I have this happen all the time because I have a separate account for my card. It's so I stay aware of how often I'm transferring into it to pay for things. If I'm transferring another $100, it's because I've gone through the last $100 whether I realised it or not.

Works great until it works too well and the card gets declined because I don't realise how much I've spent earlier that day.

It's honestly more embarassing when the cashier is a highschool kid and they're probably thinking, "God, I hope I'm not this bum in ten years..."

Or when the card declines in a taxi on your first date with someone

That happened to me with my now-wife somewhere in the distant past when I was young and beautiful (I'm still young and beautiful but less young)

I can promise you clerks do not care. It's very rare that the declined card means they don't have the money and when they don't your the 100th unique scenario that day and their mind has been on supper for the last 5 hours. Most don't got the care to be judgy

Yeah, they only care if you start dragging them into your bullshit, even if you can't pay at all. Had that happen a few months back because of an larger expense automatically withdrawn which i did not expect at that time. I apologized, went back into the store to put back whatever i could not pay for at the moment from where i took it, and that was that.

Absolutely, I once forgot my money and didn't realize until I went to pay. The cashier offered to set aside my bag for me while I went home for it (20 min walk}. When I got back they had forgotten who I was until I reminded them. The moral is that the cashier couldn't have cared less about the situation.

This would be my luck.

And that you need to wear a funny hat!

Get to spend more time with cute cashier. Win!

That's how I became popular with the ladies when I went to band camp. I had extreme social anxiety about starting conversations with girls, so I bought a ridiculous hat in the French Quarter in New Orleans. Because I could wear that around them with no trouble for some reason

I didn't have to initiate any conversations that year, they all came to me.

"ah, that's a bother. I'll try one of my American Express cards instead, or perhaps my Schwab card."

Gotta start with the mediocre card first, so you can spin the situation in your favor.

Cash. I always have a few € in cash with me

I'm telling you, they kill millions of us every year in the name of something that they call "science."

In my head: "Hmm... Interesting. You know how these cards are - the bank will stop everything but actual fraud!"

Out of my mouth: "Hehehe, weird, I swear I've got enough money... Err... Ah... Let me just, um, let me check if the app is acting up. No? Hrmmm... Let me try again..."