My card got declined at a diner last Tuesday and I had no cash on me

I was at a small diner in Tulsa after a long moving job, ready to pay for a $14 breakfast. Swiped my card three times and it kept saying declined. Turns out the diner's payment system was down, and they only take cards or exact cash. I ended up having to call my office and have someone bring me $20. Has anyone else been caught off guard like this when a place couldn't process digital payments?

3 comments

3 Comments

roberts.leo1mo ago

Did you see that article about how some businesses are going back to cash only because of all the card processing fees going up? I read it in some local news blog last week, said a bunch of small diners in the midwest are switching over. It's a real pain though, I always forget to carry cash myself. $14 breakfast sounds like a steal though, I'd be annoyed but not too mad if the food was good.

kim_ramirez31mo ago

Feels like every small business is getting squeezed from all sides these days. Between card fees, rent hikes, and supply costs, it's no wonder they're going back to basics just to keep the doors open.

the_piper1mo ago

That $14 breakfast point is real though. Good food fixes a lot of inconvenience.