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Old September 21st 05, 09:31 PM posted to uk.transport.london
Doug Faunt N6TQS +1-510-655-8604 Doug Faunt N6TQS +1-510-655-8604 is offline
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First recorded activity at LondonBanter: May 2005
Posts: 18
Default Oyster card online store, from US- no joy

James Farrar writes:

On 21 Sep 2005 13:11:10 -0400, Doug Faunt N6TQS +1-510-655-8604
wrote:

James Farrar writes:

PINs appear to have problems internationally. I've just got back from
two weeks in California, during which time I signed for all in-store
transactions, and if a machine (except an ATM) asked me for a PIN, it
rejected it (thanks, BART, amongst others).
--


Well, BART is not an organization that I'd expect to make things work,


I dunno, it's always worked pretty well for me. And they had
stored-value tickets years before Oyster.


They had to, that is the only kind of fare that exists. No period
passes nor per trip tickets. And even then, they've been known to
break the model, such as on AirBART, the shuttle from OAK to the
nearby BART station. For a long time, the only payment acceptable was
a BART card with $2 (or more if you wanted to throw away money), which
they took. Now, in a major improvement, they can accept correct
change in real money!!!


but I've been told that only 4 digit pins are universal. Do you have
more digits?


Nope.

I've never used a PIN in a transaction with BART, myself.


They've got new (or have upgraded their) machines since I was in SF
last year that allegedly take cards.


They've had a few machines that would take credit cards for a long
time, but they've only been widely deployed fairly recently. And I've
used those, but they don't require a PIN.

OTOH, BART machines will not accept dollar coins, and it took them a
while to get their machines upgraded when the $20. note was
changed. It was well after the time the notes were in circulation.

73, doug