[jellybean]

Apparantly this also applies to your regular checking account.

While driving from Pittsburgh back home to Wisconsin last Easter, I stopped somewhere in Indiana for gas. I inserted my debit card and started to pump the gas before realizing I had the wrong grade. I replaced the nozzle, waited for the pump to reset, re-inserted my debit card and then tried to use the correct one.

A voice came over the intercom and told me I'd have to pay inside. I finished filling the tank, then went inside to pay cash. The clerk told me I had exceeded my daily limit on my debit card, which seemed odd since this was only about my third stop. I had used the debit card the entire way out to Pittsburgh with no problem.

I assumed the mix-up at the pump was what caused the problem. Now I'm not so sure.

[Kirkwood]

I had something similar happen to me and called the bank that issued the credit card. See, I had filled my car's tank, then filled my girlfriend's car with gas. The second purchase was rejected. They said they monitor gas purchases and if you make two separate gasoline purchases within a short period of time (like 30 minutes or so), it triggers a stop on the second purchase. This is because they said that stolen credit cards are often used to buy multiple gas purchases in a short period of time. I was surprised purchases were monitored that carefully, but it makes sense.

[VRWC_minion]

The clerk told me I had exceeded my daily limit on my debit card, which seemed odd since this was only about my third stop. I had used the debit card the entire way out to Pittsburgh with no problem.

One of the things credit card companies monitor is the number of times a card is used consecutively that transactions are unsigned for. When you go several weeks and only swipe it at the gas station or use it on the internet you raise a red flag. To inusre that you still have the card, they send a code that either freezes the card or requires you to manually sign.

[HairOfTheDog]

I think the bank probably, in that case froze the card because it was unusual to have that much out of town activity for your account?

I never travel our of Washington, so when I did, MY bank froze my bank card when I started spending a lot of money in San Francisco. I called, and as soon as I told them it was indeed ME in SF, they turned it back on. It is a stop-loss if they think the card is stolen.