Pub counts cost of card blunder after ‘massive’ bank holiday blow

A PUB is counting the cost after a simple mistake meant it didn’t make a penny from card payments worth more than £600 on one of the busiest weekends of the year.

The Holland Hotel in Llanfachraeth took hundreds of pounds in card payments on Saturday, but later realised the card machine had been left on training mode and none of the transactions had been processed.

Liz Mangan and her husband, Stephen, who run the hotel, have appealed to anyone who used a card on Saturday to “be honest” and come forward.

Mrs Mangan said: “On Saturday we accidentally left our card machine on training mode, which meant that all the payments of all the customers who paid by card that day didn’t get processed.

“We’ve lost out by over £600, which is obviously a massive blow for any small business.”

The couple, who have a two-year-old son and previously ran the Jolly Sailor in Prestatyn, took over the Holland 18 months ago. Following the introduction of a full food menu, its brewery funded a substantial revamp last year.

The Holland is the only pub in the village and attracts its fair share of tourists due to its location on the A5025, which connects the A55 to northern Anglesey and its many beaches.

Mrs Mangan added: “We’ve only managed to get £65 back so far, and have been told by the card and insurance companies that they can’t do anything to help.

“Staff at the Sail Loft in Amlwch have already given us a donation, which is an amazing gesture and we can’t thank them enough.”