News

Kroger machines temporarily impacted by debit, credit card glitch Christmas Eve

A Kroger Supermarket in Indianapolis. iStock photo

December 26, 2019

At a time when many Americans were hustling to stock up on food for the Christmas holiday, shoppers at Kroger stores in parts of the country experienced a moment of frustration.

On Christmas Eve morning, several stores experienced a technical glitch that prevented all credit and debit card transactions, leading to long lines and sudden runs on in-store ATMs as customers tried to access cash, according to reports from several media outlets. 

The company confirmed the situation in a statement released at about 2 p.m. on Tuesday, according to a report in the Dayton Daily News. 

"Our EBT system was down for a short period of time. It is now fixed and working properly," the Cincinnati-based retailer said.

In the meantime, a bit of chaos ensued for last-minute shoppers, who openly expressed their frustrations on Twitter.

I was just stuck in a @kroger for around two hours because their card system kept going down and now that I'm out I feel like I just battled through the third world war. I haven't stopped screaming. I have several new scars. My ear is hanging off my head. I am a changed person.

— sketchy gremlin (@cthulhusrose) December 24, 2019

WARNING! Credit card system is down for at least some Fred Meyer stores in the #Portland area. Might not just be Freddy's.

Bring cash or wait in the ATM line! pic.twitter.com/JUJx6xBOfA

— Darla Krusee (@darlakrusee) December 24, 2019

Kroger operates 2,759 grocery retail stores under a variety of banner names across the country, according to its website. A spokesperson for the company was not immediately available for comment.