Credit Cards and Gas Stations

[70ChevelleSS]

Originally Posted by pointrow

I just switch to a 2nd card and some times a 3rd to fill up.

pointrow

That's what I do if it won't take the first card a second time. I also don't want to be on the road with only card. If there is fraud on the card they want to cancel it immediately. Then what do I do if that's the only card I have.

[bobbelcher]

I went to nashville a month ago and didn't think it would be an issue as nashville is like 8 hours away. I had been traveling to baltimore maryland earlier in the year frequently which was around a 7 hour drive in my car and having to fill up 2 or 3 times round trip. Nashville was in my motorhome and the very first stop to fill up, "see cashier". I walked in and the lady said it appears your card was triggered by your bank. did you let them know you would be traveling. I said no I didn't think it would be a problem. Luckily I planned ahead and had plenty of cash on hand to handle it, I was just wanting to fill the first tank with my card to save the cash for nashville.

What I find to be absolutely crazy is that I was sitting on around 1/4 tank and wanted to fill up. They wouldn't turn the pumps on and let me fill up and pay afterwards. My local stations will do this as long as i leave them my ID or Keys. So I told her I needed 60 gallons (guessing) she said if you dont use it all, come back in and ill refund what you dont use. I used 60 gallons without it even attempting to shut off. So I started thinking man I must have misread this and put a different card in. pumped an additional 6 dollars in gas. SIX.... yep that close.

On my way home I had a similar thing happen. I had cash to use for my last fill up. went in and again they wouldn't let me just fill up. So i guessed. turns out I was able to put 12 dollars more than my guess this time.

Next trip i make i will be sure to let my bank know.

[THenman]

Originally Posted by bobbelcher

I went to nashville a month ago and didn't think it would be an issue as nashville is like 8 hours away. I had been traveling to baltimore maryland earlier in the year frequently which was around a 7 hour drive in my car and having to fill up 2 or 3 times round trip. Nashville was in my motorhome and the very first stop to fill up, "see cashier". I walked in and the lady said it appears your card was triggered by your bank. did you let them know you would be traveling. I said no I didn't think it would be a problem.

My cards send me text and/or email to confirm any suspect transactions. Phone call, text, or email reply lets me use card again right away.

If something looks really wrong they call me and those have been cases where it was not me (or wife) using the card.

Tom

Edit: I forgot if merchant gets the reject a phone call to card company fixes it.

[lo-tek]

Originally Posted by hdzcar

Most of time it will take the same credit card twice but if it doesn't I put a different one in and go about filling up. Don't have to call to talk with someone in India that doesn't speak English.

Most of the cards I carry have call centers in the US. Try Discover, Citibank, or Chase.

Also, having spent time in India, I was hard pressed to find someone who did not speak English.

[MWKingSD]

Made a short trip, in-state, last weekend - just putting in a travel notice for it via Internet didn't do it for Friday's fill-up, and I had to put the whole $100+ on my debit card. Had a 'heart-to-heart' via phone with them on Saturday wherein the guy said he "noted my file" so gas fillups would not be a problem. Worked ok on Sunday coming home although that was a less than $100.

WF's call center is apparently in the US as everyone I've spoken to speaks 'American' - no heavily accented voices telling me their name is "Bob." So far, anything that's needed a human to fix at WF has come out ok, so maybe this will do it.

They did tell me that in general gas stations are a much more common site for card fraud so banks' triggers are extra sensitive at those locations, which confirms my belief based on experience. I once got locked out trying to buy a $300 car tire (big car, big tires...) at Firestone too, so maybe it's any automotive location.

Thanks for all the suggestions and sympathy!

[4x4van]

Crossing State lines is a big trigger for many banks. I can drive 5-6 hours north to San Luis Obispo, still in CA, with no issues. But if I drive just 2 hours east and cross into AZ, I cannot use my card without letting BofA know about my "travel" plans.

[Bigd9]

Couple years ago when Superstorm Sandy hit the New Jersey Coast I was assigned there to assist communities recover. My first night there my credit card was rejected at a restaurant. I called my credit union and they said "its because you traveled to a foreign country and didn't tell us first"!!!

[2 Stroker]

I have used Pacific Pride card lock for 20 years. When we went to Alaska(No Pride in Alaska)going through Canada the bill goes to my local PP then charged to my BofA card that I pay on line. No problem on about of fuel (100+ gallons) if needed plus you can look in your book for location and they are rated on EZ in and out plus I get a 5% discount when I pay my bill. The down side is the fuel prices change daily. You can call to see what the price is ahead of time.
2 stroker

[THenman]

Originally Posted by Bigd9

Couple years ago when Superstorm Sandy hit the New Jersey Coast I was assigned there to assist communities recover. My first night there my credit card was rejected at a restaurant. I called my credit union and they said "its because you traveled to a foreign country and didn't tell us first"!!!

ROFLOL So that person passed US History and Geography? Kind of a scary thought if they did.


Tom

[4x4van]

Originally Posted by Bigd9

Couple years ago when Superstorm Sandy hit the New Jersey Coast I was assigned there to assist communities recover. My first night there my credit card was rejected at a restaurant. I called my credit union and they said "its because you traveled to a foreign country and didn't tell us first"!!!

Should have asked them just exactly what country that was?

[GoneToTheDog]

The last time I contacted my credit card company to let them know I would be traveling out of state, they said you no longer need to do that if the card is chipped.

[SailorSam]

Originally Posted by GoneToTheDog

The last time I contacted my credit card company to let them know I would be traveling out of state, they said you no longer need to do that if the card is chipped.

FWIW, the DW's chipped card was recently counterfeited. I thought that was supposed to be difficult or impossible. In any case we just got a new account and cards.

[MWKingSD]

Purpose of the chip is to encrypt transaction data at a point of sale terminal. Really unrelated to counterfeiting the card. And of course for an on-line transaction the chip has no function.

[cmsdcb1951]

Originally Posted by MWKingSD

I'm sure most of us regularly buy more than $100 in gas. I find that most, or all, stations in my area (California/Nevada/Arizona) have pumps that shut down after $75 or $100, so we have to complete one sale, put the card back in and run another $10-50 to get full. FWIW, I don't deal in cash - too easy to lose.



Last Sunday when I was gassing up to leave Vegas (wow, was it hot there) doing this set off the fraud detection at my bank (which has W & F in the name) and/or the station. Bank sent me text messages to confirm it was me making a legit purchase so they got unscrambled, but the station computers didn't want to any more to do with me, so I left with a short fill. Other unrelated experiences have led me to believe banks' fraud detection may be more easily triggered in Vegas, so I wasn't too surprised.



I was wondering what the rest of y'all do about this? Maybe stop more often, but that doesn't seem too desirable. Or is there some trick that I haven't thought about?

B of A advised me to notify them when traveling to avoid this issue.