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Credit card hold at gas station

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Credit card hold at gas station

The hold amount at my gas station which is attached to the grocery store I shop at is $160 which is pretty steep.  I have have actually seen it higher than that.  I'll get some gas today, check after and report back.  Typically that hold is on there for 3 days +/- a day.

Message 11 of 60
fltireguy
Valued Contributor

Re: Credit card hold at gas station


@Anonymous wrote:
Personally I don't mind the hold I usually have plenty of available credit so a $75 hold when I spend $40 on gas isn't that bad.

Actually we just moved to a state where all the gas stations you pump first then pay inside after you pump instead of prepaying. Way better process IMHO

+1 Matt.   I agree with you - It's only an issue if you have low limit cards, etc...

 

I have been seeing Chevron/Texaco, as well as Shell settle the transactions immediately though. So, as soon as the transaction is finalized at the pump, the hold is being released, and the sale shows up immediately online with my cards

NFCU $60.4k/PenFed $22.5k/Commerce $15K/53 $11K/Synovus $14K/BBT $11K/CapOne $12K/DCU $7.5K/BMO $7.5K/Chase $14.5k/Cabelas $10K/ and many many more!
Total CL $398600, plus car and RV loan.
Ooh. Ooh. Getting closer to that $500K mark!
Message 12 of 60
fltireguy
Valued Contributor

Re: Credit card hold at gas station


@Loquat wrote:

I'm in the midwest and a lot of the stations here do the exact same thing.  I purchase fuel at the local QuikTrip or Mobil.  QT will pre-authorize a dollar and then in a day or so the actual charge will post.  Mobil on the other hand does it opposite of QT; they pre-authorize $100 and release the excess (if any) in the same time frame.

 

If you have a lot of available credit then the temp holds aren't a big issue...and as other posters have said, you can avoid this by paying inside.  My issue with paying inside is that (and I've tested it at both Mobil and QT) PenFed's 5% Cash Rewards card specially says that they'll only pay the 5% is you purchase at the pump.  I've tried paying for fuel inside and it doesn't code the same at QT or Mobil and I lose out so in order to get the 5% I have to pay at the pump. 

 

I don't know why its like that with PenFed as I know my Discover will code anything (inside or out) as fuel and I reap the rewards.  American Express is the same, codes at the pump and any purchase inside as fuel...PenFed for some reason just doesn't code the same...some how they know when I've made a purchase inside versus at the pump.  Strange...

 

 


BUT, on the other hand. (MOST of the Circle K locations in the Tampa and Orlando areas are branded Shell at this point)  PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa will code for the 5% both in the store, and at the pump. Also, BoA 3-2-1 will do the same as well.   I've also noticed that 7-11 codes as grocery for INSIDE purchases, which is great with my BCP - IF I pay inside, or buy a 7-11 GC to use outside, I am getting 6% !!!!!!

NFCU $60.4k/PenFed $22.5k/Commerce $15K/53 $11K/Synovus $14K/BBT $11K/CapOne $12K/DCU $7.5K/BMO $7.5K/Chase $14.5k/Cabelas $10K/ and many many more!
Total CL $398600, plus car and RV loan.
Ooh. Ooh. Getting closer to that $500K mark!
Message 13 of 60
Loquat
Moderator Emeritus

Re: Credit card hold at gas station


@fltireguy wrote:

@Loquat wrote:

I'm in the midwest and a lot of the stations here do the exact same thing.  I purchase fuel at the local QuikTrip or Mobil.  QT will pre-authorize a dollar and then in a day or so the actual charge will post.  Mobil on the other hand does it opposite of QT; they pre-authorize $100 and release the excess (if any) in the same time frame.

 

If you have a lot of available credit then the temp holds aren't a big issue...and as other posters have said, you can avoid this by paying inside.  My issue with paying inside is that (and I've tested it at both Mobil and QT) PenFed's 5% Cash Rewards card specially says that they'll only pay the 5% is you purchase at the pump.  I've tried paying for fuel inside and it doesn't code the same at QT or Mobil and I lose out so in order to get the 5% I have to pay at the pump. 

 

I don't know why its like that with PenFed as I know my Discover will code anything (inside or out) as fuel and I reap the rewards.  American Express is the same, codes at the pump and any purchase inside as fuel...PenFed for some reason just doesn't code the same...some how they know when I've made a purchase inside versus at the pump.  Strange...

 

 


BUT, on the other hand. (MOST of the Circle K locations in the Tampa and Orlando areas are branded Shell at this point)  PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa will code for the 5% both in the store, and at the pump. Also, BoA 3-2-1 will do the same as well.   I've also noticed that 7-11 codes as grocery for INSIDE purchases, which is great with my BCP - IF I pay inside, or buy a 7-11 GC to use outside, I am getting 6% !!!!!!


Interesting that their Platinum Rewards will code as 5% inside and out but the Cash Rewards will only code at the pump. 

Message 14 of 60
HeavenOhio
Senior Contributor

Re: Credit card hold at gas station


@Anonymous wrote:

Is this a state thing, or a particular gas station?  I've never had this happen.


Me neither. I get $1 holds. And they drop out of the pending payment list within a few hours. Sometimes, all it takes is an hour or so. If I catch it at the right time, I might see a $1 hold and a $1 pending refund. But most of the time, I miss this stuff entirely, and all I see is the amount I paid for gas.

Message 15 of 60
jamesdwi
Valued Contributor

Re: Credit card hold at gas station

Get them all the time, more likely in worse neigbhorhoods, and places with frequent drive-offs.

having a bad day and get a pump with issues, its possible to get 2 or more holds of a $100 or more. Just another example of how the less fortunate get slammed. Imagine having 2-3 holds of $100 or more on a debit card for upto 7 days, when you earn minimum wage. 

I always pay at the pump, less hassle, less temptation to add on the candy bar or a soda.no long time.  and 3% back on my BCP card, pay inside and its only 1%. 

 

Cards: Chase Southwest 20k & CSR 17k & CSP 10k & FNBO 30k Oregon Duck 5k, & AMEX BCP 32.5k & Amex Magnet 15k&amg; Hilton Surpass 7.5k & Delta Gold 12k & Zync NPSL, Fidelity AMEX 17k Commerce5.9k & Cash Forward 7.5k & Sams Club MC 20k, Paypal Extras MC 10k, Paypal Credit 7.25k CapOne Venture 15k, QS 2.5k, QS 750, Amazon 10k, Walmart 10k, Citi Simplicity 18k, Discover IT 23k and a nice stack of store cards.
Landmarkcu Personal Loan 10k
Message 16 of 60
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Credit card hold at gas station


@HeavenOhio wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:

Is this a state thing, or a particular gas station?  I've never had this happen.


Me neither. I get $1 holds. And they drop out of the pending payment list within a few hours. Sometimes, all it takes is an hour or so. If I catch it at the right time, I might see a $1 hold and a $1 pending refund. But most of the time, I miss this stuff entirely, and all I see is the amount I paid for gas.


Same here. I've never had anything more than a dollar show up initially. I live in Georgia, but South Carolina seems to be the same. I would be so angry if I got home and found a $100 hold for $15-$20 worth of gas.

 

BTW...that $1 isn't a hold. It's a pre-authorization. They run a dollar through to verify the card is valid.

Message 17 of 60
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Credit card hold at gas station

I'm in California.

I always see a $99 hold on my card which is super annoying. I'll start paying inside instead of at the pump if that solves it!
Message 18 of 60
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Credit card hold at gas station

I don't think the hold is a state thing or even a brand thing. Some of my local stations charge it some don't and the amount is normally $1, $50, or $100 never experienced any other amounts. I think some even go so far as to charge different amounts depending on the card used. Good neighborhood or bad I myself can't find any pattern. In fact a local station near me recently stopped charging the hold. Leads me to believe it is up to the local business or franchise.
Personally it doesn't bother me as a $100 hold is about 0.5% of my utilization on whichever cards I normally use. Definitely not worth the trouble of going inside and waiting in line.
Message 19 of 60
Discover2016
Valued Contributor

Re: Credit card hold at gas station

Back when my first card had a limit of $500 (Discover), I would always worry about the hold at a gas station, I would also worry and research the security hold when I would rent a car. Now that my Discover has a limit of $11,400, I don't worry about, but this thread brings back memories.

Gardening until September 2025
Next app: Mortgage in September 2025
Message 20 of 60
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