Iconic Burger King video from 1993 shows the epic reaction of people to its new payment method

A blast from the past is reminding people how different credit cards were in the early 90s. A video of a 1993 news segment about people reacting to Burger King allowing credit card payments has gone viral. The reaction of the Burger King customers surprised modern viewers who are accustomed to the mode of payment. 

Cash or Credit? A weird question to ask in the 90s

The video shared by @neosox on TikTok shared a segment from reporter Jamie Costello's piece for Baltimore's News Channel 2. In the clip, the journalist goes around interviewing people at a local Burger King to gather their thoughts on paying for fast-food orders with a credit card.

People appear to be rather shocked by the move thinking not many will be using credit cards for fast food. "I think it's pretty bad if you have to use a credit card when you go to a fast-food restaurant, for something as little as $3.10," one woman told the reporter. 

The reporter then says that the company argues credit cards will save cashiers from calculating how much change they need to give back. Meanwhile, one man expressed concern over the transactions taking too long. "People are going to have to call New York and get the confirmation or, you know, whatever it is. Because, when I want a Whopper, I want it now," the man said. 

In a reaction video, financial expert, author and host of the Ramsey show explained that in the early 90s, it did take a long time for credit card transactions to go through. He explained that people often needed to call the office in New York to establish a connection and verify their card and credit balance for the transaction to take place.

Meanwhile, one man rightly pointed out one positive thing that would come of it. "If I use my GM card, I get a five percent rebate. If I eat here long enough, I'll be able to buy a pickup truck," the man said, referring to the credit card benefits. 

Some other interviewees expressed neutral views saying that "it is just another way of spending money", and that it would work well for people on vacations. In the end, Costello says that the smallest credit so far has been for $2 and the largest was just over $10, with a look of despair on his face. 

The comment section made it clear how the times of changed for credit cards. "30 years later, nobody knows how to count back change bc we all use our cards," quipped one user @debfrizzell. "Credit card for everything. Just pay it off every month," added another user @zeke7474. 

Meanwhile, others pointed out how cheap fast food was back then compared to the current inflation-ridden prices. "'The largest, just over $10.' What?! That’s the minimum now," suggested user @dusty.green.

Credit card usage has come a long way

According to the Daily Mail, it was inappropriate to use credit cards for small purchases in the 1990s. However, the report cited a 1989 article in the Orlando Sentinel that said a shift in credit card usage was expected in the coming decade.

That's exactly what happened. By 2022, credit cards become one of the primary methods of payment accounting for 31% of all payments according to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. While things have changed for credit cards, Costello, the reporter from the iconic clip has remained with the network, 30 years on. 

For more such interesting videos, follow @noesox on TikTok.