Do you feel nervous when you pay?

[SameStars]

Most of the time. There's no real interaction besides the hello.cash?receipts?goodday. I somewhat prefer to pay with cash, because I'm afraid I'll scramble my pincode or something, which once made for a very awkward supermarket moment.

 

[Aurore]

I'm happy to see I'm not the only one!! I'm very nervous when I pay, I'm always thinking things like "oh, and if my card doesn't work? and if I forget my code?" And if I pay with cash it's worse. I'm an accountant so I can juggle with numbers and money but...I don't know, it makes me nervous! it's a bit crazy!

 

[Judge]

I'm happy to see I'm not the only one!! I'm very nervous when I pay, I'm always thinking things like "oh, and if my card doesn't work? and if I forget my code?" And if I pay with cash it's worse. I'm an accountant so I can juggle with numbers and money but...I don't know, it makes me nervous! it's a bit crazy!

Just standing in line I often see people's credit/debit cards denied. I had it happen only once in my life, and it was most unfortunate. I was buying a piece of furniture for a new apartment and my card was rejected. Turned out at the time the creditor cut off access to their card for a specific period whenever a cardholder reported a change of address.

I still remember the dirty look the store's manager gave me when I gave him another card to make the purchase.

Yeah, I hate that routine stretch of time when you swipe your card, and wait to see that it's authorized. I shouldn't be nervous about such things, but I am as well.

 

[tree]

pro-active approach to check out lines/paying

 

[wyverary]

I see a lot of weird things happen when it comes to bank cards (I work retail at a bookshop, for those who don't know). Sometimes somebody forgets their Debit PIN and, for some reason, are unwilling to run it as credit (no, I still don't know the intricacies of the credit-versus-debit debate...if you can, enlighten me!); I see people who have more cards in their billfolds than I knew companies that provided them, and they'll go through two or three before stumbling upon one that works; and then there are just weird things that happen that are no fault of the customer...for example, last week we were having issues with our card readers and sometimes it would say "tender declined" only to have it accepted on the second or third try.

I'm starting to think I should start using cash all the time, get rid of my ATM card (weird in this day and age, I know) and find a bank that will let me set up temporary numbers for online payments and the like.

 

[tree]

I'm starting to think I should start using cash all the time...

It could be fun.
There are opportunities for pleasant interactions with clerks.
They like to get shiny coins or crisp bills or bills with unique sayings on them.
They are sometimes just grateful to get change because then they won't have to go to the manager to get any rolls.

 

[buckyboy14]

YES. I'm still stymied at how paying with credit/debit cards at restaurants works, and I was at one alone the other day and, as I had feared, made a fool out of myself. The meal was a little over 11 dollars, and I said, "Just give me 15," forgetting how much the meal was and wanting to tip to waitress. She looked at me oddly and said, "It's $11.(some amount of cents). So I gave her 15 dollars in cash and she gave me the change. I thought about asking her to keep the change, but I didn't know if that was how it was supposed to work...ugh. Yes, paying for food is a nightmare. Other things can make me nervous, but nothing on the level of restaurants.

 

[Lealea]

Before I pay is probably the most difficult time for me, I am so anxious and panicky about not having the right amount I count the money over and over again, same with using plastic I'm always scared that something would happen and my card won't work and everyone will look and I won't be able to pay I can imagine the embarrassment. Hair dressers are the places that freak me out the most I can not do small talk at all and its made ten times worse when there's more than one person around, they ask a question and all I do answer and then comes the awkward silence and thirty seconds later they try again. I having been to the hairdressers for a long time now, by the time I'm fifty ill be like rapunzel.

 

[wyverary]

It could be fun.
There are opportunities for pleasant interactions with clerks.
They like to get shiny coins or crisp bills or bills with unique sayings on them.
They are sometimes just grateful to get change because then they won't have to go to the manager to get any rolls.

Precisely. And I gotta say, I don't mind breaking large bills or coins, either, because that means there's less for me to count at the end of my shift. Although it's annoying when a customer pays you and then decides to give you some change...I'm good at arithmetic, but not immediately and on the spot! Make up your minds BEFORE you tell me what you're paying, people.

 

[watersprite]

It's stressful for me unless I work out the numbers before interacting with a waitress or check-out person, because I can't do mental math if someone is talking. If I have it figured out ahead of time then all I have to concentrate on is a small exchange from within my usual polite mask.

 

[JuniperBug]

This used to be an issue for me until I moved abroad. I quickly learned to understand numbers and the basic questions and comments store clerks ask in Chinese (do you want a bag, a receipt, the total is __, etc.). I also learned to respond simply and appropriately and say "Sorry, I don't understand." If they say anything other than those set things. It's sort of an Aspie's dream, to just be able to politely reject anything other than the bare minimum exchange. LOL

Because I'm foreign, I usually get out quickly with a "謝謝" ("Thanks!") and no small talk needed. So I guess I'm pretty lucky in that regard!

 

[Etzelaire]

Only because I don't want to make others wait.