Off-topic, but they should have gone to http://thebikehut.org/ : the guys are lovely, the bikes are great, and you only need to give your name and passport number (that they don't even check) before renting a bike. That's right, no deposit. I paid by cash when I brought the bike back at the end of the day. Amazing trust.

I recently used a temporary travel card at Blazing Saddles, and that wasn't imprintable but they didn't make any note of it. They may have changed their policies.

Their loss really.

Everyone loses in this case. The card is supposed to facilitate a transaction and it failed to do so; the shop went without their money, the family went without their bikes, and all of the various financial institutions went without their cut.

Which is why the poster above is warning about this; if there will be merchants out there who won't accept it, it's pretty much DOA as you can't replace all the cards in your wallet with it.

That's partly what makes this idea such a great bet. It's a positive sign Coin evokes such magnitude of excitement and disbelief.

It's both parties' loss.

Their loss of possibly getting chargebacked? Seems like a benefit.

No, their loss of the sale, obviously.