Update on VISA Issues December 13, 2015

Further to my posting of yesterday. The main problem with credit cards, as explained to me by both the bank and this hotel; is the fact that most credit cards contain two areas and types of information. Most cards have a chip inserted at one end, and some also have a coded strip on one side of the back. Apparently, the information is not the same on both areas. In the instance yesterday at this hotel, the card was inserted into the slot, and was rejected by the bank; the bank told me that if it had been swiped, it would have been no problem. I pointed out to the person in Toronto that to date, I had never swiped the card, only used the insert method. The problem seems to be that the "artificial intelligence " used between the terminal at purchase point, and the bank of record can be misunderstood by one or the other. The hotel here had no problems with other cards, including VISA cards. The problem seems minor, but can be a major issue, if one gets caught up in the matter. I thought it would be useful information to those of you who do travel from time to time. The best thing to do is just relax and think it out. After paying cash, I just went across the street and read a copy of The Bangkok Post newspaper, and had a strawberry Sundae at Swensen's the large American ice cream company which is now in every Thai city. But this matter gave me to wonder, what if, with all the testing of driverless cars going on in the world.....what if one of those driverless cars has a case of Roadrage!....just food for thought.