news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_582000/582007.stm -> news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/582007.stm
But HSBC, which has issued 10,000 card swipe machines to retailers, says the machines will be working by 1 January. The truth is that it could happen any time a computer uses the date 2000. Credit card transactions are stored on a central computer which covers a four day period. Hence any transactions which took place since Tuesday have covered the 1 January date. Since the problem emerged, many retailers have resorted to pen and paper to complete credit and debit transactions. Racal, which makes the terminals, apologised to customers for the "short-term minor technical difficulty". We can only apologise to customers for any inconvenience," a spokesman said. But many shops and restaurants, who are having one of their busiest periods, are furious at the software problems and wonder why they were not anticipated. The fear is that when 1999 becomes 2000, the computer will read the switch from '99 to '00 and think it is 1900 rather than 2000. The fault will renew worries that the Y2K bug will bring the UK grinding to a halt, despite persistent claims by business and government that key computer systems are compliant.
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