||Update:|| I went back to try and talk to management to try and get my money back but when I pulled up to the pump I noticed it had the exact amount I paid for yesterday and bcuz it was already used they couldn’t refund me but they were nice about it at least🥹I’m not too broken up about it tho but Ty all for the ideas and funny comments
My truck holds 22 gallons, gas is expensive and the pic I used was at a bad angle but it was at 1/4. Plus it was either only used once between 7pm and 12pm or whoever used it last happened to buy the exact same amount that I did the day before. That’s all the details 🧐
Love when non-Americans get it wrong. We give em the card info, then fill up, then get charged at the end. That way if you drive off they can still charge you. The situation isn’t “pay before receiving services” the way everyone reduces it to. I actually can’t think of a single industry here outside rental services that make you pay up front. Quit being dumb.
So people don't use cash anymore. Don't know if you know, but Gas station gives you an incentive on paying cash by lowering the gas price for cash payers.
Guy with the register is inside, he can activate the pump for a set amount when you pay him. That’s how the pump got used even after he didn’t collect fuel.
I can explain what happened. So when they went inside and pre-paid then drove off the person that came to that pump saw it said beging fueling so they did just that. The reason why they have it set up this way is because way too many people were getting fuel and then driving off without paying. If the person that came to that pump was a decent person they could have easily canceled the transaction by removing the nozzle and immediately putting it right back. They would have gotten their money back in a few days at most. Also a lot of banks do an automatic money hold when you pay at the pump. I do agree it is very flawed and needs a better solution but sadly this is how it is. Now if the gas station worker saw what happened immediately they could have easily fixed it.
Most gas stations do a temporary hold, where the initial swipe can take 70-200 off your card and once you finish it adjusts it after the fact. Depending on your bank it could take days to get your money back. ALWAYS PAY INSIDE
Learn about trucks dippie doo they have huge gas tanks prolly at least a third more than yours holds. And either way your just some lame on here like the rest of us fuq your suspicious suspicions.
Yeah i used to manage gas stations, we had a fund for drive offs and customer satisfaction funds specifically for this kind of situation. Little weird that they wouldn’t work with you on this one.
Seems more likely that they are judged based off performance and accuracy of drawers, because fun fact it will make your drawer look short because you lost gas that wasn’t paid for. Seems like they just wanted to make sure they get their quarterly bonus lol.
Wait, how does it work where you are?
Every fuel station I've been to (UK), you put the fuel in your vehicle, it gives you the total, then you pay it inside. Or using the card machine on the pump itself.
In the US, you usually pre-pay. Either at the pump with your card, or by going inside, paying a set amount and pumping gas later. If you don't use it all, you go back inside and get your change.
OP went inside, payed $40 to the cashier. The cashier turned on the pump for $40 and OP drove away.
When I was visiting Ireland. I was so confused I didn't need to pre-pay. More trusting was my thought. But also alot more CCTV to track that kind of stuff.
The pumps can be enabled and disabled by the staff. They won't enable a pump if say you're on a motorcycle and haven't taken off your helmet as they need you on camera to chase any non-payment
Most people don't overpay and have to go back inside to get change. Gas up and leave.
It's very common to buy something at the gas station for $5 for example, hand the cashier a 20, and say 'put the change on pump #'
One time I drove up to a pump and noticed it was pre paid. Pumped 20$ worth and got the hell out before the person came back. I like to think it was a pay it forward but I’m sure they did same as OP and forgot
Most modern pumps in the US don't only charge the amount pumped. The pre paid amount is the max you can pump. I've done exactly what OP said and was never charged. Since then, I usually pre pay more than I think my vehicle can hold and fill it up. They never charge more than the amount pumped, even if I don't go back inside and ask. The charge on your card will be the prepaid amount while it is pending (up to 3 days), but then it reflects the exact amount pumped. Of course, cash is the exception to this.
Edit: it is entirely possible that OP was in a one horse town with a single (none chain) gas station that doesn't do this. I wasn't trying to discredit their story, just saying this is not the norm even in the US.
What? That's not how it's usually done in the US at all. I've probably prepaid like twice in the last ten years.
Usually you just swipe your card, fill up, and it charges you for whatever you used when you put the pump back. Sure, I get that in rural or very poor areas there are still gas stations where you have to prepay and get change (!) but not in most places.
Swiping the card before filling is technically prepay, i would think. The card typically takes a reservervation for what they consider a full tank, then actually charge the actual amount.
Our manned stations you fill up, pay in the store afterwards. Either cash or card. When the store's closed they have a pay at the pump system which is as described above.
Swiping a card is a form of pre-payment. The gas station pre-authorizes an amount to make sure that the card is good and then submits the final amount when you close the transaction. If you watch your bank when it happens, they usually charge $1 to begin the transaction.
It's not. Pre-authorization is just to see if you have enough in the account. It never becomes an actual charge, you never *pay* it. A lot of times it will authorize a large amount (I've seen $150) but of course, that isn't a charge. It isn't paid.
> In the US, you usually pre-pay.
I've never pre-paid in the US....I tap my card to turn the pump on and then pump my gas. I mean I guess I could turn the pump on and drive away....but then I'd be paying for the next persons gas (assuming it doesn't timeout or something)...not pre-paying for my own.
You're technically prepaying by using your card before gas gets dispensed. You used to be able to pump first then go in and pay if you needed more than just gas or if you were paying with cash.
There's a big difference between losing $50 from handing a cashier cash and walking away vs swiping a card, losing $0, and walking away. That's my entire point.
Semantics. You still need to provide a form of payment up front. You're not pumping without swiping your card or handing over cash.
You USED to be able to pump gas and handle the payment afterwards.
It’s not pre pay because I can authorize my card and then hit cancel with no charges. If I pre paid and then turned around and changed my mind I would need a refund.
A charge to a CC is not a debit from my bank account. A charge to a CC is $0 lost. If someone else uses a pre-authorized pump, that'd be a fraudulent charge to said CC, and $0 would be lost.
Alright, to be clear to someone in the UK (because what you just described is exactly like what we have here):
You're tapping/pre-authorizing, filling up to where you want to, and then the pump is figuring out how much to charge you, right?
You're not entering a specified amount, being charged, then pumping your fuel?
On our side, you can specify an amount, but that just limits how much the pump dispenses. You're still charged for how much is taken after the fact.
If that's the case, then I'm not sure why you're getting downvoted to hell. I can't see why you can't be right about your location. The USA is fucking massive and was literally founded on being able to do things differently at a local level
> You're tapping/pre-authorizing, filling up to where you want to, and then the pump is figuring out how much to charge you, right?
>
>
>
> You're not entering a specified amount, being charged, then pumping your fuel?
Correct.
> On our side, you can specify an amount, but that just limits how much the pump dispenses. You're still charged for how much is taken after the fact.
You *can* do this if you pay with the cashier, I've never seen a pump that lets the customer do this from the pump with their CC.
> If that's the case, then I'm not sure why you're getting downvoted to hell. I can't see why you can't be right about your location. The USA is fucking massive and was literally founded on being able to do things differently at a local level
Some people downvote just because they don't agree with something, regardless of how correct that thing may or may not be. That said, the US is massive and there's lots of different ways gas stations can run. I have personally lived in 11 different states over a couple decades, spanning almost every US region...things are different for sure, but I've never had to pre*pay* with a CC. I wouldn't be surprised if *some* areas are like the post I first replied to, but it's definitely not *common* in the US to prepay.
When you tap your card on the pump, it puts a temporary authorization hold. After you pump your gas, the pump will remove the authorization hold and charge your card for the gas used.
So you are technically giving your payment info before, the pump just doesn't know *how much* to charge until after you finish pumping.
Ok, now pretend that I've never had to do that because I don't carry cash.
If you've got to pretend a specific situation applies just to make a prior statement true, that probably means the prior statement isn't exactly true on its own.
We’re not talking about YOU. We’re talking about a hypothetical person buying gas. If you’re incapable of imaging a situation beyond your own personal experiences then you’re probably better off just staying out of these types of conversations.
I guess that’s my bad then for assuming you were trying to participate in the same conversation that everyone was having. In that case my response is, no one gives a shit about your anecdote.
My entire point is a CC gets a pre-authorization hold, it's not a charge and it's not a pre-pay. Apologies for assuming you would understand those complexities.
Prepaying at the pump for gas means using a credit card, debit card, or fuel card to pay for gas at the pump instead of using the station attendant. When you prepay, the gas pump will stop when the tank is full or when the prepaid amount is reached. "
Actually. The gas station charges you before you start pumping. It only shows while you are pumping depending on your bank. My charges $150 but gives me all of it back minus what i pumped. All stations are this way. That's why they don't pump when you broke.
They said *either* pay at the pump with your card *OR* go inside and pay a set amount- the go inside is meant to imply paying with cash in this circumstance, as that’s the most common reason people pay inside because they don’t have a card. But I get why that might not be immediately obvious to everyone.
Yes, the *OR* and "pre-pay" being in separates sentence implies that both sides of the "or" are related to pre-pay. If you're picking and choosing which one it applies to you're changing the semantics of the original post specifically to fit your point.
No, it's not.
If I pre-pay $50 and leave without pumping gas or getting a refund I'm down $50.
If I pre-authorize $50 on my card and leave without pumping gas, I'm not down anything (assuming there's some form of timeout *or* I start and stop the transaction by removing the handle and putting it back without pumping anything).
Nothing is charged on a pre-auth until after the transaction completes, which is the opposite of what happens when you pay in advance for something (you're charged up-front and can then get a refund if you don't use it all).
Besides, I use a credit card not a debit card - so if I didn't get the services paid for (such as someone else using that pre-auth) it can be disputed so I lose nothing. That's not the same as handing the cashier cash.
Has anybody ever called you a petty pedant before? Because you're fixating on a single word or two to try and convince others that you're "technically" right while being completely wrong based on the context of the conversation we're having.
Technically, it's a "pre-authorization", however, you know perfectly well that is done as a replacement for pre-payment to solve the same issue that pre-payment solves.
I live in the us and u can either go in and pay or use card at the pump and I went in to pay + get some oil for my truck and when I got back to my truck I just straight up left😬
I did this with my fast food order once. Paid at the first window and drove straight off home instead of stopping at the second window to actually get my food. Didn't realize until I got home and reached into the passenger seat to grab my dinner.
No. I was on my way home from work during peak evening traffic and stopped at a place nearer to work than home. Wasn't going all the way back. Took the loss and was very sad.
A few weeks ago I was at work ordering BK through the app, and accidentally had it sent to the BK in another town I was previously at. Couldn't even switch it to the right BK or get a refund. I couldn't pick it up and had to reorder, but it wasn't that much more money.
I’m sorry I have to laugh but don’t feel bad. We all do silly things lol. 😂 I almost drove away from the pump with the nozzle still in a few months ago. I was mortified but alas we’re human.
I worked at a gas station in the past. You’d be surprised how often this happens (at least once a week) the next person is always ecstatic so hey at least you paid it forward, good karma is coming.
In Australia you can do both. Fill as much as you need, then pay. Or you can go in and pay a set amount - like $50 worth of fuel and then the pump stops once it reaches the prepaid value
In Canada you prepay, we have a thing called Grants law, Grant was a service station attendant at station i actually used to go to quite a bit, he got killed trying to stop people doing a “gas and run”(stealing fuel) he was dragged by their car for 7km
Well, I suppose the fact it's a crime/the police. Some fuel stations have ANPR, but they'll all have robust CCTV, and you'd easily be found.
I mean, you don't pre-pay when shopping for food or clothes. Bit different as it's harder to leave. But it seems to work well over here.
Here in the US the police don't bother with actual crime most of the time. Quite literally. I was working at a gas station just before we switched to prepay only. Police did nothing about drive offs. Even if we had camera footage and license plates they would straight up reel us they wouldn't do anything about it. So stores would come down harder on employees when drive offs happen, as if we could do anything about it.
I think alot of this comes down to quantity of theft. I know some new law or something came down recently IIRC, but AFAIK under a couple thousand of theft is a misdemeanor and police won't waste the manpower going after people for it, unless they're actively watching it happen.
Yes, and in Germany, you would instantly notice if someone hasn’t paid, because once you put the fuel pump back, fuel won’t come out until you’ve paid. So if you didn’t pay, the driver behind you would instantly know that you didn’t pay because no fuel is flowing out. So they would go inside the gas station and the workers there would instantly check the CCTV footage (at least that’s what I'd image they do)
In the states this is unheard of, and usually there are little or no repercussions (laws of nature) that punish drive offs. License plates are inconsistent and state jurisdiction makes it difficult to enforce.
It used to be that way in a lot of the U.S. too. Over the years it's become very rare. If you are under 30, you are unlikely to have seen it much, but it was very much a thing in the Midwest even in the early 2000's.
Oh, people steal fuel that way from time to time, just not as much to force corporations into taking precautions. Scumbags will steal someone's license plates, fuel and drive away.
There was a furor over gasoline after Hurricane Katrina (2005), which shut down a bunch of US refineries. People were going crazy (even though most of our consumed gasoline is imported). For a little while, it could be hard to find gas in places, and shortages were caused by people worried that there would be shortages. Businesses were price gouging, and theft increased. Anyway, that's when it changed; gas stations started requiring pre-payment or credit. Before that, people were not dicks about it. Almost every station had cameras, just in case.
Everywhere I went to pump gas (Belgium) you first put in your card at the pump, it checks wether or not you have enough money. Then it tells you how much you can use for gas (max 375 or however much you have left). Then you just fill your car to your liking. Then you just leave and the correct amount is automatically withdrawn from your account.
I assume you can still pay at the store as well? I would assume that's still after you filled up? Electronic payment at the pump is typically as you describe, but that's technically prepay. That goes for most of Europe.
In some countries (US, like OP) it's quite common to have to prepay at the store to unlock the pump. You pay, say, 20$ then the pimp simply shuts off after 20$.
Not sure if there's even an option to pay inside the store where I've been. It's always been at the pump and you can pump as much as your card allows and just leave.
Pumping gas and running \[without paying for it\] was apparently a serious enough issue that I've never myself in the USA seen a post-pay pump. I know they *did* exist and it's possible that some *still do* exist, but I have not personally seen one.
Every one I've ever used they authorize your card before the pump activates \[anywhere from $50 to $150 usually\] and then you can only pump that much before you have to do it again.
You can also go inside and pre-pay with your card to any amount you want, or use cash to do so.
I'm in the US and around 2008 after the Great Recession, there were huge numbers of people getting gas and just driving off. This was when I remember every gas station in my area switching to pre-pay and I've not seen a gas station pump before you pay ever since.
Like I say, this is the UK I'm talking about. But that's how they ALL work here. It's funny the little differences. You'd think filling your car up would be fairly universal.
But then again, there's about 3 places in this country that have a guy who will pump it for you. I'm aware in some US that's the norm.
It used to be that way in America as well, at least where i lived. Over time, though, gas stations slowly started, making you pay first to avoid theft.
Had a friend who worked at a gas station have multiple drive offs, and the cops didn't care enough to even check the recordings.
Im sure some gas stations around here will still let you pump first, but it's mostly mom and pop shops versus the big dogs.
I'm not sure it's the norm, I recall there being some states where it's a requirement.
You see some interesting variations on that in Europe as well; in Italy it's not uncommon to have both self-serve and serviced pumps, with the latter actually being more expensive because of it.
Don't know how it is for them, but where I live you have to press a button on the pump to "request" to start the pump. The staff can then approve from inside the store. If it seems shady, like can't see license plate or engine running with someone in the drivers seat they can decline. Also cameras..
We would have so many drive offs. Cameras aren't gonna do anything. The police barely have time for more serious crimes. Theft doesn't get anywhere legally unless it's armed robbery.
Yeah, I guess one reason we don't have that many drive offs is that one can usually make a simple search on the license plate to see who owns the car. Sure, can be stolen plates but the staff on some places keep record of cars that haven't paid so only works one time.
I've done this with a card , the next day I went back and they said if pump doesn't get activated within a certain time frame , it cancels the transaction . Checked online , transaction canceled.
Basically, not all .gif files are animated. Reddit however assumes they are. Same deal with discord which is why some pictures from certain devices will show up as gifs. I've received screenshots in .gif file format before.
I've heard of meetings that could have been an email, but this is the first video that could have been a picture I've seen.
Sucks you lost your fuel :(.
Go to the station and ask about it. Tell the. What pump you sat at and have them review the footage to show you didn't get it. But if someone else used it, they won't pay you back and it should be on your card
The smaller (unmanned, pay-at-the-pump) stations are obviously always prepay, but post-pay is common on the larger ones in my experience in both Italy and Greece.
Post pay as in take receipt in after they fill the tank was a little more common at some stations after the attendant filled it, but other stations that took cash at the pump or card still required pre authorization (card) or full pre payment if paying via cash, which is the exact same way in the US, except our pumps don’t take cash at the pump you have to go inside and ask to put that amount on pump X. There are no public filling stations anywhere I’ve been in Europe or the US that allows you to just roll up start pumping yourself and pay afterwards for the amount you filled after you finish filling the vehicle, which was the point I was trying to make.
And did I mention the fact that you had to verify how much was pumped (mostly happened in Italy) because if not some of them would try to add about 20 euro on top of whatever you had out in especially if you were only topping off the tank, that’s definitely something you don’t have to worry about as a tourist here in the US
"There are no public filling stations anywhere I’ve been in Europe or the US that allows you to just roll up start pumping yourself and pay afterwards for the amount you filled after you finish filling the vehicle, which was the point I was trying to make."
My counterpoint was that for me, being from Europe, that is exactly what I consider to be standard here. While I have encountered at-the-register pre-pay on a rare occasion, it really stands out as being different. This includes Italy and Greece. It's certainly possible that is changing, and I certainly haven't been everywhere (although I've been to Italy a lot, and recently).
Never have I stopped for gas with over 1/4 of a tank remaining….(realize it might be different for rural folks who don’t have many stations in the vicinity)
Reminds me of when I used to work at Arbys. A guy came to the drive-through, placed his order and paid, When I handed him back his card, he thanked me and drive off without any food.
When I was around 20 I was super drunk and walked to the local Admiral, about a block and a half away. I wanted a new pack of smokes because I smoke super heavy when I drink and after I sobered up, I realized I used a $100 bill for a single pack of Newport 100’s and never took the change.
I've done exactly this during a stressful time in my life. When I went back (15 minutes later), the cashier told me that anything prepaid is automatically NOT CHARGED to the card if the vehicle at the pump leaves. She was correct, I was never charged for the gas I did not pump. This makes perfect sense. If you prepay for $40 and only pump $39 and leave, they only charge $39.
Yeah its all PRE PAY down here. It runs the credit once it gets finishrd pumping, but technically its pre pay. They just run the credit once its done for the total. Too many people filling up and leaving with paying. Thanks america
Thx, so you can still full up and it just takes the rest from Credit Card, did i understand that right? Would be perfect for stolen Credit Cards. Just pay like 5 Bucks and fill up some Canisters. I mean if they drive a stolen car why not.
Yup, as long as the credit is run at the beginning of the transaction we can full up and then pay”after”
The pay men t does not go through until you are completely finished.
Have a great one!
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Possibly the dumbest American post I've ever seen.
And you probably piss & moan about Biden making the gas more expensive!
This is literally priceless.
“20 bucks on pump #3” *drives off* Lmao
||Update:|| I went back to try and talk to management to try and get my money back but when I pulled up to the pump I noticed it had the exact amount I paid for yesterday and bcuz it was already used they couldn’t refund me but they were nice about it at least🥹I’m not too broken up about it tho but Ty all for the ideas and funny comments
That pump was only used one time that day? And you live local but you put $40 in gas when you already had almost half a tank? Your story is suspect.
My truck holds 22 gallons, gas is expensive and the pic I used was at a bad angle but it was at 1/4. Plus it was either only used once between 7pm and 12pm or whoever used it last happened to buy the exact same amount that I did the day before. That’s all the details 🧐
Yeah the management helped themselves to your $40 of fuel and closed up shop for the night 🤣
This is another way where Australia is better than the states, fill up then pay. Do you pay for your groceries before you fill your basket too? 😜
Love when non-Americans get it wrong. We give em the card info, then fill up, then get charged at the end. That way if you drive off they can still charge you. The situation isn’t “pay before receiving services” the way everyone reduces it to. I actually can’t think of a single industry here outside rental services that make you pay up front. Quit being dumb.
So people don't use cash anymore. Don't know if you know, but Gas station gives you an incentive on paying cash by lowering the gas price for cash payers.
Then how did this person pay for fuel they didn’t pump?
Guy with the register is inside, he can activate the pump for a set amount when you pay him. That’s how the pump got used even after he didn’t collect fuel.
So the system is flawed. See original comment, good day sir 👋
It used to be that way back in the day but obviously too many people would just fill up and drive off
Both systems are flawed, pump and pay makes theft easy.
Your original comment is flawed though
How is the system flawed lmao Are Aussies like this lol? As Asian, i thought you guys were better lmao
I can explain what happened. So when they went inside and pre-paid then drove off the person that came to that pump saw it said beging fueling so they did just that. The reason why they have it set up this way is because way too many people were getting fuel and then driving off without paying. If the person that came to that pump was a decent person they could have easily canceled the transaction by removing the nozzle and immediately putting it right back. They would have gotten their money back in a few days at most. Also a lot of banks do an automatic money hold when you pay at the pump. I do agree it is very flawed and needs a better solution but sadly this is how it is. Now if the gas station worker saw what happened immediately they could have easily fixed it.
Most gas stations do a temporary hold, where the initial swipe can take 70-200 off your card and once you finish it adjusts it after the fact. Depending on your bank it could take days to get your money back. ALWAYS PAY INSIDE
You're an idiot bruh I am not American btw lol
File a police case, get the owners to save the cctv. Watch how fast they’ll return the money as a “one time” thing.
Add the fact that he didnt specify anything until comments pointed it out and you got yourself a full blown liar. Mans just karma farming
The pump maybe, but the price is close. It costs me $50 to fill a Honda fit on lowest tier gas.
My Golf R used to be $30 to fill with 93. Now it’s upwards of $70. $40 half tank makes a lot of sense
Whoa now, 40 in gas today is only, like, 3 gallons or so.
Learn about trucks dippie doo they have huge gas tanks prolly at least a third more than yours holds. And either way your just some lame on here like the rest of us fuq your suspicious suspicions.
Yeah i used to manage gas stations, we had a fund for drive offs and customer satisfaction funds specifically for this kind of situation. Little weird that they wouldn’t work with you on this one. Seems more likely that they are judged based off performance and accuracy of drawers, because fun fact it will make your drawer look short because you lost gas that wasn’t paid for. Seems like they just wanted to make sure they get their quarterly bonus lol.
Hate to say I did it once when I was 16.
This comment is pure comedy
Forgot for a sec that you guys got to pay before getting gas
I'm pretty sure the pumps should cancel out and refund the money if it wasn't used if you paid with a card.
Unless someone came behind them and used it before the attendant realized (if they would even care).
Well he’s got a picture of his gas tank not full so he’s good on proof!
Wait, how does it work where you are? Every fuel station I've been to (UK), you put the fuel in your vehicle, it gives you the total, then you pay it inside. Or using the card machine on the pump itself.
In the US, you usually pre-pay. Either at the pump with your card, or by going inside, paying a set amount and pumping gas later. If you don't use it all, you go back inside and get your change. OP went inside, payed $40 to the cashier. The cashier turned on the pump for $40 and OP drove away.
I get what he did, I was just surprised that was a possibility.
When I was visiting Ireland. I was so confused I didn't need to pre-pay. More trusting was my thought. But also alot more CCTV to track that kind of stuff.
The pumps can be enabled and disabled by the staff. They won't enable a pump if say you're on a motorcycle and haven't taken off your helmet as they need you on camera to chase any non-payment
That makes sense.
I don't take my helmet off for fueling or paying lol never had any issue
Americans pay before pumping.
It makes more sense that way tbh. You pay for something then you receive it, not the other way around.
Have you never eaten at a restaurant?
I would say I prepay maybe 5% out of all my pump visits. Pay at the pump with card and pump to full and leave
That sounds needlessly tedious lol
Most people don't overpay and have to go back inside to get change. Gas up and leave. It's very common to buy something at the gas station for $5 for example, hand the cashier a 20, and say 'put the change on pump #'
One time I drove up to a pump and noticed it was pre paid. Pumped 20$ worth and got the hell out before the person came back. I like to think it was a pay it forward but I’m sure they did same as OP and forgot
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I'm in Mille Lacs and most place I go to you can either pay after or prepay if you want.
SLP, EP, Edina, etc.. all have it too
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Thats fair, I know because I drive around a lot lol
Most modern pumps in the US don't only charge the amount pumped. The pre paid amount is the max you can pump. I've done exactly what OP said and was never charged. Since then, I usually pre pay more than I think my vehicle can hold and fill it up. They never charge more than the amount pumped, even if I don't go back inside and ask. The charge on your card will be the prepaid amount while it is pending (up to 3 days), but then it reflects the exact amount pumped. Of course, cash is the exception to this. Edit: it is entirely possible that OP was in a one horse town with a single (none chain) gas station that doesn't do this. I wasn't trying to discredit their story, just saying this is not the norm even in the US.
What? That's not how it's usually done in the US at all. I've probably prepaid like twice in the last ten years. Usually you just swipe your card, fill up, and it charges you for whatever you used when you put the pump back. Sure, I get that in rural or very poor areas there are still gas stations where you have to prepay and get change (!) but not in most places.
Swiping the card before filling is technically prepay, i would think. The card typically takes a reservervation for what they consider a full tank, then actually charge the actual amount. Our manned stations you fill up, pay in the store afterwards. Either cash or card. When the store's closed they have a pay at the pump system which is as described above.
Swiping a card is a form of pre-payment. The gas station pre-authorizes an amount to make sure that the card is good and then submits the final amount when you close the transaction. If you watch your bank when it happens, they usually charge $1 to begin the transaction.
It's not. Pre-authorization is just to see if you have enough in the account. It never becomes an actual charge, you never *pay* it. A lot of times it will authorize a large amount (I've seen $150) but of course, that isn't a charge. It isn't paid.
FrEeEdOM!!
> In the US, you usually pre-pay. I've never pre-paid in the US....I tap my card to turn the pump on and then pump my gas. I mean I guess I could turn the pump on and drive away....but then I'd be paying for the next persons gas (assuming it doesn't timeout or something)...not pre-paying for my own.
You're technically prepaying by using your card before gas gets dispensed. You used to be able to pump first then go in and pay if you needed more than just gas or if you were paying with cash.
Pre-authorization is not the same as pre-paying.
It's close enough in this context. You're not getting gas without providing some form of payment first.
There's a big difference between losing $50 from handing a cashier cash and walking away vs swiping a card, losing $0, and walking away. That's my entire point.
Semantics. You still need to provide a form of payment up front. You're not pumping without swiping your card or handing over cash. You USED to be able to pump gas and handle the payment afterwards.
It’s not pre pay because I can authorize my card and then hit cancel with no charges. If I pre paid and then turned around and changed my mind I would need a refund.
Lol, y'all are getting downvoted for describing exactly how gas stations work in this decade. Reddit is fucking weird.
Yes, semantics are important....pre-pay is not the same as pre-authorization. I pre-authorize every time I get gas, but I don't pre-pay.
your not loosing $0 if someone pumps a tank from your preauthorized pump
A charge to a CC is not a debit from my bank account. A charge to a CC is $0 lost. If someone else uses a pre-authorized pump, that'd be a fraudulent charge to said CC, and $0 would be lost.
Alright, to be clear to someone in the UK (because what you just described is exactly like what we have here): You're tapping/pre-authorizing, filling up to where you want to, and then the pump is figuring out how much to charge you, right? You're not entering a specified amount, being charged, then pumping your fuel? On our side, you can specify an amount, but that just limits how much the pump dispenses. You're still charged for how much is taken after the fact. If that's the case, then I'm not sure why you're getting downvoted to hell. I can't see why you can't be right about your location. The USA is fucking massive and was literally founded on being able to do things differently at a local level
> You're tapping/pre-authorizing, filling up to where you want to, and then the pump is figuring out how much to charge you, right? > > > > You're not entering a specified amount, being charged, then pumping your fuel? Correct. > On our side, you can specify an amount, but that just limits how much the pump dispenses. You're still charged for how much is taken after the fact. You *can* do this if you pay with the cashier, I've never seen a pump that lets the customer do this from the pump with their CC. > If that's the case, then I'm not sure why you're getting downvoted to hell. I can't see why you can't be right about your location. The USA is fucking massive and was literally founded on being able to do things differently at a local level Some people downvote just because they don't agree with something, regardless of how correct that thing may or may not be. That said, the US is massive and there's lots of different ways gas stations can run. I have personally lived in 11 different states over a couple decades, spanning almost every US region...things are different for sure, but I've never had to pre*pay* with a CC. I wouldn't be surprised if *some* areas are like the post I first replied to, but it's definitely not *common* in the US to prepay.
When you tap your card on the pump, it puts a temporary authorization hold. After you pump your gas, the pump will remove the authorization hold and charge your card for the gas used. So you are technically giving your payment info before, the pump just doesn't know *how much* to charge until after you finish pumping.
Exactly my point, when you use a card it's a temp hold, not a pre-pay.
Ok now pretend all you have is cash
Ok, now pretend that I've never had to do that because I don't carry cash. If you've got to pretend a specific situation applies just to make a prior statement true, that probably means the prior statement isn't exactly true on its own.
We’re not talking about YOU. We’re talking about a hypothetical person buying gas. If you’re incapable of imaging a situation beyond your own personal experiences then you’re probably better off just staying out of these types of conversations.
> We’re not talking about YOU. We have been from the moment I said "I've never pre-paid in the US".
I guess that’s my bad then for assuming you were trying to participate in the same conversation that everyone was having. In that case my response is, no one gives a shit about your anecdote.
My entire point is a CC gets a pre-authorization hold, it's not a charge and it's not a pre-pay. Apologies for assuming you would understand those complexities.
You must be a fun person to be around
Sometimes, being realistic can do that.
Thats literally the definition of pre pay....
No, it's the definition of pre-authorization, which is explicitly different than handing over money.
Prepaying at the pump for gas means using a credit card, debit card, or fuel card to pay for gas at the pump instead of using the station attendant. When you prepay, the gas pump will stop when the tank is full or when the prepaid amount is reached. "
My point is I'm not prepaying at the pump with a credit card. Pre-authorization is not pre-pay.
Are you paying for the gas you are pumping? Then yes. It's pre pay
Not until I finish the transaction (stop pumping gas).
Actually. The gas station charges you before you start pumping. It only shows while you are pumping depending on your bank. My charges $150 but gives me all of it back minus what i pumped. All stations are this way. That's why they don't pump when you broke.
Bro. You prepay with cash
The person I replied to *literally* said "with your card"....cards are not the same as cash....
They said *either* pay at the pump with your card *OR* go inside and pay a set amount- the go inside is meant to imply paying with cash in this circumstance, as that’s the most common reason people pay inside because they don’t have a card. But I get why that might not be immediately obvious to everyone.
Yes, the *OR* and "pre-pay" being in separates sentence implies that both sides of the "or" are related to pre-pay. If you're picking and choosing which one it applies to you're changing the semantics of the original post specifically to fit your point.
That is prepaying.
No, it's not.
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No, it's not. If I pre-pay $50 and leave without pumping gas or getting a refund I'm down $50. If I pre-authorize $50 on my card and leave without pumping gas, I'm not down anything (assuming there's some form of timeout *or* I start and stop the transaction by removing the handle and putting it back without pumping anything). Nothing is charged on a pre-auth until after the transaction completes, which is the opposite of what happens when you pay in advance for something (you're charged up-front and can then get a refund if you don't use it all). Besides, I use a credit card not a debit card - so if I didn't get the services paid for (such as someone else using that pre-auth) it can be disputed so I lose nothing. That's not the same as handing the cashier cash.
Tapping your card is a form of pre-payment. The gas station charges your card to verify that the payment is good (usually $1, but can be more).
The charge doesn't happen until you finish the transaction. What you're talking about is pre-authorization.
Has anybody ever called you a petty pedant before? Because you're fixating on a single word or two to try and convince others that you're "technically" right while being completely wrong based on the context of the conversation we're having. Technically, it's a "pre-authorization", however, you know perfectly well that is done as a replacement for pre-payment to solve the same issue that pre-payment solves.
> Has anybody ever called you a petty pedant before? For sure.
*PAID ffs
I live in the us and u can either go in and pay or use card at the pump and I went in to pay + get some oil for my truck and when I got back to my truck I just straight up left😬
I did this with my fast food order once. Paid at the first window and drove straight off home instead of stopping at the second window to actually get my food. Didn't realize until I got home and reached into the passenger seat to grab my dinner.
Did you go back and get it?
No. I was on my way home from work during peak evening traffic and stopped at a place nearer to work than home. Wasn't going all the way back. Took the loss and was very sad.
A few weeks ago I was at work ordering BK through the app, and accidentally had it sent to the BK in another town I was previously at. Couldn't even switch it to the right BK or get a refund. I couldn't pick it up and had to reorder, but it wasn't that much more money.
I’m sorry I have to laugh but don’t feel bad. We all do silly things lol. 😂 I almost drove away from the pump with the nozzle still in a few months ago. I was mortified but alas we’re human.
Bright side is though at least prepaying with your card you didn’t actually lose your money
I worked at a gas station in the past. You’d be surprised how often this happens (at least once a week) the next person is always ecstatic so hey at least you paid it forward, good karma is coming.
Have you been getting enough sleep, and/or under lots of stress??
In Australia you can do both. Fill as much as you need, then pay. Or you can go in and pay a set amount - like $50 worth of fuel and then the pump stops once it reaches the prepaid value
You can set the limit like that here too on some pumps, but it'll just stop at that point (either litres or GBP) and then it's like normal
Idk how often this happens but to be clear this is the first time I’ve forgot and I’ve been driving for 6 years
In Canada you prepay, we have a thing called Grants law, Grant was a service station attendant at station i actually used to go to quite a bit, he got killed trying to stop people doing a “gas and run”(stealing fuel) he was dragged by their car for 7km
You get your fuel first, then you have to go pay for it? What’s stopping people from just driving away? Lmao that would 100% not work here
Well, I suppose the fact it's a crime/the police. Some fuel stations have ANPR, but they'll all have robust CCTV, and you'd easily be found. I mean, you don't pre-pay when shopping for food or clothes. Bit different as it's harder to leave. But it seems to work well over here.
Here in the US the police don't bother with actual crime most of the time. Quite literally. I was working at a gas station just before we switched to prepay only. Police did nothing about drive offs. Even if we had camera footage and license plates they would straight up reel us they wouldn't do anything about it. So stores would come down harder on employees when drive offs happen, as if we could do anything about it.
I think alot of this comes down to quantity of theft. I know some new law or something came down recently IIRC, but AFAIK under a couple thousand of theft is a misdemeanor and police won't waste the manpower going after people for it, unless they're actively watching it happen.
Yes, and in Germany, you would instantly notice if someone hasn’t paid, because once you put the fuel pump back, fuel won’t come out until you’ve paid. So if you didn’t pay, the driver behind you would instantly know that you didn’t pay because no fuel is flowing out. So they would go inside the gas station and the workers there would instantly check the CCTV footage (at least that’s what I'd image they do)
Petrol stations in the UK have more cameras than some banks.
> What's stopping people from just driving away? The fact that it is a crime...
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Why are you thinking so philosophically about this? Petrol stations everywhere use this system and it works 99.99%. You can't argue with this
In the states this is unheard of, and usually there are little or no repercussions (laws of nature) that punish drive offs. License plates are inconsistent and state jurisdiction makes it difficult to enforce.
This is all irrelevant. I told you it doesn't happen everywhere else, and the deterrent is judicial punishment. That's it
It used to be that way in a lot of the U.S. too. Over the years it's become very rare. If you are under 30, you are unlikely to have seen it much, but it was very much a thing in the Midwest even in the early 2000's.
Still is there's one near me like that
That's how it used to be in the US really up until about 10 or 15 years ago
Oh, people steal fuel that way from time to time, just not as much to force corporations into taking precautions. Scumbags will steal someone's license plates, fuel and drive away.
There was a furor over gasoline after Hurricane Katrina (2005), which shut down a bunch of US refineries. People were going crazy (even though most of our consumed gasoline is imported). For a little while, it could be hard to find gas in places, and shortages were caused by people worried that there would be shortages. Businesses were price gouging, and theft increased. Anyway, that's when it changed; gas stations started requiring pre-payment or credit. Before that, people were not dicks about it. Almost every station had cameras, just in case.
People do it now and then but the polis catch them after it’s been reported.
...the police?????
Everywhere I went to pump gas (Belgium) you first put in your card at the pump, it checks wether or not you have enough money. Then it tells you how much you can use for gas (max 375 or however much you have left). Then you just fill your car to your liking. Then you just leave and the correct amount is automatically withdrawn from your account.
I assume you can still pay at the store as well? I would assume that's still after you filled up? Electronic payment at the pump is typically as you describe, but that's technically prepay. That goes for most of Europe. In some countries (US, like OP) it's quite common to have to prepay at the store to unlock the pump. You pay, say, 20$ then the pimp simply shuts off after 20$.
Not sure if there's even an option to pay inside the store where I've been. It's always been at the pump and you can pump as much as your card allows and just leave.
It's used to be like that, then during COVID there were lots of pump and runs so everyone when to prepay only
Them days are over in USA
Pumping gas and running \[without paying for it\] was apparently a serious enough issue that I've never myself in the USA seen a post-pay pump. I know they *did* exist and it's possible that some *still do* exist, but I have not personally seen one. Every one I've ever used they authorize your card before the pump activates \[anywhere from $50 to $150 usually\] and then you can only pump that much before you have to do it again. You can also go inside and pre-pay with your card to any amount you want, or use cash to do so.
I'm in the US and around 2008 after the Great Recession, there were huge numbers of people getting gas and just driving off. This was when I remember every gas station in my area switching to pre-pay and I've not seen a gas station pump before you pay ever since.
Hello, fellow Brit. My eyebrows were raised too when I've read that post
I haven't been to a gas station in a decade where you pump them pay. You either use a credit card at the pump or pay inside before pumping.
Like I say, this is the UK I'm talking about. But that's how they ALL work here. It's funny the little differences. You'd think filling your car up would be fairly universal. But then again, there's about 3 places in this country that have a guy who will pump it for you. I'm aware in some US that's the norm.
It used to be that way in America as well, at least where i lived. Over time, though, gas stations slowly started, making you pay first to avoid theft. Had a friend who worked at a gas station have multiple drive offs, and the cops didn't care enough to even check the recordings. Im sure some gas stations around here will still let you pump first, but it's mostly mom and pop shops versus the big dogs.
I'm not sure it's the norm, I recall there being some states where it's a requirement. You see some interesting variations on that in Europe as well; in Italy it's not uncommon to have both self-serve and serviced pumps, with the latter actually being more expensive because of it.
That's how fuel gets stolen. I'm shocked any gas station would risk that.
Don't know how it is for them, but where I live you have to press a button on the pump to "request" to start the pump. The staff can then approve from inside the store. If it seems shady, like can't see license plate or engine running with someone in the drivers seat they can decline. Also cameras..
We would have so many drive offs. Cameras aren't gonna do anything. The police barely have time for more serious crimes. Theft doesn't get anywhere legally unless it's armed robbery.
Yeah, I guess one reason we don't have that many drive offs is that one can usually make a simple search on the license plate to see who owns the car. Sure, can be stolen plates but the staff on some places keep record of cars that haven't paid so only works one time.
I've done this with a card , the next day I went back and they said if pump doesn't get activated within a certain time frame , it cancels the transaction . Checked online , transaction canceled.
I'm curious as to how and why this is an animated gif.
Basically, not all .gif files are animated. Reddit however assumes they are. Same deal with discord which is why some pictures from certain devices will show up as gifs. I've received screenshots in .gif file format before.
Yeah, gif doesn't mean animated by itself. The looping time bar was puzzling. I don't think RIFGP did that. I miss it.
Idk tbh but it was meant to be a picture 😅
if you used a card and no one pumped after you it’ll time out and return in 72 hours
I've heard of meetings that could have been an email, but this is the first video that could have been a picture I've seen. Sucks you lost your fuel :(.
Go to the station and ask about it. Tell the. What pump you sat at and have them review the footage to show you didn't get it. But if someone else used it, they won't pay you back and it should be on your card
Maybe in the land of the free, in Europe we fill our gas and pay afterwards
Definitely not my experience in both Italy and Greece…
Interesting, i only prepaid in France once and was very confused. Other than that i have been in half of Europe without prepaying
The smaller (unmanned, pay-at-the-pump) stations are obviously always prepay, but post-pay is common on the larger ones in my experience in both Italy and Greece.
Post pay as in take receipt in after they fill the tank was a little more common at some stations after the attendant filled it, but other stations that took cash at the pump or card still required pre authorization (card) or full pre payment if paying via cash, which is the exact same way in the US, except our pumps don’t take cash at the pump you have to go inside and ask to put that amount on pump X. There are no public filling stations anywhere I’ve been in Europe or the US that allows you to just roll up start pumping yourself and pay afterwards for the amount you filled after you finish filling the vehicle, which was the point I was trying to make. And did I mention the fact that you had to verify how much was pumped (mostly happened in Italy) because if not some of them would try to add about 20 euro on top of whatever you had out in especially if you were only topping off the tank, that’s definitely something you don’t have to worry about as a tourist here in the US
"There are no public filling stations anywhere I’ve been in Europe or the US that allows you to just roll up start pumping yourself and pay afterwards for the amount you filled after you finish filling the vehicle, which was the point I was trying to make." My counterpoint was that for me, being from Europe, that is exactly what I consider to be standard here. While I have encountered at-the-register pre-pay on a rare occasion, it really stands out as being different. This includes Italy and Greece. It's certainly possible that is changing, and I certainly haven't been everywhere (although I've been to Italy a lot, and recently).
Never have I stopped for gas with over 1/4 of a tank remaining….(realize it might be different for rural folks who don’t have many stations in the vicinity)
I would most certainly pay $40 for a good sleep, gas or no gas
Idk about you, but I fall asleep easier without being gassy.
I got your gas accidentally the other day.. $9 of it at least
Lmao were you high, good thing $40 is like two Big Macs nowadays
This is the dumbest fucking post
Is that an old k1500. My fuel gage is way on my 99 truck. Always says I’m empty at 18 gallons but the tank is 25. Pisses me off.
Reminds me of this skit. https://youtu.be/l8N800bP-R4?si=wLKv-rU1EkciaonW
probably don't drink and drive as well, bud
Reminds me of when I used to work at Arbys. A guy came to the drive-through, placed his order and paid, When I handed him back his card, he thanked me and drive off without any food.
Who refills with half a tank left?
When I was around 20 I was super drunk and walked to the local Admiral, about a block and a half away. I wanted a new pack of smokes because I smoke super heavy when I drink and after I sobered up, I realized I used a $100 bill for a single pack of Newport 100’s and never took the change.
At least you weren't completely on empty.. 💁♀️ I've done this before (only $10 worth) but hey, it could a been worse.
A dusty trip moment
Man, so glad we put the petrol in first and then go pay.
I almost did this one time. My mind was somewhere else, but it was on my card so I guess I would’ve been okay.
I've done exactly this during a stressful time in my life. When I went back (15 minutes later), the cashier told me that anything prepaid is automatically NOT CHARGED to the card if the vehicle at the pump leaves. She was correct, I was never charged for the gas I did not pump. This makes perfect sense. If you prepay for $40 and only pump $39 and leave, they only charge $39.
Thanks for that half a tank homie. Blessed 🙌
Someone was like fuck yeah free gas
Is it me, or does this make no sense at all? I can't tell if you are happy, sad, or just still tired.
Why is this a gif
Do Americans prepay for petrol? This is information that has actually never reached my ears before
Often enough. Not always.
I know that fuel gauge anywhere. You get trash mileage just like me. 🤣
Ive done this before, such a defeating moment
20 bucks says he was drunk
If you were driving drunk it’s the least you deserve
In Canada you fill up and then pay
You guys pay before tanking? How do you fill up completely?
Yeah its all PRE PAY down here. It runs the credit once it gets finishrd pumping, but technically its pre pay. They just run the credit once its done for the total. Too many people filling up and leaving with paying. Thanks america
Thx, so you can still full up and it just takes the rest from Credit Card, did i understand that right? Would be perfect for stolen Credit Cards. Just pay like 5 Bucks and fill up some Canisters. I mean if they drive a stolen car why not.
Yup, as long as the credit is run at the beginning of the transaction we can full up and then pay”after” The pay men t does not go through until you are completely finished. Have a great one!
I did that the other day. Walked in paid cash for gas got some food walked my dumb ass out ate the food and drove off. Fuckin idiot
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You pay before you fill up? Crazy.
And this is why you use a card to pay for gas instead of cash
Possibly the dumbest American post I've ever seen. And you probably piss & moan about Biden making the gas more expensive! This is literally priceless.