storewanderer

There is a Jack in the Box here that has been open 8 AM to 3 PM, drive through only about 90% of the time, for over a year now. One by one all of their pinpads broke. They took the ones from front counter to drive through to use and eventually all were broken. So for a couple months recently they had to go back to swiping all cards (the system still let them do that if they unplugged the pinpads from the registers). They did get new equipment finally, since inside is closed I'm not sure what they received.

The Comdata site has new Wayne pumps with Contactless Readers. The registers inside are NCR hardware with gray screens font and a black background. They have a full keyboard plus touchscreen.

Jack in the Box has a standard POS set up that all locations are required to use (unless they are like in an airport that one gets to use something different). Del Taco has a system under Radiant/Aloha and it is the standard system but I'm not sure they actually require all locations to use it. I've seen multiple POS over the years at franchise Del Tacos but it did seem like over the years I was seeing more and more of the Radiant/Aloha. Barstow still uses something different...

tmiw

I know I've just handed the server my card once or twice precisely due to this, but I don't think that in itself is what dissuades me from using it for payment altogether. Personally, I find that I feel most comfortable letting the server know that I paid via QR so they don't immediately think we skipped on the bill (though I don't do so for places like Applebee's that have tabletop devices--probably because of the green light on top). If I have to talk to the server after payment anyway, why not just use a card for all of the places that use QR, even if it's implemented in the most ideal manner possible?

That all said, I will say that it's good that more restaurants are trying tableside payment, even if the US will realistically never have 100% of them onboard.

jmmccarthy2002

I visited two different BP stations, both with Wayne gas pumps, with their black contactless reader. In both cases I used a Visa card, partially to test if they have working EMV Contactless. They both required ZIP code entry, but were approved. The receipts both indicate "Entry: Contactless MSR". I know this isn't a completely true indicator of if it was EMV, but there was no AID on the receipts. Does BP have working contactless on Wayne pumps? Was this actually EMV Contactless, just with old rules still in place (zip code prompt)?

Majuki

That is another reason. The first time I saw a QR code was only a week after outdoor dining had reopened in California in 2020. I don't know if all of the staff would have been properly trained or even aware that it was an option. I confirmed with the waiter prior to leaving in that case.

scibot

Maybe JITB started out with P200s as that is what I found back in November 2018 then they switched later to P400 pinpads? I stopped paying attention after all of the pinpads that keep breaking.


It's obviously time to use a different brand of pinpad or figure out why they keep breaking down. But yeah we've talked about that Comdata system before and Sapp Bros for sure has the same system but with MX925s instead of MX915s. The behavior you described is exactly what it does there. They even removed Flex Pay IV pumps for Wayne pumps and I wonder if they are testing ctls using Amex or do you think it's just borked?

With Commander and Passport if EMV contactless is supported it will show an AID at min and most likely won't ask for a zip code but some places keep a zip code for some reason but most don't at least around here. So yeah your transaction was contactless MSR as the receipt shows. Gilbarco pumps are more likely to have EMV contactless at BP/Amoco I'd say so if your looking for that find a BP with Flex Pay IV pumps with ctls readers.

PrendellHiggins

Spirit Halloween finally has it this year! Was swipe only forever... Contactless was very responsive.

I went to my year round location in May I believe and it wasn't available.

rasheed

I rarely go to stores in the 7-11/Speedway family because of the credit/cash pricing, but it looks like they completed the credit project in the ARCO and even Thrifty stations that kept that franchise brand (so confusing to offer so many brands).

ARCO offered contactless early on for debit only, but now they take credit - I went to a recent station that looked like the pump out of the early 90s with the toolset added for the color LED screen with chip support as well as tap. That is some conversion option.

Anyway, there was so many options to select to use credit at the pump.

First, there is credit or debit buttons to select (debit has at least 35 cents surcharge on top, and I don't know if they still get the cash pricing on debit).
Second, there is the zip code prompt.
Third, it asks again for credit pricing as a question (no idea what would happen if I said no).

Most of the options are either unnecessary or just create too much friction. I mean the ARCO credit price was still lower than Costco, but....

ecs0013

I wonder if there's something where they have to wait out before changing the branding (Circle K did that with a lot of co-branded stations and it didn't happen all at once either.)

That's really weird because I'm in Speedway's original footprint and all the stations here are the same price regardless of how you pay. Similarly, the prompts are much simpler - loyalty (enter or scan), tap card or phone, receipt (Y/N). I don't think they even asked my zip code the last time I went. It also seems that all are using the NCR Optic 12s at newer stations and NCR Optic 5s at older ones. I wonder if it has to do with existing contracts/awkward transition from ARCO/Tesoro and there's different agreements and hardware?

storewanderer

The 7-Eleven/Speedway/Speedway Express stations are fully rebranded and controlled by 7-Eleven. Anything left branded Arco, USA, or Thrifty is Marathon-controlled and has nothing to do with 7-Eleven. 7-Eleven was no longer allowed to use any of Marathon's brands (Arco, Thrifty, USA, Tesoro) as of 9/30/2021. Not quite everything was converted at that point but it was close and the project is done now.

Arco and Speedway Express (not corporate Speedway sites) use the same payment processing system but are two different networks (ARCO and SPWY) that behave in a similar manner Thrifty is patched into ARCO network. The SPWY network was set up for Speedway Express before the 7-Eleven sale and is still being used. ARCO has a 35 cent debit fee but SPWY does not. ARCO charges Debit at the cash price but SPWY charges it at the credit price. Both brands, if the station has cash/credit pricing (some are same price for both payment methods), the pump behaves as you describe. That "Credit Price Yes/No" thing seems like an error, but that comes up every single time when using Contactless (it does not come up if you insert the Chip). That "Credit Price Yes/No" prompt is intended for sites where you pump first then pay and as part of starting up the pump the system needs to know which price to charge you (then when you go inside to pay after fueling, the system will not allow the cashier to tender it as credit if you pressed "cash price yes"). If you press "NO" to that, it will decline your card or it may try to flip it to a debit transaction with a 35 cent debit fee. Both brands still use MSD Contactless if they have working Contactless at all. ARCO needs to clean up its pay at the pump. They need to eliminate the zip code prompt and eliminate the credit price yes/no question. If you can acquire an Arco gift card you will receive the cash price at the Arco station. Arco gift card will not work at SPWY but will work at Thrifty. SPWY network is also able to dial into Speedy Rewards but I can't tell what the point of it is as those stations don't participate in redemption of Speedy Rewards. There is also a third related network called TESO, this network is the one the USA and Tesoro stations dial into, it does not accept Arco gift cards. I think ARCO has its own network (as opposed to being on TESO) in order to facilitate charging of the 35 cent debit fee. Only the Marathon Arcos are on that ARCO network; the BP ones run on a BP network.

Speedway (corporate sites) uses a different payment processing system and behaves normally. They are all on some form of NCR Optic hardware and Radiant POS. There is no zip code prompt for EMV/EMV Contactless except for American Express cards and good luck getting American Express to even process at the pump. The locations with a cash price/credit price (these only exist in California and are about half of the California locations) automatically change the price without any questions like the Arco/Speedway Express one does.

zkzkz

Surely she means the wind blew some object like a branch or can or something into the screen?

That's a pretty slick screen btw, I've never seen anything like that. I assume it pays for itself by advertising car washes and candy bars? Confusing that the instructions say to insert your card but then it has a tap icon in a different place. How does it work if you tap?

scibot

Not sure what hit it as the cashier didn't elaborate further. I haven't found one that supports contactless yet so not sure. I only know two stations that have them.

tmiw

I'm still not sure what the pre-merger 7-Eleven locations will do on the pump side. Other than like two or three I've ever seen with EMV (and no contactless), none of the pumps have been updated. Hopefully they just go with NCR Optic (like Speedway has) as that works reasonably well (minus AmEx).

storewanderer

Actually their plan is to transition all of Speedway (corporate sites) onto the 7-Eleven systems. I've actually seen one site down near Redondo Beach which was branded Arco on fuel (wasn't rebranded to Speedway) and had EMV, converted to 7-Eleven and they SHUT OFF the EMV at the pumps and shifted them back to swipe when they installed the 7-Eleven systems. Below I describe some 7-Elevens with the SAME EXACT PUMPS and SAME EXACT CARD READERS that have EMV turned on. They don't have a clue what they are doing, they are unbelievably inept. I have not yet seen them remove any of the NCR Optic equipment so maybe that is a positive sign but I have little confidence in them.

About 15% of 7-Eleven locations in my area have EMV. All have 7-Eleven branded fuel. All of these sites have working Contactless in the store as well, at this time. There are two locations that actually software updated existing EMV ready equipment (~4 year old Gilbarco pumps with the vertical EMV readers that are no longer being installed) pumps to make EMV work (these two locations did not have Contactless working inside for a number of years when the other locations did). Four other locations, have gotten new Gilbarco pumps to get the EMV with the Verifone horizontal pump card readers. These all seem to be using 7-Eleven's typical register software and have a very slow EMV with zip code prompt functioning. No Contactless in sight on any pumps.

There is another 7-Eleven very remote location that they recently bought from a small group and don't have any 7-Eleven signs up but did bring it on to 7-Eleven systems. This has newer Gilbarco pumps with the Verifone EMV readers on the pumps and NFC readers. The NFC readers have never worked on the pumps (the station previously used Radiant but did not have EMV turned on). This one has a typical 7-Eleven cash register in the store for merchandise sales and accepts Contactless in the store. However the gas pumps are connected to a different cash register, a Gilbarco register. EMV is turned on and the receipt looks like a standard Gilbarco system receipt and it is running on 7-Eleven's network. This one does not have the zip code prompt but that may be due to the location (very rural).

There are also a few 7-Elevens around Sacramento that have 76 branded fuel and the EMV has been turned on at most of those sites. Zip code prompt remains in place and no Contactless. Contactless also is not allowed to be used inside the store, it does not work. This 76 payment system seems to be absolutely terrible with no Contactless in the store and a zip code prompt on the pump with EMV. Odd as other 76 sites have Contactless that works so I have to think these are 7-Eleven problems. They have the typical 7-Eleven cash register but the payment part of the receipt looks different and they have Verifone pinpads in the store. Some of these have Wayne pumps.

scibot

I've seen them do this run two systems the 7-Eleven system with iSC250s and Conoco Passport with MX915s and Flex Pay IV with contactless enabled at the pump as well. So contactless works everywhere at that Conoco+7-Eleven in Dillion CO. Still a few of those 7-Eleven+Phillips 66 with Wayne pumps and contactless only work at the pump and not inside on the MX915s. 7-Eleven really needs to get their act together and finally enable contactless on the Verifone pinpads or just upgrade to Ingenico. It's been like 3+ years and still no contactless on the Verifone pinpad yeah what is wrong with them.. Combining their pos with Conoco/Phillips 66 results in a failure. Also I wonder if they are waiting to enable contactless on the next gen of Verifone equipment or will ctls still be disabled on those too?

storewanderer

There is a 7-Eleven 76 in Dutch Flat, CA which was bought from a different operator and already had 76 branding, at the time it was sold, this one has older Wayne pumps but updated to have EMV hardware but 7-Eleven didn't bother to activate the EMV software yet. Inside the store they have the Verifone pinpad, 7-Eleven register, and no Contactless allowed (signs are posted). 7-Eleven took this store over in 2021. There is another like this in Penn Valley, CA, same stuff, bought at the same time. So even on fairly recent installs they continue to support this complete trash and garbage arrangement of no working EMV on the pumps, no working Contactless in the store. They are inept. There is no other way to put it. No other major convenience store chain is so behind on both EMV and Contactless as 7-Eleven. I am surprised the fraud costs haven't put them out of business. Maybe 7-Eleven is the smart one deferring this cost as long as possible...