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.

[zman-az]

LaTriker wrote:
Reason for setting limits on "at the pump" purchases.
If you go to Walmart and make a $200 purchase, Walmart will get a $200 approval from the credit card company, all is well. When you make a fuel purchase at the pump, the credit card company does not know the amount of your purchase until after you have completed the purchase, so they approve you for the largest amount most people buy ($75 or $100). The approved amount results in a conditional hold against your credit card limit. If the conditional hold was $500, and you only purchased $10 in fuel (motorcycle purchase) 3 or 4 times in one day, the $500 conditional approvals would quickly eat up a large credit card limit.

This makes total sense.

When you use you cc it goes thru 3 different hands. The merchant, the processing company (the consumer never sees) and then the cc issuer (the one who gives you the bill in the mail). Based on what I have read in these threads the limit is set by the processing company. The merchant gets to choose who they use for processing. Limits can be different for visa, mc, Amex or discover at each location.

[wny_pat1]

RVUSA wrote:

wny_pat wrote:

crasster wrote:
With the class A, swipe two cards..

I swipe the same card over and over until I'm full. You don't need to use a different card.

That can be a trigger for getting the card shut down by the issuer if not told before hand. Especially is the normal use is in one state and all of a sudden 3 or 4 swipes in another. I learned to call the issuer before heading out when I was still land locked.

I always call my cc issuers and tell them where and how I'm going and how long we will be gone. And if they shut my card down, it is just a phone call away to get them to turn it back on. And yes, even when I inform them ahead of time, it still happens. And because of the stations middle guy, I still have to swipe over and over again. And I try to stop places where I can swipe at the pumps because I use my PenFed card for fuel!

[wny_pat1]

TragedyTrousers wrote:
I prefer paying in cash. Don't have to worry about card theft that way.

:E Credit card theft, I only have to worry about losing $50, but with cash theft - its gone, and on a 5000 mile trip that is a lot of cash to be gone:E!!!

[RVUSA]

wny_pat wrote:

crasster wrote:
With the class A, swipe two cards..

I swipe the same card over and over until I'm full. You don't need to use a different card.

That can be a trigger for getting the card shut down by the issuer if not told before hand. Especially is the normal use is in one state and all of a sudden 3 or 4 swipes in another. I learned to call the issuer before heading out when I was still land locked.

[my996duc1]

I used my Amex at the local Shell station and swiped it twice to fill up.... NOW my Amex will no longer work at any of the local Shell stations. It tells me to contact the card issuer. The Shell clerk tells me the card is no good and to contact the issuer. I've called AMEX numerous times and they don't show it as being denied by Shell so the card is being stopped by Shell even though they claim it isn't. Cards works fine every where else so I doubt it is an issue with the card. I can use my wife's Amex card at the Shell but even though it is linked to the same account it has it's own card number.

I am going to have to get a new card to fix the problem.

I am cautious about swiping a card twice now.


_

[SolidAxleDurang]

Empty Nest, Soon wrote:
Limit has got to be set by the gas station. I hit different ceilings at different stations.

I have a station I frequent all the time.

At that station, if I use my Visa, I can get $75 worth.... If I use my AMEX, I can get $100 worth.

[Lobstah]

wny_pat wrote:

crasster wrote:
With the class A, swipe two cards..

I swipe the same card over and over until I'm full. You don't need to use a different card.

Many stations have limits on # of swipes. I usually use my credit union debit card. I've swiped 3 times at some stations, limited to 2 times at others, and 1 swipe at a few.

All with the same card.

I also carry a regular credit card, and have experienced the same thing with that.

Worst case, with 2 cards limited to 1 swipe each, I can get a minimum of 40gals of gas, which gets me down the road for several hours.

Just not a big deal...it's part of life on the road.

Jim

[wny_pat1]

crasster wrote:
With the class A, swipe two cards..

I swipe the same card over and over until I'm full. You don't need to use a different card.

[crasster]

Heh, I don't hit the $75 limit with my class C. With the class A, swipe two cards..

[wny_pat1]

kab449 wrote:
I am a Visa/MC merchant. All I can say is someone down the line has a powerful financial incentive to get you to swipe as many times as they can. The statement I get at the end of the month contains a fixed charge per swipe and a percentage of the dollar total deducted from every transaction. The fixed charge is .40/swipe. Multiply this by millions of transactions and you get the idea.

I get the idea, and thank goodness the station pays it. And who ever they do their credit cards through sets it up the way. Been playing the silly game for a long time. And to get my 70 some gallons of diesel, I'll swipe as many times as I have to. Nothing out of my pocket!!

[kab449]

I am a Visa/MC merchant. All I can say is someone down the line has a powerful financial incentive to get you to swipe as many times as they can. The statement I get at the end of the month contains a fixed charge per swipe and a percentage of the dollar total deducted from every transaction. The fixed charge is .40/swipe. Multiply this by millions of transactions and you get the idea.

[Empty_Nest__Soo]

Limit has got to be set by the gas station. I hit different ceilings at different stations.

Limits on number of daily fill-ups has got to be set by the card issuer.

Wayne

[2oldman]

msmith1199 wrote:
I have the Pacific Pride Account through the place up in Washington.

Me too. No limits, monthly billing, never busy.. wonderful.

[Dutch_12078]

tropical36 wrote:

supermod38 wrote:

dbbls wrote:
I think the limits are set by the store. I ask the store one time and was told the credit card company set the limit. I then call the card company and they said the store. If the card company set them it would apply to all stations. I am incline to believe the store set them.

the credit limit IS set by the owner, however the limit comes from the card supplier.! the limit is the amount the card company will reimburse the owner for. if the owner sets a higher limit it is on his dime.

i owned my own gas station and store so you are getting this info from the horses mouth.

OK, but crossing the US a couple of times, we found that we could use the same Discover Card at least two times at the pump before being cut off and having to use another, or having to go inside the store and for whatever difference that made for the owner getting reimbursed. I guess, they just go for it, when they can see that it's something with a huge gas tank.

As I explained up thread, the limit is "per transaction". Each card swipe is a separate transaction.