New Gas Station Policy--I Think?

[junglejim]

I have noticed lately that when I pump gas and then check my balance on my bank account(I do this often looking for discepencies) it has been charged a maximum of $74, even though I had not pumped that much worth. After a few days that amount is cleared and the correct amount has been applied.

And when I pump fuel for the truck it will cut off at $75(I know this is normal). Then hang up and start over to finish filling up. Which the second go around is usually less than $75 so again the account is charged $74. A few days later again the second charge is corrected.

I do remember when gas stations use to "Open" I will say, a charge by $1. If you looked on your acount you would see a $1 charge until the amount cleared and then the correct amount would appear. Now it seems the other way around! They charge you the entire $75 minus the $1 = $74 and then "refund" your money after the amount clears.

Has anyone else noticed this new tradition? It does'nt seem to be isolated to just a few but all stations I have visited the last few months.

Jim.

P.S. I thought I would let you folks know. It could mess you up trying to balance an account and not knowing whats going on.

[nosticks]

Not exactly how it happens to me. The $75 limit is ridiculous at today's prices of diesel fuel, I think we all agree. When I reach the limit and start over to top it off, I rarely get out of the pump lane until my credit union calls me on the cell and wants to verify that it was me who made two purchases back to back at the same place on my debit card. I'm grateful for the service, but even when I don't max out on a fill up on diesel and move forward to the gas pump to fill up the Honda Generator can, I get the same call. In answer to your original question, I am immediately hit with the price displayed on the pumps.

[H. John Kohl]

I had Pilot put a pending $500 for fuel when I was at their big truck pump. After filling up we moved 3 miles to the campground and my phone rang. My CC company was checking on the $500 charge. I told them what it was. The next day on departure I stopped in and challenged the charge and they said it was canceled and the $89.00 was actually applied.
This is one reason I use credit card and not DEBIT card. With Debit card that money is removed from your account until the actual amount is applied. They get the use of your money for a couple days.

One station in MD, where fuel is cheaper, has only a $50 limit. Yep stupid but fuel is cheaper.

[Jdrobone]

I called VISA and complained about the $75.00 restriction on fuel purchases and they changed it to $100.00. I liked that. Before if it cut off at $75.00 I just pulled out the M/C and finished filling. I told VISA I was doing this and then they upped the limit to $100.00.
Jerry

[brenkco]

FYI, this isn't a new policy for gas stations or restaurants. When you swipe your card, the "total" transaction amount is unknown (unlike retail). The credit card comapnies require a 'buffer' amount for both fuel or restaurants (due to tips being added).

The proper amount is actually debited from your acount when the gas station/restaurant "settles their batch". This is normally done at the end of the business day which can be very late evening or next morning, thus the delay in getting the proper amount to the credit card company.

One way to avoid the problem, it not to pay at the pump. If you go inside, the vendor doesn't run your card until the transaction is complete and the $ amount is known. You avoid the $75 limit and the 'preauthorized' hold on your account.

We have a restaurant and occasionally get a complaint when someone checks the transaction same day (or even the next day) after the purchase. The amount that is acutally debited is never the same as the preauthorized amount. This has long been the policy of the credit card companies, it's just that no one noticed it until the transaction became instantly available with the advent of internet banking and the introduction of debit cards.

Ken

[RickW]

They do this because the transaction does not require a signature. So they pre-authorize for the maximum amount. If you go to the counter you do not have this problem. Even when you do go to the counter they do the same thing but at least they will typically ask you for how much you think you will pump.

If you try using a pre-paid gift card that has less than $75 on it, it will typically be declined if you try to use it as pay-at-the-pump transaction. We give those away a lot thru our business and at least a few times a month we get the "My Card does not work" and it is always for a card with less than $75 on it and they tried to pay-at-the-pump.

I use to have an employee who would only fill his tank $20 at a time. No matter how far he would go. He went out of town for a long weekend, had plenty of cash in his account, but because he was only pumping at $20 per fill up his debt card showed him out of cash before he could get back home because all of the $75 pre-authorized transactions had not cleared yet. He had to wait a day before he could make it home. And after that he still only put $20 a time in his tank ..... don't miss him .....

[CamillaMichael]

Love automated systems....

[BB_TX]

quote:Originally posted by Jdrobone

I called VISA and complained about the $75.00 restriction on fuel purchases and they changed it to $100.00. I liked that. Before if it cut off at $75.00 I just pulled out the M/C and finished filling. I told VISA I was doing this and then they upped the limit to $100.00.
Jerry

Didn't know this. Thought it was the station.
I typically use Discover and it has varied by station. At some I have hit the $75 limit and others it has been $99. On rare occasion, it has gone over $100 without shutting off. Almost always I can just hang up and do it again to finish filling. But again on very rare occasion, it would not take it the second time. Doesn't seem to be any consistency, at least with Discover.

[racerjoe]

We buy our gas at a reservation gas station, it would hit a preset limit of $50 dollars. But here it was set by the station. When prices climbed they reset their limit to $100. We also have never had a charge like that on ours. But that is in our area,so I am sure different sections of the country have there own rules

[Capt Kidd]

When I am going to fill up and think it will go over the 75 or 100 limit I go inside and tell them to clear the limit because I will go over it. So far no one has ever not done it for me. I am using a credit card for fuel and leave the card with the attendant.

[Trailer Trash 2]

Arco stations are very good for this FEE of .45 cents for a 75.00 purchase, which by the way will not fill up the tank or the transfer tank, it will take three transactions to get a full fillup.
A person see's from the street 3.79 per gal + the .45 cents FEE, so for 20 gall of fuel + .225 cents per gall Fee that brings you fuel to 3.81 cents per gal. some times it does not pay to puy there fuel when you get charged a fee, now this is using my bank debit card only, if I use the stations CC I dont get charged the fee and sometimes it might be less per gal. we are all getting the nozzel put where it is not supose to be. (that isn't a filler tube either)

[swanny]

Well we've had all the above stuff. But I can do ya one better. We stopped got fuel and went on our way. The next day we get a call from the credit card company, they ask if we bought $300 worth of perfume from an online store. We said NO, And the lady said we didn't think so after checking your card history. Took it off with no problem. It's nice to know somebody is watching............. well most of the time.

kevin

Ps: It was funny my wife even commented on how nice the girl behind the counter was dressed.

[ols1932]

quote:Originally posted by Trailer Trash 2

Arco stations are very good for this FEE of .45 cents for a 75.00 purchase, which by the way will not fill up the tank or the transfer tank, it will take three transactions to get a full fillup.
A person see's from the street 3.79 per gal + the .45 cents FEE, so for 20 gall of fuel + .225 cents per gall Fee that brings you fuel to 3.81 cents per gal. some times it does not pay to puy there fuel when you get charged a fee, now this is using my bank debit card only, if I use the stations CC I dont get charged the fee and sometimes it might be less per gal. we are all getting the nozzel put where it is not supose to be. (that isn't a filler tube either)

My math fails me sometimes, but didn't you mean .0225 cents per gallon?

Orv

[Trailer Trash 2]

quote:Originally posted by ols1932

My math fails me sometimes, but didn't you mean .0225 cents per gallon?

Orv

No you add that 2 and a 1/4 cents per gal to the price per gal , so instead of paying 3.799 per gal you are paying 3.82 per gal.

[swanny]

I have a question. Why is gas sold with a 10th of a cent charge? or shouldn't I worry about it.

[Trailer Trash 2]

quote:Originally posted by swanny

I have a question. Why is gas sold with a 10th of a cent charge? or shouldn't I worry about it.

Trying to go to the metric weights and measures but never finished it . Ha HA

[sreigle]

Swanny, do you mean why does the price include tenths, like $3.199? When I was a mere lad I asked that question of my Dad who seemed to think it was a psychological ploy to make gas not seem quite so expensive. At that time gasoline was priced around 24.9 cents per gallon so at that price it made it sound better than 25 cents. At current prices it's such a small percentage of the price it probably doens't mean much.

[Johnnyg]

I'm sure the same psychological approach applies today.
I can almost see myself now crossing a busy intersection to pay 3.199 instead of 3.20 on side I was traveling! LOL

[junglejim]

Sorry haven't been back since posting, Had a unexpected death in DWs family right after posting and we are trying to cope with that right now.

I know about the $75 shut off limit. What I was trying to convey was I have noticed lately that when I go to put gas in the van and only pump about $37 for example the account is charged $74. That is whether I pay at the pump or go inside. This seems to have started in the last couple of months.

It used to be the acount would show $1 until the charge went through and then then correct amount would show up. Now its $74.

Like I said in previous post. It is like they charge the full $75 limit to your account minus the old $1 which now equals the new $74.