How different card machines at NJ retailers actually help keep us safe

With the holiday season fast approaching, we'll no doubt be grabbing for that card a little more frequently than we're probably used to. Between the Thanksgiving dinner to all the gifts, there's no doubt those credit card machines will get heavier usage that usual.

But have you ever noticed how every machine seems to be different from one another? One machine might bypass the pin with the green button, while another has you skip it with the yellow or red.

Or, the order it asks the prompts is different. Maybe it'll ask if you want cash back first, or if you want to use credit or debit? I know it might seem like a little thing, but it can become annoying when you can't figure out the machine when you're trying to get out of the store.

But believe it or not, there's a very good reason these credit card machines operate so differently from one another. It's all on purpose to help protect and keep you safe.

Canva (Townsquare Illustration)

All about safety

It wasn't until I struck up a conversation with a convenience store manager. It was late at night, and the store was quiet. I don't exactly remember what steered the conversation to the credit card machine, but I do remember what the manager said about them.

I made a comment about how the machines are all different, and the answer he gave as to why never occurred to me before.

Now remember, what I'm about to share is solely based on what this manager said. At no point am I confirming this is the actual reason. However, it is a very logical explanation.

Credit Card, Scam Alert

More difficult for them

According to this manager, purposefully programming these credit card machines differently makes it a lot harder for hackers and thieves to steal your information and scam you. I would've never thought of this, but it does make sense.

If every credit card machine were programmed exactly the same way, it would make it a heck of a lot easier for thieves to crack the code and get your personal info. But by programming them differently, it makes it that much harder on them.

Logical? Yes, but...

Look, I truly don't know why they're all so different, but I will say this. After what this manager said, I'm kind of glad most credit card machines are programmed differently. It does feel more secure this way after learning this... at least from a customer's perspective.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.