Credit Card Insecurity at the Gas Pump?

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

SubLGT

Joined
Jan 31, 2006
Messages
4,630
Location
Idaho
Two years ago the local Idaho newspaper published an article about credit card skimmers being discovered at some local gas stations. A pair of criminals were caught by a surveillance camera in the act of installing a skimmer, and they were identified as having connections to a gang in Florida. Around that same time, a fraudulent $6000 charge appeared on my credit card account. Someone had used my info to buy $6k worth of gold, and had it shipped to Florida.

Since that incident, I have only used cash when buying gasoline.
Are chipped credit cards now being accepted at gas pumps?
Are gas pumps being adequately secured to prevent someone from installing a data skimmer?

Today when I visited the Conoco station where I usually buy my gas, they had brand new pumps. I still paid cash.
 
Tonight, I will be paying for diesel using my phone.

7eleven have a new app where you can find the lowest available local price (it's about 65km radius from the town that I'm in), lock it in, and pay for it on the phone, then get a bar code to redeem when you fill up.

If it works well, I'll start my wife this week as well.
 
I use credit card for everything I can. I don't care if it gets skimmed. The credit card company can worry about that. I'm not liable for any fraudulent charges so I'm doing what's convenient for me. Take all the precautions you want and your card can still get stolen. I've had 3 cards with fraudulent charges in the last 7 years. It's just part of life, now.
 
My Costco is a very busy place with lots of people watching, they place seals around credit card scanners, and I have seen employees walking around periodically inspecting the seals.
 
I had problems with fraudulent charges a couple years back, and I suspect they were gas station related.. even though I'm very careful.

So I went and got a credit card at my bank with a deliberate limit of $300. I use this card exclusively to get gas. This way, if for some reason a crook is able to get past me, they won't get away with much.
 
Less worried about the unauthorized charges as stated above the card company will take care of all of that.

It is more of a hassle to go through cancellation if you're using the same credit card for reocurring payments and you have to set up a new card for different things.
 
I'd like to see contactless payment being implemented in gas pumps so I can "bump" my iphone to pay. Magstripes need to be pushed to become obsolete already, yet whenever I go to a store the card reader can't accept chip or contactless payment so I have to swipe my card like a neanderthal.
 
Originally Posted By: Kibitoshin
I'd like to see contactless payment being implemented in gas pumps so I can "bump" my iphone to pay.


I use my Mobil Speedpass. No problems for more than 10 years.
 
I don't like the pre-authorized charges you get at the pump. Buy $30, get charged for $100, then get $70 back next day. That's why I go inside and pay with debit/credit card. Secure and no other charges to boot.
 
Last year there was a period where there was big rash of the card skimmers at gas stations and ATM's.
I use a Chevron gas gift card. I can put up to $100 max (I use cash) at the counter each transaction. I'll go in a time or two, use the card for some fills, go in and keep adding it up. I usually have few hundred on it most times. This way I don't have to walk in for every fill up. It keeps me from using any other card at the pump. Its like a phone top up.
At most Chevrons I use it gives 5-cents off a gallon, but that is not my purpose for having it - just keeps me from going in each gas fill up and prevents using another card. At one point I had about $500 balance on it because we were going on a couple little vacation trips around the state.
If other than Chevron (and that's been rare for me) - I'll use cash inside at the counter.
What I don't know (and I haven't asked) if the pump happens to have a card skimmer, could it skew up the balance on the Chevron gift card... I dunno
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: SirTanon
I had problems with fraudulent charges a couple years back, and I suspect they were gas station related.. even though I'm very careful.

So I went and got a credit card at my bank with a deliberate limit of $300. I use this card exclusively to get gas. This way, if for some reason a crook is able to get past me, they won't get away with much.

I do similar, I have 1 credit card that is only used for fuel purchases, but has a high limit on it. I may look into getting one with a low credit limit instead, it is a good idea.

Originally Posted By: Errtt
Last year there was a period where there was big rash of the card skimmers at gas stations and ATM's.
I use a Chevron gas gift card. I can put up to $100 max (I use cash) at the counter each transaction. I'll go in a time or two, use the card for some fills, go in and keep adding it up. I usually have few hundred on it most times. This way I don't have to walk in for every fill up. It keeps me from using any other card at the pump. Its like a phone top up.
At most Chevrons I use it gives 5-cents off a gallon, but that is not my purpose for having it - just keeps me from going in each gas fill up and prevents using another card. At one point I had about $500 balance on it because we were going on a couple little vacation trips around the state.
If other than Chevron (and that's been rare for me) - I'll use cash inside at the counter.
What I don't know (and I haven't asked) if the pump happens to have a card skimmer, could it skew up the balance on the Chevron gift card... I dunno

That is also a good idea. I was doing that for a while with Sunoco, I bought a few $100 cards on e-bay for $85-92 and used those (plus you got another $0.03 off at the pump with them).
Same thing with Walmart, Just buy a $100 gift card and then get $0.03 off the advertised price.
 
Your not liable for the charges in the UNLIKELY EVENT it happens to you. Don't worry about. Just think about how many people pay with credit at the pump everyday-and how many stories DO YOU REALLY HEAR?
 
Last edited:
I've used the same card for 6 years strictly for purchasing gas at a discount when paid at the pump. Zero issues a day it's been used literally hundreds of times.

In the event there is fraud on it, the credit card company takes care of it, same as every other caRd.

No different than handing your card to the waiter or waitress... stuff can happen, but it happens to the credit card company and not my bank account...
 
It's too much of a headache to pay cash with the prepay gas pump setups. You either have to prepay less than what your car will take, and end up with a non-full tank, or overpay and go back inside to get your change. Of course waiting in line each time behind the cigarette and lottery ticket buyers. Sooo annoying. If you know gas stations that still allow you to pump first, it's no big deal.

I use Amex at the pump. They always have my back if something goes wrong.
 
I have a Shell Card and use that for gas. Always go to Shell, even when I was in Florida with a rental car. I check for the tamper tape every time I am at the pump. I go to the same 2 stations here at home so I know what the pumps should look like.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Brons2
Airline card credit card annual fees, wow $495?
2 3
Replies
43
Views
2K
Chevyc10
SC Maintenance
Pre paid gas card that works at the pump?
2
Replies
34
Views
5K
Jimmy9190
shortyb
Adventures to the Gulf Coast
Replies
5
Views
223
shortyb
O
Idiot question of the day! Soap dispensers...
Replies
10
Views
3K
PimTac
y_p_w
Arco now accepting credit cards
2
Replies
33
Views
12K
Zee09
Back
Top Bottom