Hashtag When Paying Bills Over The Phone

[Jennykenny]

When I pay my John Lewis credit card, on an automated system, sometime I am asked to give, for example, my credit card number followed by the hashtag, and other times, my date of birth or address and post code, with no mention of hashtag. What is the difference and why??

[Old_Geezer]

Hashtag is a twitter thing isn't it ?

I suspect some computer systems are coded better than others.

[silliemillie]

Think Jenny meant the hash key not the hash tag.

[follyfancier]

I think the hash key is a way of the computer at their end knowing that you have finished giving the card number , a date of birth has a set amount of numbers so it would not be needed for that

[Old_Geezer]

For sure fixed length data is easier, but they can use timeouts too.

[Jennykenny]

Yes of course, you are correct, silliemillie, got mixed up.
Thank you folly. That makes sense.

[bednobs]

the card number is a set amount ofnumbers too though