Chapter 6 - Credit Cards Decline At An Exclusive Fifth Avenue Store
An hour later, Michael and Cassandra stood inside a high-end designer boutique on Fifth Avenue surrounded by shopping bags. Cassandra held a custom diamond-encrusted handbag up to the mirror, admiring how well it matched her wedding ring.
“Put this on the black card, please,” Cassandra instructed the boutique manager with an arrogant, superior smile. The manager swiped the platinum card through the terminal, waiting for the authorization code to process.
Instead of a cheerful chime, the card reader let out a harsh, rhythmic buzzing sound accompanied by a flashing red light. TRANSACTION DECLINED - CALL ISSUER. The manager frowned, handing the card back across the glass counter.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but the chip is not authorizing; do you have an alternate form of payment?” the manager asked politely. Cassandra let out an annoyed sigh, tapping her manicured fingernails against the polished wood surface.
“That’s impossible; try running it through the secondary corporate gateway instead,” Cassandra insisted imperiously. The manager tried again, but the terminal rejected the transaction with the exact same harsh electronic buzz.
Michael stepped forward, pulling his own wallet out of his tailored jacket pocket with a nervous smirk. “Let me use my primary trust card; my father’s accountant probably just delayed the wire transfer,” Michael muttered.
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He handed his titanium card to the cashier, watching anxiously as it was swiped through the reader. DECLINED - RESTRICTED ACCOUNT. The entire boutique fell into an awkward, pin-drop silence as sales associates whispered behind their clipboards.
Cassandra grabbed Michael’s arm, her voice rising in panic as humiliation washed over her face. “Why is your card declining, Michael? Fix this right now; people are staring at us!” she hissed angrily.
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