I live in western PA and go into WV because gasoline there is at least .40 cents cheaper per gallon.
A month or so ago, I noticed three, two dollar holds on a debit card I reserve for such purposes and doing research, I learned that an entity named General Industries, Tammassee, S.C. had put those hold on my account and my back could not tell me where the purchase I allegedly made or for how much.
I had all THEY had.
When I researched Gen. Ind., I learned it was labeled under The Seventh Day Adventists, Branch Davidians and I shot them an e-mail.
I attempted to contact the Chamber of commerce, but it seems Tammassee has a small population and may have a shared Post Office (I'm exaggerating) and I concluded the gas station I was patronizing might have some kind of scanner on the pump and THAT was the problem.
I waited for my 6 dollars to be returned and experimented with the same card at the same station and THEN it was a HUNDRED dollar hold.
I already knew my bank had nothing for me, so I just waited the five days and the hundred was put back in.
Last week, I went to another gas station in WV (.45 cent's cheaper)and a different card . . . it is a Sunoco station (The other one is a Clark station . . . (THIS time I got a 36 dollar and something hold)
This just started a month or so ago and I would like to get some feed back.
It's a pain in the ass for me to carry cash around (I fill it up and never know what the amount is), but if I want to save money purchasing gasoline, I need to go to WV (about a ten mile trip, worth it IMO)
I SEEMS to my feeble memory, that the holds and other stupid stuff we got used to, stopped after President Trump eliminated a bunch of stupid regs.
DID he and has the commie regime we're under now re-instated 'em?
I can't afford $100 hold on my account for 5 days.
Any one else ?
Your bank should be able to help you with this.
As I recollect, holds were temporary, less than a day.
At the gas station, you go to fill up the tank, not knowing exactly how much it’ll cost until you’re done.
So the hold is placed at an estimated high amount to see if you can pay for a full tank. Then, once you’ve completed the transaction, the hold should be released and the actual amount charged.
IIRC—for debit cards purchases, the hold duration depends on whether you used your PIN. Without a PIN, the hold will last as long as a credit card processing—2-3 days. With your PIN, the hold should be removed after the transaction is completed.
I've only experienced the following holds on my credit card over the last ten years:
1. A $1 hold at gas stations that typically disappears within one day (if not sooner). When you use a self-serve pump, this presumably ensures that the credit card you are using is valid.
2. A $250 hold that is charged when checking into a hotel. This disappears as soon as I check out at the end of the hotel stay and the actual charge in the full amount of the hotel stay is applied to the card.
3. A similar $250-$300 hold charged by a rental car company when I pick up a rental car. This disappears when I return the car and the actual charge in the full amount of the rental is applied.
Don’t use a debit card at a gas station. That’s a high fraud situation and debit cards fall under Federal Reserve Regulation CC, which offer poor consumer protection.
Use a credit card, preferably no annual fee card that you pay in full each month to avoid interest charges. Credit cards are under Regulation E, which offers fairly good consumer protections.
Alternatively, if the gas station has different prices for credit card versus cash and debit card, bite the bullet and use the debit card at a no-fee ATM to get cash and use that.
We get holds on several items/vendors we use. They take a few dollars, and then shortly later that charge disappears and the full, final charge appears.
If I recall, it has happened with gasoline purchases - but not lately, because we only use cash for gas now. (Our card has had fraudulent activity in other states twice, shortly after it was used at a gas pump here. We assume it was some kind of ‘skimming’ so now, only cash.)
Get a credit card with a gas rebate. I’ve had a AAA credit card for many years. Got $10 gas rebate for September. No annual fee, pay off the card every month. All gas purchase receipts on one card. Happy.
No. That has always been something a lot of card processors do. I can see it when I used my debit card at the local gas station. It initially comes across as a $100 charge. By the time I get home, the “real” number is put through as the charge.
This tends to happen at smaller stations AND/OR stations in areas near heavy travel locations.
What is unusual is for the hold to remain on the card for very long. They are usually resolved immediately unless the data connection with the “system” is down or off line.
I NEVER use a debit at a gas station. Ever!
Pre-auth’s here are $175-200 on a card. Doesn’t matter if you ask for a fill or for $20 - they hit.
I had an co-worker years ago who stopped for gas on payday. Instead of $24.00, the charged her $2400. Overdrafted her account, she couldn’t pay her rent, etc. She noticed the error right on the spot, but it took her 10 days to get it back from the bank.
I NEVER use a debit at a gas station.
Contact your bank to cancel your card and get a new one. It is a common practice of scammers to debit a small amount to see if the total will go through. I think that is what happened to you. The charges do not seem legit. If you are not sure contact the actual merchant such as the gas station manager and ask about the policy.
I drive a company car. A Pilot station in WV made me give them my card and ID before I could purchase. Some BS about a customer scamming them with a fleet card.
I fail to see how someone else’s criminal act becomes my problem to get punished for.
What made it worse was these inbreds couldn’t be bothered to put a sign on the pump. I had to figure out myself that they had a policy different than every other gas station in the country.
Why the hell would you blame Trump??
Holds on debit cards at gas stations has been around for decades.
Never, never use a debit card at a gas station regardless of what you’re dealing with here, legit or not. Those are the worst for skimmer fraud. It’s gotten so bad that the thieves have the balls to put “out of order” signs on the chip reader portion on the bottom of the unit to make you swipe the card magnetic stripe because they can’t hack the encrypted chip (yet). They have even drilled holes into the proximity reader to create a reader error and force you to use the mag stripe swipe. It’s crazy!
Holds vary by merchant If you insist on using a debit card at a pump, try prepaying with the debit card.
https://www.creditcards.com/education/need-know-credit-debit-card-holds/