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Unread 24-07-2007, 09:42   #1
MrX
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Default Credit/Debit Cards on Board

I was slightly stunned by the way Iarnrod Eireann/Irish Rail and their catering company handled credit card transactions on board the train.

Rather than having a portable chip and pin terminal, which one would expect in this day and age. The ticket inspector wrote down credit card numbers on little paper forms and stuffed them into his bag. Doesn't seem right at all.

Meanwhile, the catering crowd are doing something similarly manual.

I wasn't very happy with my credit card details being taken this way. I can't understand why IE can't issue a simple GSM-based credit card terminal to each MK4 train. It's not that expensive and it's not that complicated.

Also, given that the banks will shift liablity for fraud over to the retailer if they fail to use chip and pin when a chip card is presented to them, they are running the risk of financial losses if anyone hands them a dud card.
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Unread 24-07-2007, 09:50   #2
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You were slightly stunned by Irish Rail still working with 80's technology and refusing to keep up?

I'm slightly stunned that you didn't expect it
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Unread 24-07-2007, 11:34   #3
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Even manual cc transactions should be done with the old slidy/slidy imprinter and you need to sign it and get a voucher copy .... if you don't then you have a good comeback to the CC company re an illegal debit.
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Unread 24-07-2007, 12:11   #4
Thomas J Stamp
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Given that one of the benefits of the Mk4 train is that you are supposed to be able to use a laptop and access the net on it you would think that a hand held Chip and Pin Terminal wouldn't be beyond IE.

Perhaps the costs of one on each train is the sticking point. I investigated a method of having clients pay using laser and the costs that AIB wanted for a terminal, keypad and the rest was too big for what I wanted it for.

Maybe, also , the massive costs of them getting something like 100 "3" mobile broadband things is also too expensive. Maybe slightly more expensive than repainting an old loco in a new livery.
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Unread 24-07-2007, 12:34   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp View Post
Given that one of the benefits of the Mk4 train is that you are supposed to be able to use a laptop and access the net on it you would think that a hand held Chip and Pin Terminal wouldn't be beyond IE.
You're forgetting the obligatory once-off payment to unionised staff for being trained up in new technology and for the stress of having to operate said new technology.
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Unread 24-07-2007, 20:11   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by markpb View Post
You were slightly stunned by Irish Rail still working with 80's technology and refusing to keep up?

I'm slightly stunned that you didn't expect it
1980s ?! They don't even have the "slidy thing" - We're talking 1950s technology here, the biro + note pad!
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Unread 22-08-2007, 22:42   #7
Derek Wheeler
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*BUMP*

A hugely important, but little known customer service issue. While they don't refuse Credit Cards, the security aspects for both sides are paramount.
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Unread 23-08-2007, 00:03   #8
MrX
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Particularly in this era when credit card fraud is such a big issue!

Really, when you think about it they've no excuse. Plenty of small retailers, have chip and pin stuff installed and they wouldn't have even 100th of the no of customers / potential customers of a typical Cork-Dublin train.

I would consider it pretty shoddy practice to be scrawling credit card nos and security details down in some notebook for processing later.

IE also expose themselves to chargebacks and non payment if those details are wrong / the card is stolen.
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Unread 23-08-2007, 06:47   #9
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They had a chip and pin in the duty free on a transatlantic flight I was on last year - there really is no excuse.
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Unread 23-08-2007, 10:58   #10
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the key phrase is called "PCI compliance" - which is an area where I am doing a lot of work.
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Unread 23-08-2007, 15:03   #11
crc
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the key phrase is called "PCI compliance"
What does PCI stand for?
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Unread 23-08-2007, 17:29   #12
dowlingm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas J Stamp View Post
Given that one of the benefits of the Mk4 train is that you are supposed to be able to use a laptop and access the net
Wasn't there a long thread on boards.ie on that subject which basically said that there was no integral networking, that connectivity was only possible if you hooked up to a 3G phone (i.e. BYONet)
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Unread 23-08-2007, 19:40   #13
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What does PCI stand for?
Quite logically its Payment Card Industry
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Unread 24-08-2007, 08:42   #14
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I am of the opinion that there may be a liability issue here, if you are not PCI compliant and card details get stolen I think you can be sued ... this would be the reason we are seeing all the activity in the industry.
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Unread 23-09-2007, 21:34   #15
MrX
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Not to get way off the point, but Credit/Debit card processing on a POS (point of sale) terminal only requires a very slow modem like connection. It can be done over standard GSM data, doesn't even need GPRS, never mind 3G.

you're talking about sending about as much data as 4 or 5 lines of simple text. There's nothing particularly sophisticated about the data communication requirements.
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Unread 24-09-2007, 18:56   #16
Thomas Ralph
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Aside from the union thing, I have seen the manual imprinters on some trains but not all. Laser can only be accepted online and so can't be used on trains. However the situation MrX described is bordering on the ludicrous.
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