Originally Posted by
Fizzer
I think people are missing the point that irritates people, including myself till found my work around. It is nothing to do with paying at the pump or not, although that has become the catalyst for the discussion. It is about having to prepay. Admittedly this is no problem unless you are having to fill a rental car tank to the brim, or need to fill a tank generally ( i.e. on a long road trip).At present you have to either know ahead of time how much gas you will need or you need to deposit your CC with the attendant ( where who knows what happens to it).
You have to pre-pay either way. If you pay at the pump, it authorizes your credit card for a certain pre-determined amount, usually $75. If you go inside, it is the same process, only you get to choose the amount. If you do not use the full amount you authorized, you are charged the correct amount and the hold falls off your credit card after a few days. This is the same process that happens at hotels or restaurants, when they authorize your card first and then determine the exact amount later (due to tips or incidental charges).
So all you really have to do is go inside and tell the cashier an amount that is more than what you will need but less than the available credit on your card. This should not be too difficult to do unless you are running close to your limit, which you shouldn't be. I'm not sure why this is such an issue.