[typhonic]

Once, while working at a large grocery store, we lost power. The emergency lights came on, but all the cash registers stopped working. One of the managers ran to the back of the store and returned with hand cranks that fit into the side of the cash registers. It was darker, but sales did not stop. The time required to re-train the cashiers was negligible.

This cyber attack will probably result in a doubling down of the same technology that put them into this position. Perhaps, in addition, they should look for a lower tech fall back approach.

[ethbr0]

A key point is remembering the reason for computerization & automation is efficiency.

The difference between less (manual) & more (computerized) efficiency is probably less important than the difference between stopping & continuing operations, in exceptional times.

Waffle House and Home Depot (among others) are pretty good at internalizing this, and have processes for running on shoestrings, but still running, until normal support can be restored.

[reader_mode]

How do you process cards with hand cranks ?

Also these days I think you're legally required to use some sort of government fiscalisation service where each receipt is uploaded as issued or something like that.

[ratww]

There are small handheld readers for cards with chip/RFID + PIN. I've started seeing some being used here (EU) in such emergencies.

They're pretty cheap, I even have one myself.

[yissp]

I've seen businesses in the US use these things during power outages. https://www.possupply.com/model-4850-flatbed-credit-card-imp...

[ghaff]

Most of my cards aren't embossed at this point. They'd have to write the information by hand.

[skinkestek]

In Norway the CEO(? I don't know his exact title) of the countrys national bank gas demanded that everyone keep supporting cash for the foreseeable future or face fines.

I find that to be a smart move.

[kwhitefoot]

Not everyone is paying attention. I went past a shop in Tønsberg last week that had a sign saying that they do not accept cash. Quite a few buses here in Norway do not accept cash at the moment in order to reduce the driver's risk risk of catching COVID.

[skinkestek]

I know. It will be interesting to see if he manage to continue his hard line after the pandemic.

I really hope so.

[eitland]

Is it ok if I ask if you live near Tønsberg?

If not, just pretend you didn't see this message :-)

[kwhitefoot]

Of course, you may always ask anything. But I won't promise to always answer.

In this case the answer is that I live in Drammen.

May I ask why you want to know, and what you will do with this information?

[eitland]

> May I ask why you want to know, and what you will do with this information?

Sure. The reason I asked was that I just want to get a feeling for who all you folks are. Also since I live in Horten it would have been the closest one I knew except people at work.

As for what I want to do with the information I guess it depended on the answer, but probably nothing.

If there was a place to meet HNers near home or work I'd probably visit it once a year or something (depending on how it turned out the first time).

[kwhitefoot]

I wonder if there is a map showing where HNers are? Or if it would be possible to create one.

[bjourne]

That wouldn't work as 98% of all Swedish customers pay with their debit and credit cards and don't have any cash on them.

[brisad]

Well, perhaps they should just bring the cash then. I find it incredible naive to just do away with cash in society.

[robin_reala]

It’s already effectively been done away with, and it would be a multi-year societal change to bring it back. I’ve been living in Sweden for four years, and I think that’s about the same number of times I’ve even seen a coin or note.

[ghaff]

It's far more common in the US and I certainly see it on a regular basis. But, personally, I'll go months without using it and if I'm driving somewhere I'll have some cash in the car but don't usually carry it on my person.

[AtNightWeCode]

That train has left the station a long time ago. In Sweden, debit cards are the most common payment method at stores. Most legit companies don't want cash. It just exposes a lot of people for the risk of being robbed.

[peakaboo]

The official reason is that they want to control crime. The unofficial reason is that they want to be able to track everything people do with money.

[peakaboo]

Forgot to add... They want to be able to make anyone unable to buy anything at the click of a button. Sweden is pretty much there already so now we are hoping the government doesn't turn into fascism because then we are completely unable to do anything. Keep your guns, America.

[arkitaip]

Handling cash is expensive for stores. They need to store the cash safely in-store, deploys all kinds of security measures to prevent robberies and theft, use armored cars to transport to and from the bank, pay more in insurance, etc.

[emj]

GDPR and other laws are supposed to stop that, and has worked out nicely according to audits. Stores are not allowed to keep your credit card number just a reference number. (But a lot of clubs are now registered on the credit card so they can still conncet a sale to a person with out storing the credit card number.)

[aliswe]

"they" huh? and who gave you the unofficial reason btw?

[AdrianB1]

Is robbery that widespread in Sweden?

[AtNightWeCode]

It was very common to rob money transfers back in the days. It kind of peaked around the big helicopter robbery +10 years ago. The use of cash has been on a decline for decades. The transports are never armed like in other countries. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A4stberga_helicopter_robb...

[arkitaip]

It never was common but all the cash management and security measures quickly add up in terms of costs.

[bjourne]

Why would they? They just go to a competing supermarket chain instead.