Credit card wax rubbing machines

[Arran]

They were a bit before my time but does anybody remember the purely mechanical devices used in shops and hotels for payment by credit card that worked by making a wax rubbing of the card. The amount would be written on the slip of paper then the customer would sign it. At the end of the day all the slips of paper would be posted to the credit card company for processing.

[Richard1978]

Re: Credit card wax rubbing machines

I remember my Dad often having to use these.

The last time I saw one was in an Indian restaurant in Nelson, & went well with the old school maroon flocked wallpaper decor!

[marc]

Re: Credit card wax rubbing machines

If I remember right, the card was put on the machine. Wax paper was then laid over the card, then the top of the machine was then pushed over card and paper. The pressure of this would press against the card and paper leaving the impression of the card. I saw many young shop assistants struggle with this. On more than one occasion, the device ended up on the floor. Strangely, I can't remember when these devices were phased out. There are possibly many of these devices languishing at the darkest reaches of many stores Etc..

[sixtyten]

Re: Credit card wax rubbing machines

Wax? wasn't in Carbon paper?

We have one in the drawer at work

[Heather74]

Re: Credit card wax rubbing machines

We had a carbon one at the Hairdressers I worked in, in the early 90's. The carbon paper was dark blue

[Twocky61]

Re: Credit card wax rubbing machines

The touble with that sysyem the shopkeeper has no way of knowing if the card was declined, wheras now the chip & PIN system declines the card if needs be

As a side issue, if you present an agency fuel card for payment for fuel at a filling station & the card is the vehicle registration type as opposed to chip & PIN, the reciept can be signed with any name. The registration on the card is supposed to match the vehicle registration which the cashier can see on CCTV, but the cashier will accept the card as payment, even though the registration numbers do not match.

I have emailed the various card companies (Allstar/DIAL/Texaco/Shell/Keyfuels etc) and told them this. I recieved the automated reply thanking me & that my comments will be passed to the relevant department, but I have yet to hear back

[Arran]

Re: Credit card wax rubbing machines

A local petrol station still has one of these machines languishing in the back of a closet. Presumably in case the electronic system goes down, but will it also work with debit cards? I have wondered if the real reason why credit cards still have raised numbers on them is so that these machines can be used today if required.

The high cost of processing paper slips from retailers by credit card companies is the reason why in the 1970s and 80s it was so damn difficult to get a credit card. Credit card companies only wanted people who were likely to make high value purchases because the processing costs are the same for a £1000 purchase as they are for a £10 purchase. Once electronic POS terminals became commonplace the credit card companies began giving out credit cards to the public like candy.

[Twocky61]

The trouble with Credit companies is they tell you to borrow responsibly but they do not show responsibility over who they issue cards to. There have been cases where someone with numerous overdrawn cards have been issued with yet another credit/store card.

So the irresponsible credit card companies should be forced under Financial Law to write off such debts

[DSCOMAN]

Re: Credit card wax rubbing machines

yes of course - they used to have three slips of paper joined together at one end- like a greaseproof type top, the middle was dark blue carbon paper and a bottom sheet.
The shopkeeper put your 'flexible friend' in the machine and the paper slips over it and used to roll a 'draw handle' type roller across the top - always looked like hard work ;-) - and then I think you were given the top copy after signing, and the shop kept the lower one and discarded the carbon slip. And in most shops they used to have a spike on the till that these slips would be stuck on.
Nowadays we very rarely write our signatures .....we just have 4 digit numbers to remember, and woe betide you if your mind goes blank and you temporarily forget it - three strikes and you are out !

[battyrat]

Re: Credit card wax rubbing machines

Only seems like yesterday shops were still using these things. Doesn't time fly.

[teepee]

Re: Credit card wax rubbing machines

Only seems like yesterday shops were still using these things. Doesn't time fly.

That's just what I was thinking! I can't quite pinpoint in my mind when they fell out of use. In Birmingham in the very early 80s I distinctly remember a shoe shop that still used a system of tubes to send your money to the unseen cash office, where they would write you a receipt and send it and your change back via the tube. The owners would probably have thought credit cards were a form of witchcraft.

[beccabear67]

Yes, it was carbon the one I (barely) remember. They'd place the card in the tray and go 'chunk chunk' and hand it back and then one paper would be signed.