So how does charging your meal on your credit card work onboard?

Normally, when you charge something on your credit card, it is reported real time. Most businesses use the internet to connect their credit card machines to the bank. They use a POTS (Plain old telephone service, a Telco term) line as a back up.

On board the train, there is no internet, and cell service has its problems too along some routes. So how does it work? Do they take down the information and charge your credit card once at your destination??

Just wondering.

Bruce-SSR

No. They have a Machine that transmits a cellular signal and it typically works.

Sometimes the machine craters for one reason or another and they either have to use the one in the Lounge or simply announce no credit card service. That's when the grousing begins

Last trip on a NER I was on 175 from BOS-PHL. Just outside of NHV the cafe attendant announced that the Machine was down. When it was back up and running I went back and got something and people had left their cards with him and when the machine was up and working ran the cards and left the endless "ticker tape" with each card so people could sign.

The credit card machines in the bistro cars on the Cascades have an override. If the train is in a location with no cell signal, they can run the card and (I assume) store the data for later processing.

The credit card machines currently used by Amtrak utilize cellular technology.

If and when there is no signal the machine stores the transaction until it can be transmitted and completed when there is a good signal.

The biggest problem I encounter with the current system is that there is no backup. When the machine breaks en route the LSAs do not carry a 2nd machine and the old knuckle buster hard-copy method is no longer approved and the slides and blanks were all collected from employees. When the machine breaks it's just SoL for credit card customers. It sucks.

I'm old enough to remember carbon forms and when most cards didn't even have a magnetic strip in the back. They'd use a sliding imprinter. I also recall that they'd go through a printed booklet (revisions maybe monthly) with credit card numbers that had been cancelled. It was a tedious process to use a credit card because they'd look up through the book to see if a card had been cancelled. It was possible to go over your credit limit because most transactions were done blind by the merchant, who only checked to see if a card was cancelled at the time the book was printed.

Heck - that was back in the days before BankAmericard became Visa.

I dunno. I run my credit transactions directly through my cell. I don't even have a landline.

I remember the days of those little paper booklets that cashiers had to use to look up the cards.

No one would ever stand for that now! (As I remember, far fewer people used credit cards for "minor" purchases. I remember my mom going to the bank and cashing personal checks to have cash to go grocery shopping, and I remember my parents usually writing checks even for larger purchases like appliances....)

I remember MasterCharge before it became MasterCard but not Bank Americard...

Green Maned Lion said:

I dunno. I run my credit transactions directly through my cell. I don't even have a landline.

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GML would that be the Square card reader??

I am glad this question was asked. Had not thought about this before. Since Amtrak no longer accepts Travelers Checks, if the technology goes down, it sounds as if adequate cash needs to be taken along to insure one can pay one's bills.

I always try to carry cash with me on trips so I can pay and not have to worry. But things happen.

It's my current provider, yes.

Well if the airlines can charge your credit card at 35000 feet for those crap 8 dollar snack packs I'm sure Amtrak could do it much easier on the ground. It just sounds like just another tick on things Amtrak could improve on but isn't.

Dakota 400 said:

I am glad this question was asked. Had not thought about this before. Since Amtrak no longer accepts Travelers Checks, if the technology goes down, it sounds as if adequate cash needs to be taken along to insure one can pay one's bills.

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Why don't they?? Not that I use them myself, but aren't they just as good as cash??

Bruce-SSR

seat38a said:

Well if the airlines can charge your credit card at 35000 feet for those crap 8 dollar snack packs I'm sure Amtrak could do it much easier on the ground. It just sounds like just another tick on things Amtrak could improve on but isn't.

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Airplanes use satellite phones to connect to the bank and charge your credit card. Perhaps down the road Amtrak will do the same for areas where cell phone service is non existent. Satellite phone calls are expensive, like ships at seas.

Bruce-SSR

Cash makes no enemies

Silver Star rider said:

Dakota 400 said:

I am glad this question was asked. Had not thought about this before. Since Amtrak no longer accepts Travelers Checks, if the technology goes down, it sounds as if adequate cash needs to be taken along to insure one can pay one's bills.

Click to expand...

Why don't they?? Not that I use them myself, but aren't they just as good as cash??

Bruce-SSR

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Rampant counterfitting is the main reason.

Silver Star rider said:

seat38a said:

Well if the airlines can charge your credit card at 35000 feet for those crap 8 dollar snack packs I'm sure Amtrak could do it much easier on the ground. It just sounds like just another tick on things Amtrak could improve on but isn't.

Click to expand...

Airplanes use satellite phones to connect to the bank and charge your credit card. Perhaps down the road Amtrak will do the same for areas where cell phone service is non existent. Satellite phone calls are expensive, like ships at seas.

Bruce-SSR

Click to expand...

I still think Amtrak should have contracted with Hughes or another satellite provider instead of AT&T and Verizon.

Silver Star rider said:

seat38a said:

Well if the airlines can charge your credit card at 35000 feet for those crap 8 dollar snack packs I'm sure Amtrak could do it much easier on the ground. It just sounds like just another tick on things Amtrak could improve on but isn't.

Click to expand...

Airplanes use satellite phones to connect to the bank and charge your credit card. Perhaps down the road Amtrak will do the same for areas where cell phone service is non existent. Satellite phone calls are expensive, like ships at seas.

Bruce-SSR

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Couple of the flight attendants have mentioned in the aviation forum that I frequent that those machines do NOT connect to the bank. It takes your info and it gets processed when on the ground. Unless something has changed, but $1.00 headsets don't seem worth getting a satellite system to process your card.

OlympianHiawatha said:

Cash makes no enemies

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Also need cash for tips. I do not think the SCA's take VISA

I avoid carrying more than a few hundred on me even when traveling. Credit cards are a lot safer.

We were on the EB last year when the cc machines failed in diner and cafe both. Had cash, so no major problem, but missed double AGR points......

The technology to store info until it can be downloaded is available.

OlympianHiawatha said:

Cash makes no enemies

Click to expand...

And it can make temporary friends. After decades of travel on several continents, I can think of dozens of situations that were best resolved with a crisp banknote.

Actually with the advent of square style credit card processing SCAs can take credit cards for tips on their personal android or iOS device.