Ever wonder why all credit card machines are different? This NJ manager may have the answer

It's got to be one of the more frustrating parts of paying with credit or debit. How no one machine seems to operate the same way as the next.

Think about it. Let's say you're paying with your debit card but want to use credit. In one store, you may have to push the green button to bypass the PIN screen. But in another location, you might have to press the cancel button.

Then, when you enter a third location, you might have to press the yellow button. It's almost never the same. Top it off with the ones where you don't ever touch the red, yellow, or green buttons. Rather, you have to look for the separate buttons that say yes or no.

And that's just if you don't want to use debit. And I've personally never understood why they just don't make them all the same. Why confuse us by configuring them all differently?

Up until recently, I didn't know why.

A possible explanation?

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.

It makes it more difficult for hackers and thieves

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.