TIL a customer chewed me out for saving their credit card info without asking

I run a small tree service and used to store client payment details in my invoicing app to make billing faster. Last fall a customer in Portland blasted me for not getting explicit consent first, saying I was violating basic privacy norms. Should we expect small businesses to have the same data security standards as big corporations, or is that asking too much?

3 comments

3 Comments

robertcarr1mo ago

...and that's exactly why I never save anyone's card info anymore. I learned that lesson the hard way a few years ago when a customer went ballistic on me for doing the same thing. It's honestly wild how some folks act like you're trying to steal their identity when all you want is to not make them wait an extra 30 seconds at the end of a job. But yeah, small business or not, you're probably better off just asking first or letting them type it in every time unless you want a headache.

phoenix_lewis1mo ago

Wait, do you mean typing it in every single time though? Because if someone is a regular, having them type their full card number and CVV every visit would actually slow things way down too, not speed them up. I think the real key is just having that quick verbal check like "hey mind if I save it on file for next time?" before you actually do anything. Most people are totally fine with it if you just ask first, they just freak out when you assume without asking.

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park.miles1mo ago

Wait, you actually didn't even ask the customer beforehand? I get that it's a small tree business and not some big corporate thing, but just saving their card info without a heads-up feels like asking for trouble (which you obviously got). I'm honestly surprised more people didn't flip out on you before that Portland customer did.