PIN-Headed, Part 25

I’m seventeen and work in retail as a weekend job. In the UK, the contactless card limit is currently £45, though at some point, it’s supposed to go up to £100.

A lady and her husband come up to my till. Their shopping comes to around £70? I can’t remember, but it is definitely more than £45. The lady tries to tap her card.

Me: “Ma’am, unfortunately, the contactless limit is £45, so you will need to insert your card.”

Lady: “No, it went up to £100.”

She attempts to tap it again.

Me: “It was announced that the limit is going up to £100, but it hasn’t yet. And even if it had, our tills don’t support it yet.”

Lady: “Well, I don’t know my PIN.”

Me: “Okay, well, do you have another way to pay?”

Lady: *Raising her voice* “You tell me what my PIN is. Since you’re the one who’s making me put a number, you can tell me what it is.”

Me: “Unfortunately, I don’t know your PIN. You can either find another way to pay, put some stuff back, or leave the shop.”

Lady: “I know my PIN will come up on your screen when I put my card in, so tell me what it is!”

Me: “No, it won’t, ma’am.”

Lady: “You’re just lying about the limit not being £100 yet! Let me talk to your manager!”

My manager came over and told her the same things I had just told her.

The best part of the whole story? She finally pulled out a wad of cash and gave it to me, so it wasn’t like she didn’t have another way to pay. Also, her husband just stood there like a lemon the entire time this was happening.

Related:
PIN-Headed, Part 24
PIN-Headed, Part 23
PIN-Headed, Part 22
PIN-Headed, Part 21
PIN-Headed, Part 20