Thousands of Kroger customers anxiously buying last-minute holiday dinner supplies and other items were faced with long lines on Christmas Eve afternoon when the grocer’s credit- and debit-card machines went down.

Kroger itself confirmed the incident about  2 p.m. “Our EBT system was down for a short period of time,” the Cincinnati-based retailer said. “It is now fixed and working properly.”

Kroger has more than 4,000 stores across the country.

Social media was awash with complaints.

Customers were having to pay cash instead of using their credit cards.

Others wound up leaving the store.

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Pinky Cole's Ponce City Market location in Atlanta, Georgia, 'Bar Vegan', during lunch time on April 5, 2024. (Jamie Spaar for the Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Credit: Jamie Spaar