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Walmart begins credit only at self checkout stands

Started by roadman65, September 28, 2021, 11:51:18 AM

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vdeane

Quote from: kalvado on September 28, 2021, 09:47:54 PM
Quote from: vdeane on September 28, 2021, 09:44:38 PM
Quote from: kalvado on September 28, 2021, 05:40:09 PM
WM also didn't like chip-and-sign card verification technology common in US, especially given that signature is often waived - up to $100 by now, I believe? WM wanted more secure chip-and-pin, which is used in many other places, including Canada. But WM they couldn't bulge US market.
Nothing is stopping them from doing chip and PIN if they really want to.  My bank (First Niagara, prior to the merger with Key Bank) did.  My card had a PIN and everywhere except Target with chip readers asked for it.  Even after the merger, despite Key Bank being chip and sign, the initial card I got with the merger was no different.  My current card now defaults to chip and sign, but it still has a PIN, which I've used at the USPS kiosk to buy stamps and for pay at the pump at Sheetz.  I presume any Canadian terminals would ask for it too, but I haven't had the chance to see.
Was it a debit card or a credit card?
Debit cards work with pins as ATMs don't have signature option anyway. I am not sure if the pin for my credit card is even setup.
It was/is a credit card.  It's not completely unheard of in the US, but First Niagara's credit cards are the only instance I'm aware of that isn't a corporate card or from a credit union associated with the federal government.

I'm actually in the "don't use debit cards because fraud results in money leaving your bank account" camp.  I'm not as obsessive as Dad (who will argue with the bank until they give him a plain ATM card instead), but maybe I should be.  I once had my debit card taken and used to sign up for Amazon Prime and then returned so that I didn't know anything was up until I saw the Amazon charge in my online banking a month later.  Fortunately they signed up for the monthly version and not the annual one.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.


rickmastfan67

Quote from: webny99 on September 28, 2021, 09:54:29 PM
I've never heard of a PIN for a credit card, only for a debit card. My debit card seems to be about 80/20 in favor of the chip reader asking for the PIN. It almost always does at the gas pump.

I know Target's credit card always requires the PIN when making any purchase.

vdeane

Quote from: rickmastfan67 on September 28, 2021, 10:26:06 PM
Quote from: webny99 on September 28, 2021, 09:54:29 PM
I've never heard of a PIN for a credit card, only for a debit card. My debit card seems to be about 80/20 in favor of the chip reader asking for the PIN. It almost always does at the gas pump.

I know Target's credit card always requires the PIN when making any purchase.
Which is kinda ironic given that their POS terminals were the one spot that never asked me for the PIN back before my First Niagara credit card was re-issued as a Key Bank card.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Scott5114

Quote from: GaryV on September 28, 2021, 01:06:45 PM
I believe the theory may be that people seldom put coins in at a self checkout.  They put in larger bills and get change back.

I don't know how the machines work.  If they are like vending machines, any coins coming in go into a hopper to be counted and deposited at a bank.  Any coins being used for change would need to be pre-loaded into the machines.

No, they're sorted into individual hoppers that dispense incoming coins back out. They do the same with the bills (this has been verified by WheresGeorge users who have done things like put $19 in ones into a machine, then a $20 bill to try to get four fresh ones back–on older machines that worked, but it doesn't anymore).

Personally, I pay with coins more at a self-checkout than I do with a live cashier. It's simple to just throw all the change in my pocket in the machine and let it count it, then put enough bills in to pay the total. Or throw a bunch of change in and pay the rest with a debit card. Doing that with a live cashier is awkward because they have to count and sort the change and it holds up the line. With a live cashier, I always pay with bills only so I don't have to fish around in the coins in my pocket (and I also bring the coins home to deposit into savings later anyway).
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

hbelkins

Quote from: SSOWorld on September 28, 2021, 07:53:46 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 28, 2021, 06:43:58 PM
Quote from: SSOWorld on September 28, 2021, 06:31:08 PM
They will not ever accept anything contactless except their proprietary method.

They used to pimp "Walmart Pay" which involved their phone app. Is it still a thing? I'm not using Apple Pay or any of those services.

What's wrong with Apple Pay - what's different about it and Google Pay than what a retailer's pay app does?

Oh, it's big tech?  someone's worst enemy who snoops?  so does walmart! 😈

I don't use Walmart pay either. It's just easier to use cash or a card.

Quote from: thenetwork on September 28, 2021, 08:25:39 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on September 28, 2021, 11:51:18 AM
The Walmart by me now claims the coin shortage is causing them to not want to transact cash transactions at the self checkout stations. Yet they will do it at the cashier lines.  Makes me wonder what really is their motive to take such a measure.

Anyway are Walmart's in your area doing the same?

Meanwhile, on the flip side, I have been to some Kroger affiliates (City Market/Smith's) where it's the complete opposite when it comes to the so-called "coin shortage":

Manual/Staffed/Full Serve Checkouts:  Coin change is given back as a "next visit automatic coupon" attached to your Kroger (City Market/Smiths) value card.  Not sure how they handle those without Kroger Cards.

Self Serve Checkouts: Accepts cash and still dispenses all coin change as normal.

Go Figure...

When Kroger announced that "your change goes back on your Kroger card as a credit to future purchases," there was a pretty big uproar about it in this area. They may have reversed that policy now.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

rickmastfan67

Quote from: vdeane on September 29, 2021, 12:48:59 PM
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on September 28, 2021, 10:26:06 PM
Quote from: webny99 on September 28, 2021, 09:54:29 PM
I've never heard of a PIN for a credit card, only for a debit card. My debit card seems to be about 80/20 in favor of the chip reader asking for the PIN. It almost always does at the gas pump.

I know Target's credit card always requires the PIN when making any purchase.
Which is kinda ironic given that their POS terminals were the one spot that never asked me for the PIN back before my First Niagara credit card was re-issued as a Key Bank card.

Yet any other credit card I've used @ Target, it's never required a pin, just Target's own.

Scott5114

Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2021, 05:10:03 PM
When Kroger announced that "your change goes back on your Kroger card as a credit to future purchases," there was a pretty big uproar about it in this area. They may have reversed that policy now.

I'd be pretty pissed if I went into a Kroger for an item or two on a trip and they pulled that. There are no Kroger affiliates in my area, so I'd have no way of redeeming it.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

hbelkins

Quote from: Scott5114 on September 29, 2021, 06:35:50 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2021, 05:10:03 PM
When Kroger announced that "your change goes back on your Kroger card as a credit to future purchases," there was a pretty big uproar about it in this area. They may have reversed that policy now.

I'd be pretty pissed if I went into a Kroger for an item or two on a trip and they pulled that. There are no Kroger affiliates in my area, so I'd have no way of redeeming it.

If you don't have a loyalty card, I'd imagine you'd get change back.

I can never remember what the Kroger affiliates are in other states. For some reason I thought Albertson's was, but it's not the case. We had to get something to nuke in the motel room in the Shelby, Montana, Albertson's. Prices without their loyalty card were way too expensive. Of course, the same goes for Kroger. If they don't have a sale, or a card member special, they cost way too much.

I would have gone into Walmart or a Dollar General/Family Dollar, but Shelby doesn't have any of those. I know some people have an allergic reaction to Walmart, but they're typically going to be cheaper than anyone else.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

Scott5114

Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2021, 07:22:30 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 29, 2021, 06:35:50 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2021, 05:10:03 PM
When Kroger announced that "your change goes back on your Kroger card as a credit to future purchases," there was a pretty big uproar about it in this area. They may have reversed that policy now.

I'd be pretty pissed if I went into a Kroger for an item or two on a trip and they pulled that. There are no Kroger affiliates in my area, so I'd have no way of redeeming it.

If you don't have a loyalty card, I'd imagine you'd get change back.

Hopefully. At Homeland (a local chain I only rarely go into for a non-perishable item my regular grocery store stopped carrying) the cashiers will enter a dummy loyalty card number (theirs is I believe set up by phone number and they use something like (405) 999-9999) so that people who don't have a loyalty card will still get the sale prices. I don't go there enough to know if that's company policy or just the cashiers being nice, though. But in any case, that sort of system combined with the Kroger policy would mean you'd either get the sale prices or the change but not both.

I don't know that I buy that there's actually a change shortage, though. Coins don't wear out anywhere near as fast as bills, so they all had to go somewhere. Back when we were doing lockdowns, I could see that being an issue because cash circulation in general was disrupted by people staying home and not interacting face to face, but things have been open for long enough now that all of those coins have to have made it back to financial institutions by now.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

hotdogPi

Interestingly, during the last recession, there seemed to be too many coins that they slowed production for a bit – 2009 dimes and nickels are hard to find.
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

kalvado

Quote from: 1 on September 29, 2021, 08:42:49 PM
Interestingly, during the last recession, there seemed to be too many coins that they slowed production for a bit – 2009 dimes and nickels are hard to find.
So far, enough money had been "printed" and handed out so that people dont need to literally reach to the bottom of cookie jars for that last penny.

jakeroot

I haven't bought anything with cash for a while (all of my cash goes directly to the bank), so this doesn't personally bother me. I'm much happier using a credit card, as it's not my money I'm spending.

I'm not keen on self-checkout accepting cash. In my experience, cash is slower than a card or tap, and self-checkout is the effective replacement of the express lanes. No reason to permit the slower payment method in the faster lanes.

I use Walmart Pay. I originally thought it was a gimmick, but it's way faster than any other payment method as I can scan the QR code immediately after scanning the last item. It also saves receipts electronically, which is excellent when you live in a shady area like me, and every return requires one.

Still, they should permit tap to pay. I don't see what difference it makes to them.

Bruce

Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2021, 07:22:30 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 29, 2021, 06:35:50 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2021, 05:10:03 PM
When Kroger announced that "your change goes back on your Kroger card as a credit to future purchases," there was a pretty big uproar about it in this area. They may have reversed that policy now.

I'd be pretty pissed if I went into a Kroger for an item or two on a trip and they pulled that. There are no Kroger affiliates in my area, so I'd have no way of redeeming it.

If you don't have a loyalty card, I'd imagine you'd get change back.

I can never remember what the Kroger affiliates are in other states. For some reason I thought Albertson's was, but it's not the case. We had to get something to nuke in the motel room in the Shelby, Montana, Albertson's. Prices without their loyalty card were way too expensive. Of course, the same goes for Kroger. If they don't have a sale, or a card member special, they cost way too much.

I would have gone into Walmart or a Dollar General/Family Dollar, but Shelby doesn't have any of those. I know some people have an allergic reaction to Walmart, but they're typically going to be cheaper than anyone else.

This map is handy:



For Montana and Utah, it's Smiths. For the Northwest, it's Fred Meyer and QFC if you're west of the Cascades.

formulanone

#38
I started using accounts with Kroger (et al), Stop and Shop, and Giant Eagle about 6-7 years ago, and they allowed one to create an account with a fake phone number. I don't know if this policy has changed during account sign-up, but they all allow for an "Alternate ID" in lieu of a phone number or card, which I never carry. I'd not hard to make up this number; there's loads of new area code overlays out there which have almost nothing in use, and you can figure that the highest exchange numbers will probably be the last to be used, if you're worried about someone getting your spam calls.

Do you really think they have my correct name and address? How marketable is that fellow from Alabama who shops in a store 1000 miles away, just once every 6-8 months or so, to which I should even care? All I know is that I shouldn't have to pay $5 for an advertised $3 sale item in the same store.

thenetwork

Quote from: Bruce on September 30, 2021, 02:14:04 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2021, 07:22:30 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 29, 2021, 06:35:50 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2021, 05:10:03 PM
When Kroger announced that "your change goes back on your Kroger card as a credit to future purchases," there was a pretty big uproar about it in this area. They may have reversed that policy now.

I'd be pretty pissed if I went into a Kroger for an item or two on a trip and they pulled that. There are no Kroger affiliates in my area, so I'd have no way of redeeming it.

If you don't have a loyalty card, I'd imagine you'd get change back.

I can never remember what the Kroger affiliates are in other states. For some reason I thought Albertson's was, but it's not the case. We had to get something to nuke in the motel room in the Shelby, Montana, Albertson's. Prices without their loyalty card were way too expensive. Of course, the same goes for Kroger. If they don't have a sale, or a card member special, they cost way too much.

I would have gone into Walmart or a Dollar General/Family Dollar, but Shelby doesn't have any of those. I know some people have an allergic reaction to Walmart, but they're typically going to be cheaper than anyone else.

This map is handy:



For Montana and Utah, it's Smiths. For the Northwest, it's Fred Meyer and QFC if you're west of the Cascades.

Interesting thing about this map...All of the Kroger's in Colorado west of the Continental Divide are City Markets, while Krogers east of the Divide and on the Front Range are indeed King Soopers.

Occasionally, they will use the co-branding in some of their advertising, but usually they will have separate ads for either City Market OR King Soopers.

Kind of like Hardee's/Carl's Jr.

hbelkins

Quote from: thenetwork on September 30, 2021, 11:02:48 PM
Kind of like Hardee's/Carl's Jr.

And they have completely different menu items. I expected to see familiar items at Carl's Jr. because we have a lot of Hardee's around here. I expected wrong.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

ethanhopkin14

Quote from: hbelkins on October 01, 2021, 11:38:55 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on September 30, 2021, 11:02:48 PM
Kind of like Hardee's/Carl's Jr.

And they have completely different menu items. I expected to see familiar items at Carl's Jr. because we have a lot of Hardee's around here. I expected wrong.


I thought Hardees was distancing themselves from Carl's Jr. because of the latter's many overly sexualized commercials that didn't fit with the more moral Hardee's ideology. 

They have the morals to not have sexualized commercials, while also having the morals to underpay their entire staff. 

Rothman



Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on October 02, 2021, 05:34:59 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 01, 2021, 11:38:55 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on September 30, 2021, 11:02:48 PM
Kind of like Hardee's/Carl's Jr.

And they have completely different menu items. I expected to see familiar items at Carl's Jr. because we have a lot of Hardee's around here. I expected wrong.


I thought Hardees was distancing themselves from Carl's Jr. because of the latter's many overly sexualized commercials that didn't fit with the more moral Hardee's ideology. 

They have the morals to not have sexualized commercials, while also having the morals to underpay their entire staff.

I thought they were the same company.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

oscar

Quote from: Rothman on October 02, 2021, 09:48:27 PM


Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on October 02, 2021, 05:34:59 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 01, 2021, 11:38:55 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on September 30, 2021, 11:02:48 PM
Kind of like Hardee's/Carl's Jr.

And they have completely different menu items. I expected to see familiar items at Carl's Jr. because we have a lot of Hardee's around here. I expected wrong.


I thought Hardees was distancing themselves from Carl's Jr. because of the latter's many overly sexualized commercials that didn't fit with the more moral Hardee's ideology. 

They have the morals to not have sexualized commercials, while also having the morals to underpay their entire staff.

I thought they were the same company.

Yes. Also, Carl's Jr. has a strong presence in Utah. So I'd expect the sleazy ads would create more blowback for Carl's Jr. than Hardees.

Anyway, Carl's Jr. made a public show some time about cutting back on the sleaze.
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
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ethanhopkin14

Quote from: Rothman on October 02, 2021, 09:48:27 PM


Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on October 02, 2021, 05:34:59 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 01, 2021, 11:38:55 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on September 30, 2021, 11:02:48 PM
Kind of like Hardee's/Carl's Jr.

And they have completely different menu items. I expected to see familiar items at Carl's Jr. because we have a lot of Hardee's around here. I expected wrong.


I thought Hardees was distancing themselves from Carl's Jr. because of the latter's many overly sexualized commercials that didn't fit with the more moral Hardee's ideology. 

They have the morals to not have sexualized commercials, while also having the morals to underpay their entire staff.

I thought they were the same company.

They are the same company, but by distancing themselves, they meant changing the badging and color scheme to not make it look like Carl's Jr. with the word Hardies instead.  Obviously they did the same with the menu. 

Rothman

Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on October 04, 2021, 02:13:39 PM
Quote from: Rothman on October 02, 2021, 09:48:27 PM


Quote from: ethanhopkin14 on October 02, 2021, 05:34:59 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 01, 2021, 11:38:55 AM
Quote from: thenetwork on September 30, 2021, 11:02:48 PM
Kind of like Hardee's/Carl's Jr.

And they have completely different menu items. I expected to see familiar items at Carl's Jr. because we have a lot of Hardee's around here. I expected wrong.


I thought Hardees was distancing themselves from Carl's Jr. because of the latter's many overly sexualized commercials that didn't fit with the more moral Hardee's ideology. 

They have the morals to not have sexualized commercials, while also having the morals to underpay their entire staff.

I thought they were the same company.

They are the same company, but by distancing themselves, they meant changing the badging and color scheme to not make it look like Carl's Jr. with the word Hardies instead.  Obviously they did the same with the menu.
I can't imagine that approach being profitable.  Making one some sort of more adult chain and the other more family-friendly when they don't really geographically overlap anyway just seems to limit your targeted customer base.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Pink Jazz

Our local Dollar Tree just got self checkouts, with some being designated as both card and cash and others designated as card only.

Scott5114

Quote from: Pink Jazz on October 04, 2021, 03:16:10 PM
Our local Dollar Tree just got self checkouts, with some being designated as both card and cash and others designated as card only.

The idea of a self checkout at Dollar Tree is kind of hilarious to me. How many items you got? 26? Okay, $26 plus tax. You already barely need a cashier as it is.

Obviously Dollar Tree cares which items you buy for stock keeping purposes, but putting that in the hands of a customer who has no real moral responsibility for ensuring proper stock keeping seems like it could be a problem. It would be tempting to just grab whichever item has the most conveniently-placed barcode and just scan it 26 times, since that would result in the same total as if you scanned all 26 items individually and therefore the store would be correctly compensated.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

abefroman329

In England, the "pound shops" have names like Poundland and Pound Town, and they sell vibrators.

hotdogPi

Quote from: Scott5114 on October 04, 2021, 04:07:27 PM
The idea of a self checkout at Dollar Tree is kind of hilarious to me. How many items you got? 26? Okay, $26 plus tax. You already barely need a cashier as it is.

Obviously Dollar Tree cares which items you buy for stock keeping purposes, but putting that in the hands of a customer who has no real moral responsibility for ensuring proper stock keeping seems like it could be a problem. It would be tempting to just grab whichever item has the most conveniently-placed barcode and just scan it 26 times, since that would result in the same total as if you scanned all 26 items individually and therefore the store would be correctly compensated.

Food isn't taxed in Massachusetts and probably in every state.
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.



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