Cash or Credit

Around my area Phillips 66 stations will only let you swipe once, if you try again you get a "frequent user, see cashier". When you go in they explain that you are only allowed the one time charge so no more fuel,good luck! You also cannot go in and have them open a pump or sell a specific amount. Other stations on the road I have run across every way of doing things you can imagine so it's just a luck of the draw where you stop as to what you have to do to complete a fill up.

LOL We usually just put in the $150 and then pump it again with the same card. Never been rejected. BUT its kind of embarrassing when you only can add 1.87 on the second go around and that has happened more than once.

coolbreeze01 wrote:
Must be the station that sets the limit. I've run my card 3 times at some stations and only once at others.

There are probably as many merchant agreements/plans as there are gas stations. If you have a merchant account you know. I get calls every week with some servicing company trying to get me to switch plans/provider.

Must be the station that sets the limit. I've run my card 3 times at some stations and only once at others.

rockhillmanor wrote:
When gas hit 6.00 a gallon. Sadly the year I went full time.:(
The pumps would shut off at 75.00. It is the 'gas station' that sets that limit not your personal credit card.

Filling up to limit and then running your card again to filling up again is the answer.

Whatever you do DO NOT leave your credit card with the attendant as many gas stations where asking customers to do, to have the pump activated to fill your tank completely.

Um, I believe you will find that it is the credit card company that sets the limit, but it varies from station to station. The credit card companies set the limit based upon the perceived risk of a particular station's location. At least that's what I've been told by both station managers and banks.

In any case, I agree 100% that you NEVER want to leave your card with the station person while you go pump. In fact, NEVER let your card out of your sight. There have been tons of cases of wait-staff at restaurants stealing your card number via little skimmer device while carrying your card back to the cash register. The Virginia State Trooper who was head of the unit that investigated credit card cases here told me he'd found a place where the card theft was so great the crooked waiter was met out in the parking lot on breaks where a runner would pick up the skimmer and give the waiter a new one so they could get the stolen cards into circulation before you managed to get back into your car and drive away.

I had one station once offer me the choice: leave my card at the register while pumping, or run a specified amount and no refund if I didn't put that much gas in. I said neither and went down the road to another station. If the station is at that high a risk of theft, I didn't feel comfortable standing alone beside the car pumping fuel.

ReadyToGo wrote:
I have mostly run the card 2 times. But a few words of caution.
1. I ran into one station that wouldn't take the card inside, as someone or more had left a bad CC card. Now for them it is either cash inside before pumping or CC at the pump.
2. Gas stations are the most likely to have one of those phishing inserts left overnight. Be aware when traveling.

You do not need to leave the card. Just have them run some number higher than you think you need say $200. Go pump, if you do not want the receipt just leave and your card will be charged for the actual amount. Or go back in and finalize the transaction. This is what I do when I fill my transfer tank. I have never had an issue getting large amounts of fuel this way. In merchant bank speak this is delayed capture.

When gas hit 6.00 a gallon. Sadly the year I went full time.:(
The pumps would shut off at 75.00. It is the 'gas station' that sets that limit not your personal credit card.

Filling up to limit and then running your card again to filling up again is the answer.

Whatever you do DO NOT leave your credit card with the attendant as many gas stations where asking customers to do, to have the pump activated to fill your tank completely.

I have mostly run the card 2 times. But a few words of caution.
1. I ran into one station that wouldn't take the card inside, as someone or more had left a bad CC card. Now for them it is either cash inside before pumping or CC at the pump.
2. Gas stations are the most likely to have one of those phishing inserts left overnight. Be aware when traveling.

My card gives me 5% back on fuel purchases, so I do whatever is necessary to use it..........