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An Auckland man was asked to give up his PIN number to buy a juice in the latest retail faux pas since New Zealand went back under coronavirus restrictions.
Mason Kelly visited the Onewa Rd branch of the popular Tank Juice Bar chain on Sunday at 11am, to find that its Paywave system was out of order.
Kelly says he was shocked to then be asked by a staff member to give her his PIN, so she could process his order.
Tank Juice Bar on Onewa Road in Northcote. Photo / Dean Purcell
Kelly told the Herald that he was taken aback by the request, which didn't sit well with him and which he described as being the start of a "slippery slope".
"Of course you can't have my PIN number," he said.
He says she seemed surprised by his refusal, but eventually "reluctantly" brought him the Eftpos machine.
Staff admitted letting customers give them their PINs to process payment. Photo / Dean Purcell
A staff member at the Onewa Rd store told the Herald staff had been allowing customers to give them their PIN number to enter into the machine, but said they wer eprohibited from offering it as an option or otherwise asking customers for their PIN.
"We're are not allowed to ask for the PIN," the staff member said, before admitting that "some customers don't have Paywave, so they decide to give their PIN number".
The Christchurch woman was visiting family in Rangiora and tried to call the Rangiora store to order pizza for the drive home. She was told she would need to pay via Paywave but refused.
The woman told the Herald that she didn't like to use Paywave after inadvertently paying for another customer's order at another business.
Told that Hell were treating all stores nationwide as if they were under level 3 restrictions, the woman was then instructed to write her PIN down so staff could process an Eftpos transaction.
Ben Cumming, CEO of Hell, told the Herald the request was an individual staff member's mistake and was not company policy.
Banking Ombudsman Nicola Sladden recommended that customers not disclose their PINs to anyone, warning it is a breach of the bank's terms and conditions.
She said the agreements between merchants and their banks may also prohibit the merchant from asking the customer to disclose their PIN.
To protect your PIN, the Banking Ombudsman recommends:
• Commit it to memory and never write it down. Don't tell anyone your PIN – and that includes family members, police or bank staff. Note that banks will never ask for your PIN. Never reply to any email asking for your PIN (or asking you to update your PIN). It's bound to be fraudulent.
• Never store your PIN (even in disguised form) on any device, including mobile phones, computers, tablets or other electronic devices. If you have done so already, delete it and get a new PIN.
• You should take reasonable care when entering your PIN at an ATM or an eftpos machine in a shop so as to stop someone from seeing it. If you think someone may know your PIN, contact your bank immediately and get a new one.
