Wouldn’t it be 1 in 9999?
Is that it? I would have thought it higher than that.
I mean I guess that’s just that it comes up with a specific number. But I had to be using the right card too. And at the right moment within the queue system.
One in ten thousand, so if they generated a random four digit number for every card transaction in that store, I’d expect it to happen at least once every six weeks or so (assuming about two hundred transactions per day)
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I have no idea. I’m still mind blown from the randomness of it.
Except it only seemed to be my cards doing a four digit code. All the Thai people were 3 digits.
Not if 0000 is a valid PIN
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Freaky Friday !
But seriously it was probably just a coincidence. If i were you I would try again, and see if it comes up with your PIN a second time ?
I used another card. I’m apprehensive about using my work card for two reasons:
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I would then have to explain why I was buying something so soon after my lunch
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If the number appeared again I would be asked why I risked it to check and not just inform HSBC right away if I was in doubt
So, if it’s random, you can test it by making 10,000 purchases. Good luck!
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Is there an increase in that not only does it have to be a specific number it has to be with a specific card to match what happened to me?
For example if I said I would do 10,000 transactions, each spitting out a 4 digit code, I suppose the chances of my PIN coming would be 1 in 10,000.
If I used random cards each time this would make sense because I am looking at the number not what card is used.
In this instance I would be looking for the specific number AND seeing if that specific number also matched the exact PIN of the exact card I used for that exact transaction.
I’ve purposely always kept the pin on my bank cards separate to the pin on my phone.
However, about 5 years ago, when HSBC sent me a replacement Credit Card, with a new pin, it happened to match the pin I’ve always used on my phone.
Biggest coincidence I’ve ever had, wish it had saved itself for lottery numbers or something.
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I’m having horrible flashbacks to a GCSE maths lesson about probability and coloured balls being pulled randomly out of a bag 
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Don’t worry. You’ll get some marks for your working out. Even if you do get the answer wrong 
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Jeez I mean if you want a date just ask 
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Just a beer will be enough thanks. 
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It’s chance, the likelihood of it happening at any given transaction generating a 4 digit order number point is 0.01%. So it’s likely that globally it happens pretty often - you got lucky 
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When I used the Self Service in McDonalds Hong Kong, I realised the tickets for those who chose English as their language at the terminal were 4 digits long and the locals who ordered were only 3 digits.
When the ticket number was ready, they knew to call the number in English by the number of digits I guess…
I think the fact that it was your PIN is possibly just a coincidence.
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Ding ding ding I believe we have a winner!
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That’s a very clever move!
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