Effective Jan 17, All Acela cafes will operate on a credit card basis only, No cash.
Cashless Acela cafe
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My guess is that they're testing it out on a market that's more accustomed to cashless systems on board (as almost all flights are cashless these days) whereas a NER may have more people that primarily or solely use cash.
So, what's driving this change? Point-of-sale system (and thus inventory control) roll out, or perhaps just to avoid handling cash?
And yes, I'd agree there are likely fewer passengers on Acela who don't have a credit card (not taking debit cards, though?).
And yes, I'd agree there are likely fewer passengers on Acela who don't have a credit card (not taking debit cards, though?).
seat38a
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It is safe to assume that as long as it is visa or mastercard debit card it will be accepted.
Devil's Advocate
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Almost all flights? The forced credit card payment is mainly a US loss prevention issue and credit issuer incentive. Airlines from other countries still accept cash on their flights without issue.
Accepted and processed at a higher transaction cost with lower security than a chip+pin debit transaction would entail.
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We started using an "updated" version of the old POS approximately 2 months ago that processes credit cards MUCH quicker than the credit card machines we had to use previously .
But the bugs aren't completely out of this system yet.
No word on new POS, but at the speed things change....not for a few years is my guess...
Cho Cho Charlie
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What if the credit card machines go off line? They will not be able to accept cash as a backup?
The credit card machines spend quite a bit of time off line. They store the information and process sales when back online. Same as the current CC machines in use.
Thirdrail7
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I'm thinking it will streamline accounting which will save time and reduce manpower.
fairviewroad
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Comparing to airlines is fair only in the sense that airlines are another kind of transportation provider. In most other respects, an Amtrak on-board cafe is quite a different beast than an airline BOB menu.
Flight attendants have a far more limited physical environment in which to work. An Amtrak cafe, OTOH, is large enough for a cash register. Also, Amtrak cafes offer items as low as $2, whereas you'll be hard-pressed to find anything under $6 or $8 on an airline BOB menu. Cash transactions on Amtrak seem far more likely.
Another thing is that if you are flying, you almost certainly used a credit or debit card to purchase the ticket in the first place, whereas Amtrak (particularly on corridors) tickets are much cheaper, and it's not terribly usual for people to buy them with cash on a walk-up basis (though I suspect much less so on Acela, I'd guess).
I don't have a huge problem with it as long as Amtrak doesn't use the "for your convenience" spin that airlines often use when cutting back services.
Flight attendants have a far more limited physical environment in which to work. An Amtrak cafe, OTOH, is large enough for a cash register. Also, Amtrak cafes offer items as low as $2, whereas you'll be hard-pressed to find anything under $6 or $8 on an airline BOB menu. Cash transactions on Amtrak seem far more likely.
Another thing is that if you are flying, you almost certainly used a credit or debit card to purchase the ticket in the first place, whereas Amtrak (particularly on corridors) tickets are much cheaper, and it's not terribly usual for people to buy them with cash on a walk-up basis (though I suspect much less so on Acela, I'd guess).
I don't have a huge problem with it as long as Amtrak doesn't use the "for your convenience" spin that airlines often use when cutting back services.
Don Newcomb
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jis
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At least the airlines seem to be able to use chip cards even when they have no operating comm link to ground for use by the card machines. They just appear to record the transaction and the token and reconcile later.
BCL
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They all still have magnetic strips. I've gotten a few corporate per diem reimbursements in the form of prepaid debit cards that work like credit cards. No smartcard system - just the magnetic strip.
I believe the main reason for a seller to insist on the smartcard system is to reduce liability in case of something like a card skimmer or database breach. The seller doesn't specifically have the credit card number saved - just a one time transaction ID. However, these systems have to actively communicate with the credit card processor. Otherwise they would probably need to save the credit card number via the magnetic strip and process it when communications are available. This is likely what airlines do.
greatcats
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Recently I purchased a snack for $8.99 on United from Houston to Phoenix. They must have stored that transaction big time, as the charge did not show up for 30 days.
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My rudimentary understanding from having looked at the EMV protocol once, don't ask why 
, is that there are some eight or so different CVMs (Customer Verification Methods) specified. Many of them are off line, including the Signature method. There are also a couple of off line PIN based CVMs. For offline transactions the card creates a Transaction Certificate and that is stored away in the terminal to send to the transaction acquirer later. So just because a card has a chip does not mean it has to be processed on line.
, is that there are some eight or so different CVMs (Customer Verification Methods) specified. Many of them are off line, including the Signature method. There are also a couple of off line PIN based CVMs. For offline transactions the card creates a Transaction Certificate and that is stored away in the terminal to send to the transaction acquirer later. So just because a card has a chip does not mean it has to be processed on line.
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Devil's Advocate
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US chip cards don't actually improve your security protection at all. I steal your card and now I can use the chip to validate an invalid charge. I can return the card to you and use a simple surrogate card at any number of swipe-friendly retailers and service providers. I can even write down the numbers and use them as-is with any number of keyboard entry websites. What's the point of that? There is no point. It's nothing but a false sense of security for people who don't know any better. The chip + PIN cards are the ones that bring additional protection but so far as I'm aware no US bank or retailer requires their customers to use such a card.
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I believe you are correct as to chip and pin..... Pretty much the rest of the world uses it,
jis
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I just received a Chip+PIN Corporate Card from Citi! So it is happening at the usual American snail's pace.
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What's driving the change? At least partly, employee theft. Also better inventory control.
Chip and pin is starting to show up more often on Debit cards since they usually carry a lower transaction fee to the merchant.
I'm in Cairns this week, and my chip-and-signature cards are basically dinosaurs here (I've been repeatedly asked if I have one of those wave-your-card systems). Of course, Australia/New Zealand were out in front on chips years ago.
Edit: As to why not to run the NERs on this, also remember that a bunch of Regionals go "other places" and there's a lot of equipment interchanges (so it wouldn't be implausible to wake up and find a cash-drawer-free cafe on the Crescent or even wind up in the Midwest). With the Acelas, the market is limited, generally upscale, and it's a small number of trains operating in a fixed corridor...and moreover, Amtrak likely knows how many transactions are cash on the Acela.
Edit: As to why not to run the NERs on this, also remember that a bunch of Regionals go "other places" and there's a lot of equipment interchanges (so it wouldn't be implausible to wake up and find a cash-drawer-free cafe on the Crescent or even wind up in the Midwest). With the Acelas, the market is limited, generally upscale, and it's a small number of trains operating in a fixed corridor...and moreover, Amtrak likely knows how many transactions are cash on the Acela.
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neroden
Engineer
Bletchulous and disgusting. Well, at least there are prepaid Mastercard "gift cards" now, which are effectively a form of cash.
I guess if Amtrak's employees are thieves, they didn't have much option, but still, yuck.
I guess if Amtrak's employees are thieves, they didn't have much option, but still, yuck.
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Nobody has verified a theft issue, but the time and costs of reconciling, securing, and depositing cash probably more than offset the additional transaction costs of credit cards. Also, a better POS and system for inventory control would allow cafes to open sooner and stay open later, with the same labor. That caouldn't hurt. Runs like NYP to Albany might start to make sense again.
SubwayNut
Conductor
All airlines are now cashless in the US (I think I can make this generalized statement). It was to cut down the time it takes for each transaction to occur and the logistics of handeling peddy cash. Theft is less of an issue.
