Posted on 06/16/2007 5:59:15 AM PDT by BenLurkin
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- So you're at the gas station filling up your vehicle, and without warning the gas pump shuts off. What? The tank isn't full, and you know your credit card isn't over its limit.
"Using my Visa card, I commonly hit a limit and I would be standing there scratching my head," Shawn Bloomfield, who pumps premium gas into his SUV, said from his home in Allentown, Pa. "I would always assume it is the gas station setting a limit on how much gas I could purchase. It felt like a ration scenario."
As the price of gasoline continues to rise, rules to prevent credit card fraud at the nation's pumps are confusing consumers who just want a full tank of gas.
Caps on transaction amounts -- or the total dollar amount of gas a customer can pump into their car -- are limiting some drivers of gas-guzzling vehicles.
"When I go to the gas station I now have to use two credit cards just for one tank of gas," said Paul Brisgone of Oxford, Pa. "Kind of defeats the convenience of pay-at-the-pump."
Brisgone, a field operations manager for a telecommunications company, said he alternates between three different credit cards -- two Visa and one MasterCard -- when filling up the 32-gallon tank in his Ford F-150 pickup.
"When I can go 400 miles a day, it inconveniences me if I need a full tank of gas and can't get one," Brisgone said.
Credit card companies say the policies, which aren't new, are designed to ensure that merchants and consumers are protected from fraudulent transactions that could occur at a gas pump.
When a customer uses their credit card at a cardholder-activated terminal, such as a gas pump, the transaction is authorized without knowing the final bill of sale.
Typically, consumers who use their credit card are not liable for any fraudulent purchases, and gas merchants are not liable either.
But credit card companies have established a protective layer by setting caps on how much gas a consumer can pump at any one given time.
That means in the event of any fraud, "the merchant is protected from bearing the cost of the fraudulent transaction," said MasterCard spokeswoman Joanne Trout.
But only up to a certain amount.
For MasterCard customers, it's $75. Visa and Discover users have a $50 pay-at-the-pump limit. Transaction limits vary for corporate card holders and American Express users.
Not all gas stations have to abide by the cap. And there are no limits if a customer goes inside and pays with their credit card at the counter.
The caps went unnoticed when gasoline prices were low.
"We get more calls, questions, when gas prices increase," said Visa spokeswoman Rhonda Bentz.
The average price of regular unleaded gasoline increased from $1.50 a gallon at the start of the decade to $2.28 a gallon in 2005, according to the American Automobile Association.
Today, gasoline prices are topping $3 a gallon.
"Yes, it's an inconvenience," said Bloomfield, who often reaches his $50 limit when filling up his Nissan Pathfinder. "I guess you could say it's a necessary inconvenience for more secure transactions."
Now it doesn’t cut off before I can fill my Durango. We also have a Dodge Ram 2500 with a Cummins Turbo Diesel engine. We get 20-22 MPG on the freeway with the diesel. That’s better than we get with my husband’s Taurus, and right now Gas is $3.09 per gal while diesel is $2.93. Who would have thought that big old truck would be our “economy car”?
Visa must have raised our limit, because I can fill our tanks without maxing out the limit now.
Hmmm. Every category you mention (airlines, hotels, motels, car rentals) has to deal with itinerants. That makes sense. Greater possibility of credit fraud or theft there.
I have seen some stations that limit credit / debit card purchases to 50 dollars and others that do not.........depends on the stations policy I suppose.
It depends on where you go. I run into this problem at certain stations, but not others. For instance, Sheetz convenience stores here in central PA all seem to cap their Pay-at-the-Pump sales.
I have hit the $75 limit on my AMEX card, but I have yet to have a second charge rejected. I guess it depends on where you go...
Probably raised the average I.Q. of both states.
This first happened to me when I borrowed a friend’s Ford Excursion to take my daughter to college three years ago. Even with prices back then, that beast would always top $100 with diesel. Now it happens to me at the nearby Valero station every time I fill up my Expedition. I stopped buying gasoline there in favor of places without the credit cap. I could use the same credit card, but doing the second transaction for the last $10 of gas was a real pain in the neck.
The only places I can think of that place this restriction are the "second-tier" gas stations (non-Brand name guys). The Shell and 76 stations near me have no such restriction, neither does Costco.
This can really be a problem w/ debit card use. Swipe the card and they put a hold on about $100 dollars, so they make sure there’s enough in the acct. to cover the purchase.
If you then buy $20 worth of gas, that’s what’s shown on the statement, but it takes about a day to get the ‘hold’ money credited back.
Same holds true if using a debit card to secure a hotel room. They put a hold on more money than the room usually, and it doesn’t get credited back until after your stay.
This can really be a problem w/ debit card use. Swipe the card and they put a hold on about $100 dollars, so they make sure there’s enough in the acct. to cover the purchase.
If you then buy $20 worth of gas, that’s what’s shown on the statement, but it takes about a day to get the ‘hold’ money credited back.
Same holds true if using a debit card to secure a hotel room. They put a hold on more money than the room usually, and it doesn’t get credited back until after your stay.
This is commonly done with debit cards. I hadn't heard that this was done with credit cards too.
Somebody explained to me that some sales are not reconciled until the end of the day (ie. your charge is 'authorized', but the amount isn't reported until a batch sales transaction is reported to you bank or credit card company). The length of the 'hold' can vary depending on where the retailer is in their reporting cycle. I suppose that it's possible that the same happens with credit cards.
It is done all the time, and it actually makes sense. They have no way to know what you’re buying, so they have to make sure you’re good for the unknown amount of the purchase. That’s why they ‘hold’ so much on gas purchases, in case you’re filling up a big car.
The easy fix is to fill up and pay inside w/ the debit card.
I never thought about them doing this until my sister got an overdraft because she had filled up a few times in a few days, and also used a debit card for hotel reservations. She called the bank and there was plenty of money in the acct., but there were several hundred ‘on hold’.
Yes, that’s pretty much the case here in the Idaho panhandle. The $75 cutoff is operational at Conoco, Holiday, Chevron and Exxon stations around here. The Suburban typically takes 32 gal for a near-empty fillup. $75 doesn’t quite make it at current prices.
Happened to me yesterday for the first time. Pissed me off.
I pay my credit card bill off IN FULL every month. The bastards shouldn't be profiling me like that.
A fool and his money...
Anyway, this happens to me pretty often when I fill up my boat with pump gas. It has a 63 gallon tank.
ping
The cap should be based on the customer’s usage patterns.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.