At some point, customers started to ask for the carbon paper. Prior to that, cashiers would just toss it in the trash after the transaction was over. Not sure what started it. Maybe some investigative news report on tv about thieves dumpster diving for credit card carbons.
It was a thing for a while before merchants and customers caught on. Got my very first credit card when I started grad school, would use at only one restaurant, only at the end of the month when I ran out of money for food. Someone got a hold of the number and used it to have expensive TVs and flowers (?!) delivered to various addresses in the city (probably a double scam?). Restaurant swore it couldn't be their employees, but had been dumping carbons without shredding or ripping them. After that, always asked for the carbons...
One of my old Bosses had theirs swiped at a restaurant and the person that did it was in militias and shit and my boss that was a very frequent flyer got on the no fly list and every time he went to the airport they would pull him aside, search his bags the whole 9 yards.
Yes, when I was a little kid it was used at stores and restaurants to make the vouchers of the credit cards. The sales person put the card in the Center space, then slide the left piece over the voucher with carbon paper that recorded the info of the card and make the transaction
As a former server this meant the computers were down and grumpy ass impatient boomers were getting testy because they had to wait a couple extra minutes to pay their bill. So there goes your tip because a computer you don't control isn't working.
My first real job at 14 was at a mom n pop pharmacy. The pharmacist had stamped cards for customers that ran a tab. SHK-SHK.They had their name and address on them. He was pretty much the one that used those as the pill bags would go in a basket. When i turned 15 i was taught the bus terminal manned alongside register duties. The "terminal" was really just a desk that I'd sell tickets on bonanza bus lines to Boston or NYC quite a lot and there were pre-printed cards to use with that machine.SHK-SHK So easy. Other times I'd get a customer that wanted to go far away. I'd have to get out a big book and hand write each switch over. Furthest i routed was new England to corpus Christie Texas.
I didn’t hate these as much as searching the little magazine to find a fraudulent number. I had an idiot manager, and I found one once. Informed the customer, and they shoved me, grabbed the card and ran. Idiot starts screaming at me “Why don’t you keep the card? Now I have to write you up!” He never asked about me. Like I was going to fight with this idiot for his card.
I saved him the trouble of writing me up. For him not caring about my well-being, I walked out right then. My boomer dad yelled at me for quitting, but I stuck by my guns.
About a year later, the manager got sliced with a box cutter trying that. New store policy after that. No more trying to confiscate cards.
I can't remember. I can't find it online right now either. The only thing that's coming up is a Monopoly game with a card reader, but that's definitely not the one.
They took time to do this, passed on your items to another person that would bag them, be nice to you and you felt good leaving the store, and the store also made a profit. Not sure how with high tech everything got more expensive and customer service got worse.
Tech was meant to give us lower prices and better customer service because the same people were able to do their jobs more efficiently. Yet what we got was less people, lower service, shittier service and higher prices
At the convention we did finance for, we called them the "whack-whacks." When we first got the little Square readers, they became the "electronic whack-whacks."
Used these to take imprints for equipment rental at a locally owned hardware store back in the ‘90s when I was a college student. Had a semi-regular come in and after returning something, accused me of stealing his carbon copy to use his card. Thankfully my manager stood up for me and banned the guy.
Totally can. Worked at blockbuster back in the day. Loved getting a check for $50 for every cc that I mailed back to the issuer due to the card being canceled. 😁
At Target in the early 80s, I had a phonebook sized list of bad credit card numbers I was supposed to flip thru before I accepted the card for payment. I'd check that book for about a millisecond.
Man, I remember working at Sears, and if this thing was broken and nobody was in sight, then it’s down to pencil and paper to write down that card information. That sucked.
I used one of those like 5 years ago when the Interac machines were down. But the worst was when I worked in a local dept store back in the 2000s. A few times we’d have a big sale on and the machines would go down on a busy Saturday. Anyone wanting to pay with cc we dug out the old machines - then you had to call the 1-800 number and get an authorization number for the transaction while the person was waiting and hope you didn’t eff up punching their number in and have to start over. The store only had 4 out lines but 13 depts.
And then when the machines came back up we’d have to put everything into the machine manually. Fun fun.
Hungry-Industry-9817@reddit
I remember that I had to write my phone number, my address as well as my social security number on the receipt as well as any checks I wrote.
I am surprised there wasn’t more identity theft back then.
worlds_okayest_user@reddit
At some point, customers started to ask for the carbon paper. Prior to that, cashiers would just toss it in the trash after the transaction was over. Not sure what started it. Maybe some investigative news report on tv about thieves dumpster diving for credit card carbons.
ethnographyofcringe@reddit
It was a thing for a while before merchants and customers caught on. Got my very first credit card when I started grad school, would use at only one restaurant, only at the end of the month when I ran out of money for food. Someone got a hold of the number and used it to have expensive TVs and flowers (?!) delivered to various addresses in the city (probably a double scam?). Restaurant swore it couldn't be their employees, but had been dumping carbons without shredding or ripping them. After that, always asked for the carbons...
RG1527@reddit
One of my old Bosses had theirs swiped at a restaurant and the person that did it was in militias and shit and my boss that was a very frequent flyer got on the no fly list and every time he went to the airport they would pull him aside, search his bags the whole 9 yards.
ethnographyofcringe@reddit
Wow, that's extra terrible, adding insult to injury, yikes!
DMCDKNF@reddit
Do any cards still have raised numbering any longer? Mine don't.
Parking_Can5426@reddit
Yes, when I was a little kid it was used at stores and restaurants to make the vouchers of the credit cards. The sales person put the card in the Center space, then slide the left piece over the voucher with carbon paper that recorded the info of the card and make the transaction
Psychological_Tap187@reddit
It seam so archaic now. Like we really used to do that.
Otherwise_Gear_5136@reddit
I can hear both it AND the swearing I did when I tried to move it only to rip the slip.
AaronTheElite007@reddit (OP)
🤣
Life-Unit-4118@reddit
And also can hear myself begging my dad for his credit card, and then see him rolling his eyes at me LOL
ApatheistHeretic@reddit
Whipping that thing out was the highlight of being a cashier. You knew you were deleting with someone that had means.
AaronTheElite007@reddit (OP)
…deleting? Um
ApatheistHeretic@reddit
Hahahaha. I don't think I'll correct that typo.
joel2000ad@reddit
I can also feel my finger being smashed, and the card is stuck and can’t get it out
DukeofDevereaux@reddit
Whispers wow it really works
AaronTheElite007@reddit (OP)
I see a limousine and a large cheese pizza in your future
bankrobba@reddit
I got Eddie Van Halen's credit card number this way (swiped it twice when he came in).
AaronTheElite007@reddit (OP)
whatthewhat3214@reddit
How did I hear this before I even saw the caption?!
AaronTheElite007@reddit (OP)
The mind is a weird, wonderful thing
rowman_nahledge@reddit
I used this picture at work back in the day.
Flat_Ad1094@reddit
Yep...
somegridplayer@reddit
Late 90's card readers ate shit all the time and you were forced to use those again.
carbon_blob_Sector7G@reddit
There was a restaurant in college that took credit cards for deliveries and their drivers had to carry one of these.
OldSkater7619@reddit
As a former server this meant the computers were down and grumpy ass impatient boomers were getting testy because they had to wait a couple extra minutes to pay their bill. So there goes your tip because a computer you don't control isn't working.
Withnail2019@reddit
Yes I can.
garagespringsgirl@reddit
Not only can I hear it, I have phantom aches in my knuckles.
MDATWORK73@reddit
I have ptsd from my days in retail now, thanks Reddit!
DoodleyDooderson@reddit
I was a bartender all through college in the late 90s and early 2000s. I hated those things. Luckily back then, most people still carried cash.
Old_and_Cranky_Xer@reddit
It did it to me too! 🤣
incogneeetoe@reddit
I was gonna say, "I can feel it"
chaoticnormal@reddit
My first real job at 14 was at a mom n pop pharmacy. The pharmacist had stamped cards for customers that ran a tab. SHK-SHK.They had their name and address on them. He was pretty much the one that used those as the pill bags would go in a basket. When i turned 15 i was taught the bus terminal manned alongside register duties. The "terminal" was really just a desk that I'd sell tickets on bonanza bus lines to Boston or NYC quite a lot and there were pre-printed cards to use with that machine.SHK-SHK So easy. Other times I'd get a customer that wanted to go far away. I'd have to get out a big book and hand write each switch over. Furthest i routed was new England to corpus Christie Texas.
Cyrus_Imperative@reddit
Hear it? I can FEEL it.
Waldenbooks.
snarpy@reddit
They still keep those in a lot of stores in case debit machines go down (and they always do around Xmas, it's horrific)
missangiep@reddit
But now most of the cards don't have raised numbers anymore, so not sure they'd do much good?
snarpy@reddit
It wasn't a problem when I ran a store in 2018 so, not sure what to tell ya.
discussatron@reddit
shoonk shoonk
99titan@reddit
I didn’t hate these as much as searching the little magazine to find a fraudulent number. I had an idiot manager, and I found one once. Informed the customer, and they shoved me, grabbed the card and ran. Idiot starts screaming at me “Why don’t you keep the card? Now I have to write you up!” He never asked about me. Like I was going to fight with this idiot for his card. I saved him the trouble of writing me up. For him not caring about my well-being, I walked out right then. My boomer dad yelled at me for quitting, but I stuck by my guns. About a year later, the manager got sliced with a box cutter trying that. New store policy after that. No more trying to confiscate cards.
Academic_Airport_889@reddit
I was coming here to mention those booklets - and good for you for not running after the customer -
99titan@reddit
I was 17. My life wasn’t worth $3.35/hr.
hannibalsmommy@reddit
I remember the board game with this credit card device.
and a credit card machine SHUCK SHUCK to run it through! 🎶
AaronTheElite007@reddit (OP)
What game was it?
chi2ny56@reddit
Bargain Hunter had the credit card swiper, too!
dericn@reddit
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx6ybbFUx_bNu3nNwBBxtJ4y4tuoJVRufF?si=n-yn9XOh5OKmnJNn
hannibalsmommy@reddit
I can't remember. I can't find it online right now either. The only thing that's coming up is a Monopoly game with a card reader, but that's definitely not the one.
TreysToothbrush@reddit
Mall Madness. I had it. Favorite part was the SHUCK SHUCK
hannibalsmommy@reddit
Thank you! I've been searching for this game off & on for years🙏🙏
AaronTheElite007@reddit (OP)
ethnographyofcringe@reddit
Close cousin to the sound of chambering a shell in a pump action shotgun :-P
ElectricTomatoMan@reddit
I can feel dropping it on my toes.
Artyom_33@reddit
I still know how to fill out the chits as well.
lorenavedon@reddit
They took time to do this, passed on your items to another person that would bag them, be nice to you and you felt good leaving the store, and the store also made a profit. Not sure how with high tech everything got more expensive and customer service got worse.
Tech was meant to give us lower prices and better customer service because the same people were able to do their jobs more efficiently. Yet what we got was less people, lower service, shittier service and higher prices
uncleawesome@reddit
Yo, you need to think about the real important people. The shareholders. Thanks 1980s
Old_and_Cranky_Xer@reddit
That is an absolute fact! It’s not sad.
OMGLeatherworks@reddit
Had one for my first merchant account.
Mihailis27@reddit
At the convention we did finance for, we called them the "whack-whacks." When we first got the little Square readers, they became the "electronic whack-whacks."
Apprehensive_Neat418@reddit
Yup, that was the sound of my college fund vanishing
theflamingskull@reddit
That was one of my favorite sounds growing up.
It meant my mom was finally done shopping after several hours, and I could stop crying to go home.
BoneDaddy1973@reddit
Just got new credit cards and they don’t have embossed numbers. The shunk-cashunk machine is obsolete
Momes2018@reddit
I can feel it!
Old_and_Cranky_Xer@reddit
Oh god I remember this 💩! I hated using them and would pray the customer would write a check or paid cash! 🤣
JoeyDawsonJenPacey@reddit
I used one of these working in a travel agency in 1996. Good times.
Big_Statistician2566@reddit
Ha! I worked at a local BP service station for awhile and had to run all the credit cards through it.
Delicious_Standard_8@reddit
Please tell me why Sears, Meyer and Frank, Nordies, MERVYNS, and JC penny ALL gave 16 year old me in store credit cards?
Hmmm??? Lol
AaronTheElite007@reddit (OP)
7k by 18!?
Bitter_Kiwi_9352@reddit
soopirV@reddit
Used these to take imprints for equipment rental at a locally owned hardware store back in the ‘90s when I was a college student. Had a semi-regular come in and after returning something, accused me of stealing his carbon copy to use his card. Thankfully my manager stood up for me and banned the guy.
rrhogger@reddit
Totally can. Worked at blockbuster back in the day. Loved getting a check for $50 for every cc that I mailed back to the issuer due to the card being canceled. 😁
Stompalong@reddit
The zippy-zappy!
BallDiamondBall@reddit
At Target in the early 80s, I had a phonebook sized list of bad credit card numbers I was supposed to flip thru before I accepted the card for payment. I'd check that book for about a millisecond.
lost_opossum_@reddit
Shick-Shick
revchewie@reddit
The ka-chunk machine!
creativeswirl@reddit
Heard it and used one fairly extensively when I pumped gas at a Mobil station in NJ and was a retail drone at Bamberger’s!
boots0105@reddit
Man, I remember working at Sears, and if this thing was broken and nobody was in sight, then it’s down to pencil and paper to write down that card information. That sucked.
tomtex32@reddit
Some guys had to buy pussy on credit, don't be judgin...
AaronTheElite007@reddit (OP)
tomtex32@reddit
Back in the day hookers used to carry these around all the time.
AaronTheElite007@reddit (OP)
…wut?
NicInNS@reddit
I used one of those like 5 years ago when the Interac machines were down. But the worst was when I worked in a local dept store back in the 2000s. A few times we’d have a big sale on and the machines would go down on a busy Saturday. Anyone wanting to pay with cc we dug out the old machines - then you had to call the 1-800 number and get an authorization number for the transaction while the person was waiting and hope you didn’t eff up punching their number in and have to start over. The store only had 4 out lines but 13 depts.
And then when the machines came back up we’d have to put everything into the machine manually. Fun fun.
AaronTheElite007@reddit (OP)
The joys of retail
COVFEFE-4U@reddit
So much credit card fraud in this picture.
Jwheat71@reddit
Yes, it usually said something like, "hopefully your dad doesn't notice this charge". /s
Elegant-Laugh741@reddit
Will that be cash or Chargex?
Friendship_Fries@reddit
I can feel it.
AaronTheElite007@reddit (OP)
SeethingHeathen@reddit
I can smell the carbon paper too.
nygrl811@reddit
And feel as the skin is shaved later by later from your knuckles...
LVMom@reddit
I got a pain in my hand just looking at this
AaronTheElite007@reddit (OP)
P.T.S.D
Post-Traumatic Stress (from) Debt
AaronTheElite007@reddit (OP)
That’s the sound of borrowing money you’re going to pay WAY more for over time
captkirkseviltwin@reddit
That’s the sound of a Crowdstrike bug having ZERO effect on your business.
rube_X_cube@reddit
SHA-CLACK!
Jodies-9-inch-leg@reddit
Sounds like debt…. Sweet sweet high interest debt