores you frequent take 3-5 minutes per person for debit/credit cards to be processed than you should think about switching to a different store. The stores I use mine at do not take that long at all.

Answer 4

I'm sorry I would have to agree with the majority...I NEVER carry cash and if I do...its very little. As a person who has had their purse stolen before...as a policy, I just do not carry cash...when someone steals your stuff, you can't get that cash back...its gone...but if they spend on your credit or debit card, you can get that back in FULL...so I would rather err on the side of caution then end up with all my money stolen. And it really doesn't take that much longer...what about all those people paying with stuff in change that spend half an hour at the register counting out pennies, dimes and nickels...if they just had their card, they wouldn't have to carry around the entire contents of their childhood piggy bank intheir pocket...it can really go either way if you take the time to think about. and implus...money is full of germs and BACTERIA...no thanks!

Answer 5

I very seldom have cash on me anymore. I don't see where it takes an extra 3 to 5 minutes, it takes maybe a few seconds. I have never paid a fee for using my debit card. What annoys me is people who are paying by check and don't have anything prepared or paying by cash and can't find their money or left it in the car.

Answer 6

Actually, I used to be a cashier, and it takes about the same amount of time, unless something is wrong with the debit/credit card machine (which is rare, but it does happen).

Loads of people don't carry cash on them anymore. I don't blame them. I must be one of the very very few that still don't have a debit or credit card.

If you are in that much of a rush, you should have given yourself more time. Why do people become annoyed standing in line? It's something in life we all deal with, and making huffing and puffing noises, as well as muttering under your breath distracts the cashier, and irritates other people for no good reason.

What;s more irritating, so to speak, to me, is when I was a cashier and people brought their WIC items to the express line. Now THAT takes time. But, you just deal with it. There are more important things in life to worry about that an extra 3 minutes of your time.

Answer 7

On the contrary..

I never carry cash at all.. I never 'lose' a twenty or am quick changed by a slick cashier.. everything I spend using my debit/credit is tracked.. I have a record of virtually every penny I spend..

And as a quick service restauranteer, I prefer credit cards and debit cards because it's actually faster than cash and that elderly person who spends time digging thru their purse for exact change.. THAT drives me nuts.. Yes, I do pay commission, but I more than make up for it in the ability to push customers thru my restaurant faster.. since we have used credit cards for our business.. we average, during a peak lunch, getting about 10 to 15 more customers thru each hour.. and customer counts are up more than 15% over five years ago.. I make more money, can pay more wages, and hire one or two more employees, and part of that is the speeding up process credit and debit cards allow..

Answer 8

Idiot here! Went to the gym the other day with a friend as a guest, and they had some BS $2 charge that annoyed my friend, so instead of whipping out a couple of washingtons, he gave the guy a credit card. This totally annoyed the merchant! He actually asked if we had cash instead, which we did, and told him that we had cash, but were using the card. When asked why my friend just said "welcome to the 20th (sarcastic) century".

Answer 9

No I don't find it annoying, only people in a rush do. I try not to carry a lot of cash on me because well I rather get robbed and have them take my debit card to where I can just cancel the account then to have cash on me to where they get away with it and I lose it all. Some people rather just carry cards, that way its easy to track what you take out of the account. Maybe you need to loosen up your schedule if you are in a rush and go to the store at a different time?

Answer 10

If it's taking a long time for people to pay with their cards - whatever type - it's not their fault; it's the vendor's fault. If you pay attention, you'll note that there are places where you swipe your debit card, punch in your PIN, and the reciept pops out right away. That's because they have a decent network connection and credit service. Other places, you'll swipe your card, and *actually hear the modem dialing up*.

In fact, it's faster when I pay for my coke and donut at the local convenience store with my debit card than when the guy in front of me pays for his with a $20 bill and then spends five minutes putting the change in one pocket and the bills in his money clip.