3 ms·

Is there anyone else that always uses cash to pay for gas?

dontbenebby 8y ago
IIRC you can also pay with a CC inside (less likely to have a skimmer at register). I had to a couple times when driving to California for an internship, because despite telling my CC company this I didn't specify exactly what days I would pass through which states, so even after entering my billing ZIP (and calling to confirm, yes, I assure you I'm traveling) I'd be forced to pay inside. You had to specify a specific amount though and most interestingly, if you overshot (asked for 50, used 46) they refunded the difference in cash. Personally, since I am not responsible for credit card fraud, I simply choose to have a separate card for re-occuring payments like my phone and internet. If someone skims my daily spending card, I'll just report it as fraud and not worry about it.
- gruez 8y ago
  >if you overshot (asked for 50, used 46) they refunded the difference in cash. I never seen that. What I always saw was they authorize for $50, then charge $46. If they're doing how you described it, they're paying interchange on the extra and not getting anything for it.
  - dontbenebby 8y ago
    This was someplace very rural, maybe the cost to upgrade systems was more? This was also pre chip-and-signature, I haven't had the issue since the switch as long as I can enter my ZIP code on the pump.
    - paranoidrobot 8y ago
      The Authorise / Charge thing has been around for a long time - it's the same thing that hotels do when you check in. I'm reasonably sure that all terminals have the feature. It does, however, require that the machine operator is aware of how to do those operations - it's probably easier for them to just charge the card for the set amount, and refund in cash. Though this slightly increases their risk, as any chargebacks means not only do they lose the product, but the cash too.
pjc50 8y ago
Nearest petrol station to my house is the unattended one at a supermarket. Chip&pin upfront to reserve transaction, dispense fuel, wave to cameras, drive off. No option to pay by cash.
zigzaggy 8y ago
I don’t always use cash, but I almost always walk inside to pay for gas.
imatworkyo 8y ago
there are 168,000 gas stations in America. Any given day maybe 100 have a skimmer working...seems like an moderate inconvenience for something that will literally probably never happen to you. And if it does... just call your bank and get a new card and get the transactions reversed in a 30min phone call.
- newnewpdro 8y ago
  You're assuming a random distribution of skimmers at pumps across the nation. Such criminal activity tends to occur in concentrated pockets. Gas stations around Joshua Tree, CA had been rumored to be skimming people's cards, and some now carry large official stickers warning users of their cards likely getting frozen for 72 hours should they be used at the pump, confirming the rumors. I imagine the active number is probably more in the thousands nationally. There are a lot of lower income, high-crime areas where pumps are neglected. The Venn diagram of gas stations lacking squeegees and those compromised I suspect has a lot of overlap.
Operyl 8y ago
The gas stations near me now accept Tap/Apple Pay/Google Pay. I feel a bit safer using those, but alternatively, you can pay with debit/credit inside the gas station at the register.
mrweasel 8y ago
No, but I have switch to solely using the contactless feature of my debit card.
newnewpdro 8y ago
I do, after my card was skimmed and it created quite a headache.

IIRC you can also pay with a CC inside (less likely to have a skimmer at register). I had to a couple times when driving to California for an internship, because despite telling my CC company this I didn't specify exactly what days I would pass through which states, so even after entering my billing ZIP (and calling to confirm, yes, I assure you I'm traveling) I'd be forced to pay inside. You had to specify a specific amount though and most interestingly, if you overshot (asked for 50, used 46) they refunded the difference in cash. Personally, since I am not responsible for credit card fraud, I simply choose to have a separate card for re-occuring payments like my phone and internet. If someone skims my daily spending card, I'll just report it as fraud and not worry about it.

gruez 8y ago
>if you overshot (asked for 50, used 46) they refunded the difference in cash. I never seen that. What I always saw was they authorize for $50, then charge $46. If they're doing how you described it, they're paying interchange on the extra and not getting anything for it.
- dontbenebby 8y ago
  This was someplace very rural, maybe the cost to upgrade systems was more? This was also pre chip-and-signature, I haven't had the issue since the switch as long as I can enter my ZIP code on the pump.
  - paranoidrobot 8y ago
    The Authorise / Charge thing has been around for a long time - it's the same thing that hotels do when you check in. I'm reasonably sure that all terminals have the feature. It does, however, require that the machine operator is aware of how to do those operations - it's probably easier for them to just charge the card for the set amount, and refund in cash. Though this slightly increases their risk, as any chargebacks means not only do they lose the product, but the cash too.

pjc50 8y ago

Nearest petrol station to my house is the unattended one at a supermarket. Chip&pin upfront to reserve transaction, dispense fuel, wave to cameras, drive off. No option to pay by cash.

zigzaggy 8y ago

I don’t always use cash, but I almost always walk inside to pay for gas.

imatworkyo 8y ago

there are 168,000 gas stations in America. Any given day maybe 100 have a skimmer working...seems like an moderate inconvenience for something that will literally probably never happen to you. And if it does... just call your bank and get a new card and get the transactions reversed in a 30min phone call.

newnewpdro 8y ago
You're assuming a random distribution of skimmers at pumps across the nation. Such criminal activity tends to occur in concentrated pockets. Gas stations around Joshua Tree, CA had been rumored to be skimming people's cards, and some now carry large official stickers warning users of their cards likely getting frozen for 72 hours should they be used at the pump, confirming the rumors. I imagine the active number is probably more in the thousands nationally. There are a lot of lower income, high-crime areas where pumps are neglected. The Venn diagram of gas stations lacking squeegees and those compromised I suspect has a lot of overlap.

Operyl 8y ago

The gas stations near me now accept Tap/Apple Pay/Google Pay. I feel a bit safer using those, but alternatively, you can pay with debit/credit inside the gas station at the register.

mrweasel 8y ago

No, but I have switch to solely using the contactless feature of my debit card.

newnewpdro 8y ago

I do, after my card was skimmed and it created quite a headache.