The card reader is down. What should you do?

At the register

1. 1Ask what they're accepting. Some stores switch to cash-only. Others keep a paper tab for regulars, or ask you to come back later.
2. 2Pay cash if you can. Small bills help, because the register may be short on change.
3. 3Know that tap and phone wallets won't help. If the store's terminal or its payment provider is down, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and tap cards fail too. They run on the same system.
4. 4If they offer to take the card "offline," it may post later. Some terminals can store a payment and send it through when the connection returns. That's normal, but hold on to your receipt.
5. 5Don't read your full card number out loud or write it on a paper form for a stranger. If a store needs your card details on paper, it's safer to pay another way or come back.

Afterward

• Check your statement for about a week. Look for missing receipts, charges posted days late, and the same purchase charged twice.
• If a charge is wrong, call your card company right away. Credit card billing errors have a formal dispute process, and you can dispute a charge even if you've already paid it. Debit cards have their own error process through your bank.
• Be careful who you talk to. Outages bring scam calls and texts offering refunds. Call the number on the back of your card, not a number someone sends you.

If it lasts more than a day