Clive writes:

In message , Stephen Sprunk
writes
At least in the US, pure ATM cards are getting rare; most have been
replaced by debit cards, which are usable in ATMs. And debit cards are
typically included with checking accounts, so nearly everyone has one.
Many people who previously used credit/charge cards for convenience (and
paid in full every month) now use their debit cards instead.
Indeed, now that banks in the UK have withdrawn the facility to use
debit cars as cheque guarantee cards, most firms will now only accept
payment by debit card.
Chequebooks are becoming a liability, soon as they are killed off (or at
least made optional) the better. They are used so rarely that loss of
one is not likely to be discovered for a very long time. Last cheque I
wrote, that wasn't for the cattery was years ago.

Phil

In message , at 14:32:34 on Sun, 4 Mar 2012,
Stephen Sprunk remarked:
One of the biggest differences between pubs is whether they allow "run a
tab", or "run a tab if they hold your card", or of course ask for
payment with order.

Right. And, at least in the US, if you run a tab on your card, they
authorize the card for some round amount, eg. USD 50, before serving
your order.

Not in the UK. They just hold your card hostage without doing anything
with it (which would probably require a PIN anyway).

If further orders cause your tab (plus estimated tip)

No-one ever tips in pubs.

--
Roland Perry

In message , at 14:02:00 on Sun, 4 Mar 2012,
Stephen Sprunk remarked:
It's a cashflow issue. My main reason for using credit cards is because
I'm paying for travelling expenses that will get billed to a client.

A business charge card (which is how you _use_ yours, even if that's not
how the bank sees it) is an entirely different matter from a personal
(revolving) credit card.

So which are you talking about?
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 20:25:50 on Sun, 4
Mar 2012, Clive remarked:
now that banks in the UK have withdrawn the facility to use debit cars
as cheque guarantee cards,

You are a bit confused. Cheque guarantee cards (which have indeed been
withdrawn) are quite a separate concept from debit cards. Even if some
banks had a card which did both.

most firms will now only accept payment by debit card.

I find plenty will accept a credit card.
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 19:51:56 on Sun, 4 Mar 2012,
Phil remarked:
Un-manned petrol stations are quite common on the continent. Tescos are
pay at pump only at night.

On the Continent? I've done many pay-at-pump transactions at Tesco in
UK during the day.
I said un-manned petrol stations, the only un-manned, i.e. no shop, I
have come across in the UK are ASDA. Have never seen a Tesco petrol
station without a shop.

If Tesco have unmanned stations on the continent, how are they not
pay-at-pump during the day?
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry writes:

In message , at 19:51:56 on Sun, 4 Mar 2012,
Phil remarked:
Un-manned petrol stations are quite common on the continent. Tescos are
pay at pump only at night.

On the Continent? I've done many pay-at-pump transactions at Tesco in
UK during the day.
I said un-manned petrol stations, the only un-manned, i.e. no shop, I
have come across in the UK are ASDA. Have never seen a Tesco petrol
station without a shop.

If Tesco have unmanned stations on the continent, how are they not
pay-at-pump during the day?
AFAIK Tesco do not have filling station on the continent, they are a UK
supermarket.

Many continental filling stations are un-manned and of course are
pay-at-pump at all times. There is no other way to pay. Some ASDA petrol
stations are like this, i.e. no shop, no card then no fuel.

All the Tesco filling stations I have been to have pay-at-pump as an
option, but have a shop where you can pay by cash. Tesco filling
stations do operate unmanned overnight however.

Phil

Roland Perry writes:

In message , at 20:25:50 on Sun,
4 Mar 2012, Clive remarked:
now that banks in the UK have withdrawn the facility to use debit
cars as cheque guarantee cards,

You are a bit confused. Cheque guarantee cards (which have indeed been
withdrawn) are quite a separate concept from debit cards. Even if some
banks had a card which did both.

most firms will now only accept payment by debit card.

I find plenty will accept a credit card.
But very few will accept a cheque.

Phil

AFAIK Tesco do not have filling station on the continent, they are a UK
supermarket.

They have extensive operations in the Czech republic, Slovakia,
Hungary, and Poland. Many of them sell petrol, dunno whether
whetherthey're self service.
--
Regards,
John Levine, , Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for Dummies",
Please consider the environment before reading this e-mail. http://jl.ly

On 04-Mar-12 13:20, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 18:46:40 on Sun, 4 Mar 2012,
Phil remarked:
Un-manned petrol stations are quite common on the continent. Tescos are
pay at pump only at night.

On the Continent? I've done many pay-at-pump transactions at Tesco in UK
during the day.

There are two ways to parse the above quote:

1. Tesco offers pay-at-the-pump at night only.

2. At night, Tesco only offers pay-at-the-pump.

I assumed he meant the latter, i.e. that pay-at-the-pump is also
available during the day in addition to some other option(s).

S


--
Stephen Sprunk "God does not play dice." --Albert Einstein
CCIE #3723 "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the
K5SSS dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking

Roland Perry wrote:

No-one ever tips in pubs.

I had no idea.