Make sure to check that receipt!

As more people use debit cards (such as the Directocash paycard) for small purchases, more merchant errors are bound to happen. South Carolina resident Guadalupe Pequino's story isn't typical, but it's a reminder to glance at your receipt to make sure it matches your total purchase price. Ms. Pequino bought $8.64 at a local Burger King with her Bank ofAmerica Visa Check Card. The cashier keyed the amount in twice, resulting in a $8.648.54 total. The WDSU report went on to say that the amount was debited from her account, and that it took 5 days for her balance (minus the $8.64, we suppose) to be returned to her account. During those five days she couldn't pay her rent, make her car payment, or even buy food, according to a friend of Ms. Pequino.

What the article did not explain was that in these cases the merchant has to settle the claim. If she reported the mistake on Thursday afternoon, and the Burger King issued a credit the next day, Friday, then the money could not have been in her account any sooner than Tuesday, because it takes two days for it to settle, and transactions don't settle on Saturdays and Sundays.

Check your receipts in the store, folks, while mistakes can be easily reversed.