Pay At the Pump - Why Such a Pain?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Why does it take so long to authorize a payment at the pump?

Me last night…

  • Swipe card

  • Authorizing… Up to $100?

  • Press yes/no

  • No

  • enter amount

  • 50.00 <enter>

  • Chequing/Savings?

  • Savings

  • Airmiles extra super duper club member card?

  • Press yes/no

  • No

  • Car wash today?

  • Press yes/no

  • No

  • Receipt?

  • Press yes/no

  • No

  • Enter PIN

  • xxxxx (At which point I realize there’s no “beep” confirmation for each digit pressed.)

  • Enter (Then I realize I entered 5 digits. I entered the first one twice since there was no damned beep confirmation!)

  • Authorizing…

  • Authorizing…

  • Authorizing…

  • Authorizing…

  • Authorizing… (for like what seemed like 10 minutes but was probably only 30 seconds.)

  • Wrong PIN

  • See cashier

  • See cashier

  • See cashier

  • See cashier

(Pump gets reset by someone inside.)

  • Swipe card
  • Authorizing… Up to $100?
  • No
  • enter amount
  • 50.00 <enter>
  • Chequing/Savings?
  • Savings
  • Airmiles extra super duper club member card?
  • Press yes/no
  • No
  • Car wash today?
  • Press yes/no
  • No
  • Receipt?
  • Press yes/no
  • No
  • Enter PIN
  • xxxx
  • Enter
  • Authorizing…
  • Authorizing…
  • Authorizing…
  • Authorizing…
  • Authorizing… (for like what seemed like 10 minutes but was probably only 30 seconds.)

Pump is authorized for $50.00. Please select fuel and begin filling. Finally, but then at 49.00 the pump slows down to like one-penny-per-second mode as I stand there for one final minute waiting for the thing to finish.

Gah! Is it any wonder I hardly ever pay this way. If you pay inside it’s like a 3 step function:

  • Swipe
  • Savings
  • PIN

Gone.
I have a feeling that having the option to pump then pay here in Ontario will vanish soon as the price of gas has caused a lot more “gas and dash” episodes lately. This sucks if you’re filling up though and have no idea exactly how much gas you will require. What do you do, leave your license inside?

2

They’re getting us used to the idea of filling out credit applications at the pump.

3

They want you to come inside to buy candy and snacks, because that’s where the profit for the individual stores is.

4

Well, it’s:
-Swipe
-Enter ZIP code
-Choose grade of gas
-Pump

almost everywhere in the States.

As far as

goes, the way it used to work is you’d leave your credit card…

5

It goes faster if you use a credit card from the same gas company as the pumps. I actually have one of those Exxon Speed Pass key fob things. Works like a charm. I was a little peeved when Exxon instituted the “enter your zip code” question at the pump but I figured it was a small price to pay in case I ever lose my keys.

6

Leaffan isn’t using a credit card but is using a debit card.

And that’s why I don’t use my debit card to pay for gas. Credit card is the way to go and up here you even get to skip the ZIP code step.

Just swipe, grade of gas and you’re good to go.

7

How do you enter a valid zip code if you’re not from the States? Or does this only come up after swiping a valid U.S. credit card?

8

You can’t. And that’s why I couldn’t get onto the New York subway. The stupid little machine that you buy your pass from only took credit cards.

9

BTW, the “enter ZIP code thing” is fairly recent - no more than 2 years.
It’s to cut down on stolen credit card usage.

10

I was wondering this too.

So tourists are SOL? Niiiice.

11

At more and more gas stations around here, if you blindly stick your ATM card into the pump, it will default to credit, and you’ll pay an extra five cents per gallon over the cash inside or debit at the pump price.

I’m quite used to doing debit - at some stations, it’s actually the only option. (Costco’s gas stations only accepts debit or Amex. No cash, Visa or Mastercard.)

12

Most of the machines in the subway will take cash too, but there are some that are CC only. In that instance you would need to pay at the booth. It is a bit inconvenient though, to be sure.

13

[Jerseyite]
Ha-Ha!
[/Jerseyite]

14

That’s why you’re living in America’s Hat.

15

At my local pump (Tesco) it’s

  • Enter card
  • Enter PIN and press OK
  • Remove card, Display says “Begin fuelling, max £60”
  • Pump fuel
  • Display says “Reinsert card for receipt” - but this is optional and you can just drive off if you don’t want a receipt.

Simple.

16

Easy with cash.

[ol]
[li]Enter pump number[/li][li]Insert $25 cash[/li][li]Pump fuel[/li][li]Access receipt[/li][li]Drive away[/li][/ol]

I use dollar-cost averaging. By refilling my tank once a week or so, I don’t use as much cash, take advantage of any price fluctuations, never get hindered by card fees (that can add as much as five cents a gallon to the cost of fuel) and know when I drive off, I won’t get a bill in the mail for a gazillion dollars just for refueling.

17

There is a little notice pasted onto the card reader on the gas pumps around here:

“For card verification purposes, your zip code may be requested. If your card was issued in a foreign country, please go inside and complete the transaction with the person on duty.”

Ed

18

I go to the same 2 gas stations almost always (one by my house, one in boyfriend’s city 2 hours away). Different type of station, but always just:

-Press payment type (inside, outside debit, outside credit)

I hit ‘outside credit’

-Receipt yes/no?

Hit no usually

-Remove pump lift lever begin fueling

I begin fueling

Then when I am done, I make sure the screen resets to ‘select payment type’ then I drive away.

On the rare occasions I get gas somewhere else, the only other thing I’ve been accosted by is the:

-Car wash yes/no?

19

$25 wouldn’t last me a week. maybe two days. And do most of you bother with a receipt unless you’re getting reimbursed?

20

Your gas pump accepts cash? I have never seen this. Amazing! I afraid I don’t know what dollar-cost averaging is.

I use a debit card. One gas station goes like this:

1: insert and remove card
2: receipt yes/no
3: lift handle of proper grade and pump gas.
4: return handle
5: take receipt and go

the other one goes like this:

1: Hi, Mrs. Mistress. What can I do for you today?
2: Fill it up please, Corey.
3: that will be XX dollars, ma’am. Do you need anything else?
4: No, here’s my card.
(30 seconds)
5:Here’s your receipt. Have a nice day.

Ok, I pay a little more for the second one.