Please don't destroy my card...
May 21, 2015, 12:52 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2015
Programs: American Express
Posts: 3
Please don't destroy my card...
Hello everyone. I have been an avid reader of the posts on this website but I have never had the need to start a post. I did a little bit of looking around and could not find a thread pertaining to my complaint. I am a PRG card holder and I might be a little bit weird but I take a lot of pride in the fact that I am an American Express card holder every time I take the card out of my wallet. That feeling is lost on a lot of the businesses where I use my card. I don't believe that there is any reason to almost destroy the card every time that it is run through the card reader. It should take an easy, straight swipe for the information be read. I don't think my card needs to bent in half as its being swiped, swiped 10 times in 3 seconds, dropped on the counter, or used as a drum stick while waiting for the receipt to print. I have had to replace my card numerous times over the years because of rough treatment. I am not sure if anyone else has had the same problems but it irks me each time that my card is used in those ways.
May 21, 2015, 8:37 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2015
Programs: American Express
Posts: 3
Thanks for the welcome. I use my PRG for about 99% of my spending, so I don't use other cards too often. But I find that now a days it is any card that is used. I find Chipotle to be one of the worst offenders.
May 21, 2015, 8:44 pm
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Atherton, CA
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Owner, Green Bay Packers
Posts: 21,690
LOL...
I had a silly lady at SFO roughly run my credit card through the reader several times and scratch across the magnet strip before I could stop her. She then had the temerity to shove it back at me and say "It not working."
It was all I could do not to scream at her as I was headed out to Italy for 10 days and had intended to use that card primarily.
Life goes on.
I had a silly lady at SFO roughly run my credit card through the reader several times and scratch across the magnet strip before I could stop her. She then had the temerity to shove it back at me and say "It not working."
It was all I could do not to scream at her as I was headed out to Italy for 10 days and had intended to use that card primarily.
Life goes on.
May 21, 2015, 8:45 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2015
Programs: American Express
Posts: 3
Your right, pride about a CC does sound weird. However to me, it means that I live in my means, I pay it off every month and I try (for the most part) to make good financial decisions. I take a lot of pride in that stuff and I guess that piece of plastic is the symbol.
May 22, 2015, 8:42 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Chattanooga
Programs: DL, Hyatt, National
Posts: 318
I've always laughed when I've seen them wrap bagel pickup tissues around my card at Panera and swipe it slowly after they did the seizure swipe. Like somehow that magical tissue paper conducts the magnetic data better. Its because they swiped it normally.
I chalk it up to the "I saw someone else do it so it must be required" mentality.
I had one do the seizure swipe and hand me my card back and say it wasn't working must be damaged on a month old card. I reached over and swiped it normally and it beeped. She was astonished that it worked.
Just be glad most cards have a better coating on the stripe these days and we're moving to chip and signature. Then we get to watch them pound the card in and out and snap them in half. heh
I chalk it up to the "I saw someone else do it so it must be required" mentality.
I had one do the seizure swipe and hand me my card back and say it wasn't working must be damaged on a month old card. I reached over and swiped it normally and it beeped. She was astonished that it worked.
Just be glad most cards have a better coating on the stripe these days and we're moving to chip and signature. Then we get to watch them pound the card in and out and snap them in half. heh
May 22, 2015, 10:32 am
#10
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,689
The really does work and is not because of a slow swipe. You can find several explanations. You are dealing with magnetic fields.
May 22, 2015, 10:42 am
#11
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: SAN
Programs: AA Platinum, Bonvoy Gold, DL Gold
Posts: 1,198
A single, deliberate, medium speed swipe is all that's necessary.
I just request a replacement card every time mine starts to look bad, it's free and well worth it. Just make sure to tell Amex you're requesting it because the mag strip doesn't work or the numbers wore off rather than saying it was lost or stolen, that way the number stays the same.
I just request a replacement card every time mine starts to look bad, it's free and well worth it. Just make sure to tell Amex you're requesting it because the mag strip doesn't work or the numbers wore off rather than saying it was lost or stolen, that way the number stays the same.
May 22, 2015, 10:46 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,584
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
If you want an indestructible card, get the Chase Sapphire Preferred. 
Originally Posted by mike35621
Hello everyone. I have been an avid reader of the posts on this website but I have never had the need to start a post. I did a little bit of looking around and could not find a thread pertaining to my complaint. I am a PRG card holder and I might be a little bit weird but I take a lot of pride in the fact that I am an American Express card holder every time I take the card out of my wallet. That feeling is lost on a lot of the businesses where I use my card. I don't believe that there is any reason to almost destroy the card every time that it is run through the card reader. It should take an easy, straight swipe for the information be read. I don't think my card needs to bent in half as its being swiped, swiped 10 times in 3 seconds, dropped on the counter, or used as a drum stick while waiting for the receipt to print. I have had to replace my card numerous times over the years because of rough treatment. I am not sure if anyone else has had the same problems but it irks me each time that my card is used in those ways.
May 22, 2015, 1:40 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: RDU
Programs: DL(PM), UA(Silver), AA(EXP) Marriott(Ti), HH(Gold), Hertz(PC)
Posts: 2,667
I've seen that exact same behavior at the Panera we usually frequent: the cashier gets the card and furiously swipes it back and forth.
Fortunately, that went away once they started taking Apple Pay. Since then, my card stays safely in my wallet while the phone does the work.
May 22, 2015, 11:48 pm
#15
Join Date: Jun 2007
Programs: CO-plat, SPG-plat
Posts: 1,655
Your right, pride about a CC does sound weird. However to me, it means that I live in my means, I pay it off every month and I try (for the most part) to make good financial decisions. I take a lot of pride in that stuff and I guess that piece of plastic is the symbol.