Resurfaced 1993 news report about Burger King introducing credit card payments blows people's minds

With technology having advanced a fair bit over the last few decades, payment modes have become far easier than they used to be. From using cards that can be tapped for making a payment to multiple digital payment options, we are spoiled with choices. But it's important to keep in mind that there was a time when the concept of credit cards and fast payment methods were practically unheard of. A recently resurfaced video of a 1993 news report by Jamie Costello about Burger King allowing customers to pay for their orders using credit cards demonstrates how alien the prospect was to most people at the time.

The clip made quite the splash on TikTok after being shared by @noesox, gaining over 9.3 million views. The text overlay on the video reads, "People's reaction to credit cards being accepted at Burger King in 1993." At the beginning of the video, viewers get to see a Burger King cashier asking Costello various questions about his order. However, the one that stumps him is this: "Cash or credit?" Costello appears shocked to hear this and exclaims, "What?" The reporter then explains in a voice over that the "home of the whopper" was now offering customers the option to use their credit cards for payments.

The video then cuts to interviews of people reacting to the news. A woman skeptically remarks, "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 $3.03." Others appeared to be more optimistic about the news. A man who was being interviewed said that he could use his credit card to get a 5% rebate. He continues, "If I eat here long enough, I'll be able to buy a pickup truck."

The video continues and the reporter can be heard saying that if customers used credit cards, Burger King employees would not have to figure out how much change they had to give them. Another man being interviewed says, "I just hope that it doesn't slow things down at the cash counter, that people are gonna be having to call New York and get the confirmation, or you know, whatever it is." He ends by saying, "Cause when I want a whopper. I want it now." A different interviewee suggested that he could see the payment method working for people who were on vacation but wasn't sure it could be implemented every day.

The video concludes with the reporter saying, "So far, the smallest credit has been for $2.05. The largest, just over $10." Individuals on the platform found the video interesting and shared their thoughts in the comments section. @jalbatross4 said, "The dude using the GM card is the only one who knows what's up." @darthmallrat37 pointed out, "The wildest part of this is getting anything at a fast food restaurant for less than $3, lmao."

@debfrizzell commented, "30 years later, nobody knows how to count back because we all use our cards." @baguette_man shared, "People are so afraid of change. This is very telling of the way that people think during the present and how it might correlate to future eventualities." @matthewmigliore said, "At this point, I can't remember the last time I actually paid cash for something."