FUJ00058780
FUJ00058780
HORIZON KEL KGreenwood5124N (Version 1)
Type: Information
Status: Authorised
Title: Swiping APS card commits any transactions in the stack
Summary: Swiping APS card commits any transactions in the stack
Raised: by Kath Greenwood on 19/09/2000
Last updated: by Anne Chambers on 08/08/2002
Release: BI2
System product: APS
Keywords: swipe APS rates card transactions removed"
Status: Authorised
Visi Medium
Peak: PC53802
TFS: 9110862
Symptoms
At FAD 324227 when an Ashfield District Rates APS Card is swiped, it either removes transactions from the stack or just doesn't work.
Sometimes it works on another counter, sometimes it has to be entered manually. When the transactions are "wiped off", the PM is sent back
to the Serve Customer screen and when he presses receipt, nothing happens
Problem
This problem was investigated at great length by the SSC, development and the RNM. Eventually, the problem was found to be due to user
error. <br><br>The PM was typing-ahead on faulty swipe cards: when an APS card failed to read, the PM continued to type in regular key
strokes, the end result was that any items in the sales stack were committed. <br> <br>The problem can also happen if an APS card is swiped
at an inappropriate moment and is rejected - for example if a second APS card is swiped while the receipt for a previous transaction is still
being printed. The swipe will be ignored (and the system will beep) but the clerk may type in the details anyway.
Solution - Helpdesk
<kel> <p> Instruct the PM NOT to type-ahead after swiping an APS card - wait until the card details are shown. If the card fails to read more
than twice, advise the customer to get a replacement.</p> <table border="1" width="717"> <tr> <td align="left” width="42"> </td> <td
width="659">Correct Key Sequence</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="42">1</td> <td width="659"> Card swiped and accepted or barcode scanned
with confirming beep.</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="42">2</td> <td width="659"> Enter amount into the correct line of the box on screen.</td>
</tr> <tr> <td width="42">3</td> <td width="659">Postmaster checks that the amount is correct.</td> </tr> <tr> <td
width="42">4</td> <td width="659"> Press/touch ENTER to accept amount. </td></tr> <tr> <td width="42">5</td> <td width="659"> Fi for
MOP cash.</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="42">6</td> <td width="659"> Receipt printed. </td></tr> <tr><td width="42">7</td> <td
width="659"> Press/touch ENTER to accept first receipt, second receipt printed. </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="42">8</td> <td width="659"> PM
checks the transaction is in sales stack with any previous transactions.</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="42">9</td><td width="659"> F1 to settle
to cash (or other settlement keys, e.g. F2 fast cheque) </td> </tr> </table> <p>What can happen.</p> <table border="1" width="718"> <tr>
<td width="41"> </td> <td width="661">Scenario 1</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="41">1</td> <td width="661"> Card swiped or barcode scanned
~ system beeps and ignores it.</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="41">2</td><td width="661"> Amount entered quickly (goes into quantity box at
top of screen).</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="41">3</td> <td width="661"> ENTER pressed to confirm amount (no effect on
anything).</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="41">4</td> <td width="661"> F1 for MOP cash (items on the stack are settled to cash).</td></tr> <tr>
<td width="41">5</td> <td width="661"> No receipt for the AP is printed.</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="41">6</td> <td width="661"> PM looks at
screen and sees the items have disappeared! (Quantity box is back to 1)</td></tr> <tr> <td width="41">7</td> <td width="661">
Investigation proves items were settled to cash - PM blames equipment.</td> </tr></table> <p> </p> <table border="1" width="718"><tr> <td
width="40"> </td> <td width="662">Scenario 2</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="40">1</td><td width="662"> Card swiped or barcode scanned -
system beeps and ignores it.</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="40">2</td> <td width="662"> Amount entered quickly (goes into quantity box at top
of screen).</td></tr> <tr> <td width="40">3</td> <td width="662"> ENTER pressed to confirm amount (no effect on
anything).</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="40">4</td> <td width="662"> Fi for MOP cash (items on the stack are settled to cash).</td> </tr> <tr>
<td width="40">5</td> <td width="662"> No receipt for the AP is printed.</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="40">6</td> <td width="662"> PM swipes
card again or barcode scanned; system reads the card this time.</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="40">7 </td> <td width="662"> Amount entered
quickly.</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="40">8</td> <td width="662"> ENTER pressed to confirm amount.</td> </tr> <tr><td width="40">9</td> <td
'662"> Fi to settle to cash.</td></tr> <tr> <td width="40">10</td> <td width="662"> Receipt printed. </td></tr> <tr> <td
'40" >11 </td> <td width="662"> ENTER pressed to accept first receipt, second receipt printed.</td></tr> <tr> <td
h="40">12</td> <td width="662"> PM checks transaction is on the stack, only the AP transaction is there! </td> </tr> <tr> <td
'40">13</td> <td width="662"> Investigation proves items were settled to cash - PM blames
equipment. </td> </tr> </table> <p> </p> <table border="1" width="718"> <tr> <td width="39"> </td> <td width="663">Scenario 3</td> </tr>
<tr> <td width="39">1</td> <td width="663"> Card swiped or barcode scanned - system beeps and ignores it.</td></tr> <tr> <td
'39">2</td> <td width="663"> Amount entered quickly (goes into quantity box at top of screen).</td></tr> <tr> <td
'39">3</td> <td width="663"> Miss ENTER or it is not pressed firmly enough. </td></tr> <tr> <td width="39">4</td> <td width="663">
F1 for MOP cash (1st Class Stamp appears).</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="39">5 </td> <td width="663"> PM sees that his AP transaction has
been entered on the system as a ist Class stamp - PM blames equipment.</td> </tr> </table> <p> Other scenarios are possible - if F2 is used
instead of F1, for MOP Cheque, this can result in <ul> <li>stack settled to cheque (if the items on the stack were receipts), or </li>
<li>Cheque from Customer added to stack (if the items on the stack were payments). or </li> <li> 2nd Class stamp added to
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stack. </li> </ul> </p> <br> <p><font size="3"><b>Questions to be asked: - </b> </font> </p> <ul> <li>Was a swipe card/barcoded bill transaction
completed successfully on the first attempt at this time? </li> <li>Did the AP receipt print first time? </li> <li>Was the screen checked during
the entering of the transaction or after? </li> <li>Was the AP transaction performed ahead of the system or in step with the screen display?
</li> <li>Was a receipt printed to see if the missing transactions were in the system? </li> </ul>Also see KELs: RColeman4733L and
PSteed2751P - which say there could be a fault with the keyboard/screen. </kel>
Evidence
The sequence of events is often visible in the psstandard.log.