Credit card limits when filling up the tank

[ezgoin]

I've been out of the RV scene for a while but now that we have a new MH I remembered something about credit card limits at the gas pumps. Assuming those restrictions are still in place, are they controlled by the credit card issuer or by the gas station? Is there a way to get around the limits? I hate using a credit card, but I also hate the idea of carrying enough cash to fill the MH multiple times.

[dkreuzen]

I got the Good Sam RV Plus card from Pilot/Flying J. Swipe card, enter pin and pump until full. Mine is a $1000/month limit but you can pay it off online anytime.

[wny_pat1]

ferndaleflyer wrote:
You can bet truckers don't swipe their card 5 times to get 300--400 gal of diesel fuel. And they all do it with credit cards.

No, they have to go inside and wait at the fuel window/counter for the slip to sign. When I was driving, I've waited up to 20 minutes often. Be further ahead to swipe it 5 times - if there was a card reader at the truck pumps. Heck, I even waited at that lousy fuel window/counter when I was delivering fuel to truck stops just to get the delivery slip signed - had to wait in line behind everybody already waiting! They don't care who you are unless you happen to work for the truckstop chain.

[mtrumpet]

kokopelli40 wrote:
@mtrumpet. you need the RV Plus card from Pilot/Flyingj/GoodSam. Never have to swipe more than once.

Gonna look into that. Thanks.

[kokopelli40]

@mtrumpet. you need the RV Plus card from Pilot/Flyingj/GoodSam. Never have to swipe more than once.

[mtrumpet]

kokopelli40 wrote:
Pilot/Flying J and Good Sam have several programs, that prevent you from having to swipe cards more than once and a discount comes along with the convenience.

I have a Flying J Rewards and have been using Flying J's very often. However, I still have to swipe my card more than once to fill up. There are even stickers on the pump indicating so. Might not apply to all locations, but certainly to the ones that I frequent - Pembroke NY, Austinburg OH, Toledo OH, as well as a couple of other locations in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Are you referring to an actual charge card issued by either Flying J and/or Good Sam?

[kokopelli40]

Pilot/Flying J and Good Sam have several programs, that prevent you from having to swipe cards more than once and a discount comes along with the convenience.

[mtrumpet]

mowermech wrote:
After talking to many merchants and several banks and others, I have come to the conclusion that it is the card processor that sets the limits.
the bank says, "NO, it is not us!"
The merchants all say "NO, we didn't set that limit, it must be Visa (or Mastercard or Discover, or..."
Since there is no consistency in the limit, it stands to reason that it is not the card issuer or the bank. At some stations, a visa will get you $75, while at other stations the same card will get $125 or $150 or may not have a limit. Even using a debit card as a credit card varies widely.
It must be the POS (NO, that does NOT mean "piece of.....", it means Point Of Sale) transaction processor!

This has been my experience as well. Some places only allow $75.00 per swipe, some $100.00 per swipe, with a maximum of two swipes per card, Then, there have been places (which are becoming more rare) that one swipe will allow a fill up.

Regarding whom it is that sets the limits, I don't know who to believe anymore. The merchant or the card issuer? I've heard it both ways. I think both are liars!

The whole concept of limiting the fuel purchase on a credit card has always confounded me. It was explained to me that it's to prevent drive-off's. So what? They already have the payment on the credit card which was swiped and approved BEFORE the purchase!:h

Oh wait, someone will say that the idea is to reduce the risk of loss should someone use a stolen credit card. So, I guess it would be ok for the thief to swipe the card through twice?

There's probably a lot more behind it, but its' obviously above my pay grade to know. To me, it's ridiculous and annoying to deal with everytime you pull in to refuel.

[mlts22]

I have multiple checking accounts attached to debit cards. That way, when I hit the $75.00 limit, I move money with my bank's smartphone app and swipe another card. When that card hit $75.00, I go for the third card. That way, I don't have to deal with some mindless software from my bank dropping the hammer on my trip because I had to fill up a larger fuel tank.

[down_home]

I've seen stickers on some umps at Pilot/Flyin J that there was 495.00 limit on the diesel RV pump Visa, I believe. It was not fact and we had to go in and pay up front and the over paid amount took a week or so to be put baack on our cards. Other times, like in Texas, at Pilot the first pumping on the card was 75.00. The second time the pump ran so slow that it took fifteen minutes to get 75.00 in the tank. Never did get if filled and left early. We have the Flyin J card for discounts. Didn't matter. Still had to go in in many cases. We were told it hadn't been activated, when we have had it for years. W told it it wasn't activated or whatever for the discount after 500 gallons or whatever also.
Other stations have anywhere from 50.00 to 100.00 on cards. That is unreasonable in light of today's prices and tank capacities of even a diesel pickup. In AZ and Ky and some other places we pull up to the pum and they activate it and we go inside and pay and spend more money as it didn't taake too long. In AZ sign the book and get the discount since we are not commercial.

[ferndaleflyer]

You can bet truckers don't swipe their card 5 times to get 300--400 gal of diesel fuel. And they all do it with credit cards.

The thing about leaving your card opening you up to fraud reminds me of a time in VA I got $270 worth of diesel and when I got my CC bill it also had $300+ charged the same place the same day for "merchandise". I called the CC co and they said it was for cigarettes. I never smoked in my life and the signature on the charge wasn't like mine----they removed the charge. I had left my card inside while fueling-------

[rgatijnet1]

MOST pumps have the credit card limits posted right ON the pump, so it is obvious who is setting the limits. SOME Pilot/Flying J stations post their limits at $350 for Mastercard/Visa, and some of the same stations set their limit much lower at $75 or $100. It seems to vary per state. Some stations will shut you off after two swipes and some will not. There is no consistency and it is just something that you have to deal with. Calling ahead and notifying your CC company might help from having your card shut off as you travel, but I have never found that it helps to overcome the limits set at the pumps by the merchants. It is what it is.

[snowdance]

This has another side. We do the swipe and pump all the time. No big deal. But when traveling with motorcycles we found when you swipe the limit amount is cleared on your account. So that much is held out until the charge clears your bank. So when fueling with our motorcycles each time we ran a card to fuel it held out 75-100 bucks from the account but we only got a few gallons. We often fueled 4 or 5 times a day when traveling so 4 or 5 hundreed bucks held each day and some would take 4 or 5 days to clear. Often had 2500-3000 bucks tied up until they would clear.

I think the swipe and pump works best for me as I have a thing about going inside and handing my card over to a clerk for a half hour or so while I fuel our MH.

[camper19709]

Swipe and pump.
Swipe and pump.
repeat as needed.
and move on-----no big deal.

[BTPO1]

Garry&Gayle wrote:
I estimate what my dollar amount will be on fill up, go inside and they swipe your card and get a pre authorization on that amount, after you fill up go back in and they give you a receipt for the actual amount used, if less than the pre authorized amount. Been doing this for several years with no issues, but I only do business with the truck stops.

This is what I do also. I have never had a problem doing it this way. JMO

[Semi_Retired_Gr]

PlumberJohn wrote:
Can't help with the gas cap settings,but found out from my credit card banks that if you let them know you are traveling during a certain time period and that you will be using the card multiple times a day at one vendor they will not flag your card. Sure helped on our Calif. to D.C. trip. Used same card 4 times at one gas station, $50.00 limit
so swipe card - pump gas, swipe card - pump gas,and so on. No inconvenience should interrupt RV life.

Not always - I use American Express for gasoline because of the rebate, Had problems on the way to Alaska in 2005 - out in the middle of nowhere and after pumping the gasoline. So phoned before leaving last summer and experienced the same problem! Called and told them I'd phoned prior to the trip and was told they still check! Go figure. At least I was able to use my cell phone last summer - no cell service in 2005 and the station wouldn't let me use their phone.