I'm really surprised that embossed credit card info lasted this long

mikeymikec · Oct 17, 2024

I only remember these machines from when I was a kid and my parents ran a hi-fi and TV shop, and the purpose of the embossed letters was for this machine to work with them:

I only remembered the existence of these machines a few days after a customer mentioned that the embossed letters can sometimes be hard to read

Did they linger in the US for longer?

I find it funny how cards have gone through their recent-ish evolution of chip-and-PIN only where it was supposedly a really great security feature that the three digits on the back would stop credit card fraud because the fraudster would have to have access to *both sides* of the card Now they're like "fuck it, we're putting all the information on one side".

lxskllr · Oct 17, 2024

I only recently got a non embossed card, but that feature hasn't been used in ages. I think the last time I saw a carbon roller was the early 2000s at a festival when the network went down. The roller came out, and everbody's like "WTF?!" :^D

edit:
changed "mid" to "early"

BoomerD · Oct 17, 2024

I have a mix of embossed and non-embossed cards.

mikeymikec · Oct 17, 2024

BoomerD said:
I have a mix of embossed and non-embossed cards.

Me too, but in the >20 years I've had credit cards for, I haven't seen the card roller as lxskllr calls it.

BoomerD · Oct 17, 2024

mikeymikec said:
Me too, but in the >20 years I've had credit cards for, I haven't seen the card roller as lxskllr calls it.

I tried to remember the last time I saw one in use. It's been quite a while.

Lost_in_the_HTTP · Oct 17, 2024

I've seen them used fairly recently. During an extended power outages, it's the only way some merchants were able to take CCs.

Muadib · Oct 17, 2024

Lost_in_the_HTTP said:
I've seen them used fairly recently. During an extended power outages, it's the only way some merchants were able to take CCs.

Me too! It's was last year when power was out. Went to my local Quick Chek, and the cashiers were using them.

fralexandr · Oct 17, 2024

I've never seen the rollers around here... Whenever the payment processors are down the registers are always cash only, hah.

Red Squirrel · Oct 17, 2024

I recently got a new card and it was my first time getting a non embossed version too. It kinda threw me off then I realized the embossing has not served any purpose for decades. Those machines mostly predate me, only reason I know they are even a thing is because of movies, like Home Alone.

Some IT guy at the credit card company is probably happy he doesn't need to troubleshoot and repair the embossing machine anymore. Time to retire that bad boy. Fingers crossed the Univac is next.

WelshBloke · Oct 17, 2024

I prefer the flat ones. They don't wear out my wallet as much and you can do this with them...

IronWing · Oct 17, 2024

Time to get a new library card, I guess.

And for the young'uns here, the machine:

Edit: apparently these things are called Gaylord Charge Machines.

mikeymikec · Oct 17, 2024

IronWing said:
And for the young'uns here, the machine:
View attachment 109581

Edit: apparently these things are called Gaylord Charge Machines.

That machine looks like it requires just a dash of uranium to power it.

RossMAN · Oct 17, 2024

mikeymikec said:
I only remember these machines from when I was a kid and my parents ran a hi-fi and TV shop, and the purpose of the embossed letters was for this machine to work with them:

I only remembered the existence of these machines a few days after a customer mentioned that the embossed letters can sometimes be hard to read

Did they linger in the US for longer?

I just rummaged through my 20-ish open credit cards and about 1/3 have raised numbers (Amex, Chase Freedom and local CU). I used to see these machines primarily at department stores and the occasional cab ride (pre-Uber), these seem to have disappeared sometime in the 2010s? I can imagine some random small business in the middle of South Dakota who still uses these.

manly · Oct 18, 2024

Muadib said:
Me too! It's was last year when power was out. Went to my local Quick Chek, and the cashiers were using them.

Kind of amazing that they still knew how to use it lol.

I could only find an article back in 2018 referencing their emergency use in UK:

Visa card problems see shop staff reduced to using 1980s credit card machines

DESPERATE retail staff resorted to using 1980s credit card machines as Visa’s network crashed this afternoon. Manchester Morrison’s staff posed with the old credit card imprinters, whic…

www.thesun.co.uk

Anyone find a more recent article? Related to the July Crowdstrike/Windows fiasco, maybe?

Received a new CC just a month ago; it still has embossed numbers.

dullard · Oct 18, 2024

RossMAN said:
I can imagine some random small business in the middle of South Dakota who still uses these.

Bingo.

The last couple of times I had a card read that way was on adventure trips in mountains of Colorado and rural Utah where there is no phone service and Wi-Fi is spotty or non-existent. It isn't common, but I've had my cards used that way in the last few years at least twice. I prefer that over the "bring $400 in cash" alternative since I don't carry much cash, ATMs in those locations at least an hour drive away, and I can't get $400 in one day from my ATM.

sdifox · Oct 18, 2024

dullard said:
Bingo.

The last couple of times I had a card read that way was on adventure trips in mountains of Colorado and rural Utah where there is no phone service and Wi-Fi is spotty or non-existent. It isn't common, but I've had my cards used that way in the last few years at least twice. I prefer that over the "bring $400 in cash" alternative since I don't carry much cash, ATMs in those locations at least an hour drive away, and I can't get $400 in one day from my ATM.

You can't get 400 from your ATM in a day whut?

dullard · Oct 18, 2024

sdifox said:
You can't get 400 from your ATM in a day whut?

Both* my ATM cards from different banks are limited to $300/day. I have once asked to up that, and they did up to $500/day for a month then reset it back to $300/day.

What Are Daily ATM Withdrawal Limits and Debit Purchase Limits? - SmartAsset

When it comes to your checking accounts, your bank has set daily ATM withdrawal limits and debit purchase limits. This prevents you (and thieves) from...

smartasset.com

Daily ATM withdrawal limits range from around $250 to $1,000 or more, in rare circumstances

* Note: I choose not to carry both ATM cards at the same time, ever. This is in case of an emergency, I can only have one account in jeopardy and can theoretically still use the other account.

KLin · Oct 18, 2024

Wells Fargo upped their daily ATM withdrawl limit to $2,000 in the past year. Used to be $300.

sdifox · Oct 18, 2024

dullard said:
Both* my ATM cards from different banks are limited to $300/day. I have once asked to up that, and they did up to $500/day for a month then reset it back to $300/day.

What Are Daily ATM Withdrawal Limits and Debit Purchase Limits? - SmartAsset

When it comes to your checking accounts, your bank has set daily ATM withdrawal limits and debit purchase limits. This prevents you (and thieves) from...

smartasset.com

* Note: I choose not to carry both ATM cards at the same time, ever. This is in case of an emergency, I can only have one account in jeopardy and can theoretically still use the other account.

I think mine is at 1k a day 5k a week

SKORPI0 · Oct 18, 2024

My Amazon (Store Card), B&H (Payboo), Lowe's Advantage, Micro Center and Synchrony( Car Care) cards are embossed.
Best Buy (VISA) , Costco (Citi VISA)., Midas and Chase Bank are flat. $00.00 balance due in all the cards besides Chase.

Greenman · Oct 20, 2024

mikeymikec said:
I only remember these machines from when I was a kid and my parents ran a hi-fi and TV shop, and the purpose of the embossed letters was for this machine to work with them:

I only remembered the existence of these machines a few days after a customer mentioned that the embossed letters can sometimes be hard to read

Did they linger in the US for longer?

I find it funny how cards have gone through their recent-ish evolution of chip-and-PIN only where it was supposedly a really great security feature that the three digits on the back would stop credit card fraud because the fraudster would have to have access to *both sides* of the card Now they're like "fuck it, we're putting all the information on one side".

I spent a month or two repairing and adjusting those machines for B of A 50 years ago.

IronWing · Oct 20, 2024

Penny's had a fancy powered machine with a vertical jaw at the top that would press the card and carbon slips together.

Edit: Like this:

Addressograph Bartizan 840 Electric Credit Card Imprinter

sdifox · Oct 20, 2024

IronWing said:
Penny's had a fancy powered machine with a vertical jaw at the top that would press the card and carbon slips together.

I think it was still press and roll.

I'm really surprised that embossed credit card info lasted this long

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