Internet's first get-out-of-debt community - 119,000 members

Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:46 am

For those of you who use self serve gas pumps never use your paypal card.
I was on my way to an appointment and I stopped at the 7-11 / Citgo where I usually do, swiped my card, and put ten dollars in the tank. The next day there was a pending charge at the 7-11 for 85.00 right below the ten dollar charge. Because my wife is the actual card holder she had to call. Three times she waited for the offshore customer service and three times they hung up on her when she tried to get the situation remedied. Finally on the fourth attempt she reached someone in Nebrasks who helped her out. Apparently when you use the card a hold is put on for the maximum amout a large vehicle can purchase at one time. That hold is supposed to come off when the purchase is verified. It doesn't always however. It can remain there for 5 business days until Paypal removes it. Who can afford to have someone sitting on ther 85 bucks for a week. If I did not get this fixed I would have not been able to pay my car insurance on time.
Does anyone know if this happens with other debit cards? It has never happened with my bank card.

Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:47 am

Here in Columbus, Ohio, BP gas stations say on the pumps that they can hold up to $100 on your card if you use pay at the pump. That sticker has scared me and I always walk in and pay with cash or visa. If prepay is the only option, I will drive across the street to Speedway where only $1 is auth until it clears.

Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:50 am

Sounds like a standard authorization hold gone wrong. Most merchants will place a hold on the account for the amount of the purchase, however with gas stations when you pay before you pump they have no idea how much you are going to pump so they will place a authorization hold for some fixed amount (the hold is used to check if funds are available and to hold onto it until they can present the item for payment) I've never heard of a auth. hold for that high of an amount though.

Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:42 pm

I've had the same thing happen with debit cards . . . . I've gased up at places that hold as high as $100 . . . . The usual gas station I use only holds for $1 . . . .

Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:00 pm

If I put it through as a credit it does not hold but it takes two or three days to post. Even if there is only a dollar in the account. It is sort of like a payday gas loan with no fees!!

Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:49 pm

Frog, that's how it's done here in Ohio too. I NEVER use my debit card at the pump. My credit union warns people about that. Before, when gas was much cheaper, they only authorized for $1 like Goudah said but now all the gas stations around here do the $75. So now I either just use cash or go inside and use my card.

Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:59 pm

I just go inside 99% of the time. If the gas is on empty, chances are that the coffee is, too.

Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:46 pm

My debit card is prepaid (greendot) - and I find that 9 times out of 10, if I swipe my card at the pump and only pump $10 or $20 worth of gas, I have a $50-$70 debit to my card that doesn't drop off until up to a week later, which saps my funds!

I no longer use my debit card at the pump - anywhere - because here in MI, there are NO stickers on the pumps telling you that this will happen - they just prefer to let you get surprised (unpleasantly!).

Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:58 pm

I wonder if that violates any consumer laws? I don't know about everyone else but my car only has a 10 gallon tank and wouldn't be able to hold $75.00 worth of fuel.

Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:01 pm

This is just weird! I always use my debit card at the gas station. I'm in Kentucky. I pump my gas, it might take a day to show up on my account, and it's for the exact amount of the purchase I made!

Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:36 pm

Here in WI it is the same way. If you swipe AT the pump it will put a hold on your account. If you do not have that much available it will reject you. I cannot afford to have that big of a hold on my account so I just go inside and swipe, unless it is after hours and I am in need of fuel right away. But we have enough 24 hour stations here that I can go to one of them and go inside. So Frog, it is not just the paypal card.

Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:44 pm

I use my debit card. Never had a problem. It takes 3 days to post though.

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:42 am

That is the bad thing about using your debit card at the gas pumps they automatically freeze it used to be $50.00 but with the price of gas it looks like $100.00. I have learned the hard way and so now I always go inside to pay for my gas.

Paypal is located in Omaha Nebraska off the interstate, they are always advertising for customer service reps where I live Smile