Gasoline Credit Cards

[Mike Canter]

Shapeshifter, the Flying J young lady told me that they wanted to verify the drivers license one time at the counter for the "Pump Start" and then I could go right out to the pump and start. No wait time or minimum fuel requirement.

[ShapeShifter]

Originally Posted by Mike Canter

Shapeshifter, the Flying J young lady told me that they wanted to verify the drivers license one time at the counter for the "Pump Start" and then I could go right out to the pump and start. No wait time or minimum fuel requirement.

Thanks for the info. That's interesting, it looks like they are treating the minimum purchase requirement as an extra validation process for on-line registrations, one that is not needed if you are there in person and show official ID (like a license.) I guess that makes sense, by requiring a couple valid transactions first, they would have a record of your credit card number, and could be reasonably confident that you are a valid customer. Much like you going inside and showing them ID makes them reasonably confident you are sincere.

That's opposed to someone who gets one of their cards, registers it on line with fraudulent information, and gets the pump-start enabled with no verification. A scammer could do that to get a couple tank fulls of fuel before the bad charges caught up with them. But it's unlikely that a scammer will go to the effort of making several good charges (that might be traced back to him) just to scam a tank or two of fuel in the future.

I guess it seems like a reasonably well thought out validation process to me.

[Mike Canter]

Well not so fast I don't think the young lady was correct. This is what I got off the Flying J/Pilot website FAQs


What is Pump Start and how do I get it? Pump Start allows you to start the fuel pumps using your Frequent Fueler Advantage RV Card – or your RV Real Value Card (if you are currently using one). To get the Pump Start feature, you must register your card at the cashier’s counter at any Flying J or Pilot location. After you have purchased 500 or more gallons from Flying J and / or Pilot, we will activate your card for Pump Start. You can see how many gallons you have purchased toward your Pump Start activation qualification by logging into your Frequent Fueler Advantage RV account online, at Frequent Fueler Advantage, by checking your account at the in-store Driver Kiosk asking a manager at your closest Pilot or Flying J.

[ShapeShifter]

Originally Posted by Mike Canter

Well not so fast I don't think the young lady was correct.

Sounds like both she and I are wrong. That's the same text I was reading the other day, but I missed the part where it must be in-person at the counter. I registered my card on-line after reading it, thinking I could get the pump-start activation process started. Looking at my on-line profile it says pump-start is not applied, and clicking on the tiny little question mark logo above that notation it says that pump-start can only be applied in person by showing a driver's license.

So I guess they didn't work out an interesting anti-fraud measure for those who register on-line. I guess you need to show the actual ID and buy a bunch of fuel before they will give you that feature.

And I guess I was wrong on my 200-300 gallon recollection. 300 gallons is the limit on how much discounted diesel you can get in a month if you don't register your card.

[dbaverb]

I spoke to Murphy gas at Wal Mart and they said that if you let them know that you will pay at the desk they will leave it open till you are full