PIN-Headed, Part 10

I’m a cashier at a college bookstore. A customer comes up to my till and chooses to purchase his items with a card.

Me: “Credit or debit?”

Customer: “Debit.”

I tell the computer it’s a debit card.

Me: “It’s going to ask you for your code, and then it’s going to ask if the amount is okay.”

He types on the pad. It doesn’t seem to be working; there is a problem with the PIN.

Me: “Hmm, is it not taking the PIN?”

I lean over to look at the PIN pad screen and see the problem. Although the numbers are naturally blanked out with dots, I can see that there are only three of them, instead of the standard four. I assume that he just didn’t hit one of the number keys hard enough and that the pad only registered three of them.

Me: “Oh, you only typed in three numbers.”

Customer: “Yeah, that’s the code, right? On the back of the card?”

I realize that he was trying to use the three-digit security code on the back of the card instead of his pin number.

Me: “Oh, no, the PIN. It’s a four-digit code; your bank would have given it to you?”

Customer: “Oh… I don’t remember that. Just run it as a credit.”

I’m assuming he was a college student.

Related:
PIN-Headed, Part 9
PIN-Headed, Part 8
PIN-Headed, Part 7