How many ice cream vans take credit cards?

[Simpo Two]

I ask because I've just had a mailshot from my CC company that says:

'Get more from your summer spending by earning cashback rewards on everything from ice creams to last minute breaks...'.

Eh? I can imagine the look on the man's face when I ask for a £1.80 '99' and wave a credit card at him...

But the envelope they used for the mailshot was 'carbon neutral' which was nice. I don't know how they can tell the difference - it looks like an ordinary envelope to me. Maybe it's made out of silicon. Hey ho.

Not a very impressive effort from the 'Head of Customer Service'.

[Driver101]

Maybe not many vans, but thousands of ice cream shops take cards.

[uber]

Most food trucks / mobile retailers seem to be taking card payments now as (1) products like square make it easy (2) a couple of ice creams or smoothies will cost £8+

[POORCARDEALER]

We run a fleet of classic vans and dont take cards, only been asked once and that was for £1.50

[smifffymoto]

It really is no surprise they only take cash,have you seen the price of an ice cream van?

[MajorProblem]

I think if would be good for ice cream vans, it would help them with their tax returns.

[Funk]

MajorProblem said:

I think if would be good for ice cream vans, it would help them with their tax returns.

[surveyor]

MajorProblem said:

I think if would be good for ice cream vans, it would help them with their tax returns.

I once suggested to our Window Cleaner that if he included paypal details on his I have called,but you were out he could save himself some hassle. Did not like the idea. Can't imagine why!

[Chrisgr31]

Its amazing how many people in London use a card to buy a sandwich or other small purchase, so it wouldnt surprise me if quite a few would expect to pay by card at an ice cream van.

[jonnydm]

Chrisgr31 said:

Its amazing how many people in London use a card to buy a sandwich or other small purchase, so it wouldnt surprise me if quite a few would expect to pay by card at an ice cream van.

Not really amazing tbh. I only ever use cash for a car wash, haircut and annoying restaurants that only take cash and even then most similar places to those would take cards.

I find it annoying to carry coins, people in London are buying sandwiches from supermarkets or big retailers and it barely takes any time at all with 'Contactless'.

I wouldn't expect to pay with card at an Ice cream van but I might have to get cash to go and pay him!

[Simpo Two]

Something like a Lobster card would work, if you can just touch it or wave it over something, but I can't see anyone entering a pin number and whilst juggling four 99s and the queue piles up as the terminal says 'conecting...'

The only people that would get richer would be the banks.

[Mr Will]

Simpo Two said:

Something like a Lobster card would work, if you can just touch it or wave it over something, but I can't see anyone entering a pin number and whilst juggling four 99s and the queue piles up as the terminal says 'conecting...'

The only people that would get richer would be the banks.

Something like a Lobster card? You mean like the contactless bank cards that most people have in their wallet already? Yep, they work great,

[Simpo Two]

Lobster is my take on Oyster

As for 'contactless' in general, out here in Essex, 70 miles from the smoke, I've never seen or used contactless. It's all terminal and PIN as far as I can tell.

[POORCARDEALER]

Taxis dont take cards in west yorkshire, that would be handy at times

[Mr Will]

Simpo Two said:

Lobster is my take on Oyster

As for 'contactless' in general, out here in Essex, 70 miles from the smoke, I've never seen or used contactless. It's all terminal and PIN as far as I can tell.

The current list is this little bunch:

• Capital One
• Co-operative Bank Plc
• Barclays (Barclays Bank and Barclaycard)
• HSBC/First Direct
• Lloyds Banking Group (Halifax)
• MBNA
• Newcastle Building Society
• The Royal Bank of Scotland Group (NatWest and RBS)

If you've got one of their cards with what looks like a wifi symbol on it then you've already got a contactless card (and if you don't then your next one likely will be!).

I can't sing it's praises highly enough, for anything under £20 it works just like an oyster card. Touch the card against the pin terminal instead of inserting it, it goes "beep" and the job is done. No change, no fumbling in pockets, no tapping in numbers, no "hand the terminal back to the employee"; just beep - done.

[Hackney]

So you get to keep the terminal?

Contactless is one of those "labour saving" devices that doesn't really save much labour.
It's not "contactless" anyway, as it works on my card making contact with the machine.

Wonder how those people who had contactless cards close to their oyster cards and got deducted twice for their travel?

[williamp]

The apps like Barclays pingit and PAYM are another (free) way of paying, using just your mobile phone

i expect the ice cream vans business is driven by customers, and if they are used to paying in cash, they wont think of asking for another way. So the sellers wont bother exploring other options.

[Simpo Two]

Mr Will said:

If you've got one of their cards with what looks like a wifi symbol on it then you've already got a contactless card.

Both mine have that.

Mr Will said:

Touch the card against the pin terminal instead of inserting it

I just never thought of that... blimey, soon I shall be up with the trendy London set paying £3 for a cup of coffee whilst sitting on an aluminium chair in the street booking my pizza on a smartphone. Shudder!

NB I am certainly not going to pay using a bloody mobile phone!

[Mr Will]

Hackney said:

So you get to keep the terminal?

Contactless is one of those "labour saving" devices that doesn't really save much labour.
It's not "contactless" anyway, as it works on my card making contact with the machine.

Wonder how those people who had contactless cards close to their oyster cards and got deducted twice for their travel?

If you want to be pedantic, it will work if you just hold your card very close to the machine rather than touching it. Not sure why you'd want to though.

It's not saving any great labour but its substantially quicker and simpler, in the same way that debit cards are quicker and simpler than writing a cheque!

[mcflurry]

Chrisgr31 said:

Its amazing how many people in London use a card to buy a sandwich or other small purchase, so it wouldnt surprise me if quite a few would expect to pay by card at an ice cream van.

There's even a Big Issue seller that takes plastic..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG8s_p4ceFo