Pre paid gas card that works at the pump?

[SC Maintenance]

I am interested in getting a prepaid card that I can use to pay at the pump - ie not have to go in to the store.

Years ago I went on a trip across 9 states, and I didn't want to use a credit card at every stop mainly for security or the card getting skimmed or shut down - whatever. That trip I used cash for gas, but that's a pain - you have to go in first, then go back to get your change.

At the time I asked all of them if there pre-paid cards worked at the pump, and they all said no - only inside?

Do any work at the pump now? Maybe a pre-paid visa / mastercard?

 

[Zee09]

I like Exxon Mobil cards. Get them for rewards from my cc.

No drama...slide it in and it tells you the card value and what balance there is automatically.
Work outside with no effort

 

[eljefino]

Well you could get the XOM speedpass, if they still do those-- I haven't checked in a while.

You could get a credit card used exclusively for gas purchases... get one with rewards while you're at it. Then it would be easy to spot fradulent use. And the bank will fight to get you the money back.

Skimmers are, to me, a concern for debit cards, connected to your main bank account. They would also make it inconvenient if I had to change my credit card number with "everyone" because it got compromised.

I got a "green dot" prepaid card for my kid to take on a Florida vacation. Horrible mistake. Fees for everything. The gas station "knows" your card is prepaid. Maybe if you had several hundred dollars on it it would work but the pump pre-authorizes ~$75 and "holds" it for a few days. If you're driving cross-country these holds would add up.

 

[dogememe]

You could use pay with GasBuddy? That’s what I use. The free tier gives you a few cents off. Sometimes they have promos for different gas stations for an extra discount you can activate in their app prior to buying gas.

 

[y_p_w]

I think some supermarkets and discount stores have these.

https://www.exxon.com/en/gas-gift-cards

Where can I use my Gift Card?​

You can use your Gift Card at any Exxon or Mobil station, at the pump or in the store on eligible registers. Find a station at exxon.com/find-station.​

 

[y_p_w]

Skimmers are, to me, a concern for debit cards, connected to your main bank account. They would also make it inconvenient if I had to change my credit card number with "everyone" because it got compromised.

It's pretty much useless to skim a contactless card, but of course not all pumps have those. Those issue a token and expect a unique response applying some sort of algorithm, and it's pretty much impossible to reverse engineer the algorithm. I suppose it might work if the same token were issue again, but what are the chances?

 

[atikovi]

Credit cards give cash back almost the same or even better than if by paying cash. The aversion to using them over cash is unfounded in the overall scheme of things as the benefits outweigh the minor risks.

 

[WylieCoyote]

I have an Exxon reward card hooked up to Exxon Speedpass, love being able to turn on the pump from inside the car. The only problem that poses is that you have to find an Exxon station when you're ready to fill up.

 

[JavierH19]

Why not just pay in cash. I'd estimate how much i can fill up back then. i never overfilled. Just slightly underfilled from F. But nowadays i use a credit card that gives rewards and credit cards are better at fraud protection than debit.

 

[SC Maintenance]

It's pretty much useless to skim a contactless card, but of course not all pumps have those. Those issue a token and expect a unique response applying some sort of algorithm, and it's pretty much impossible to reverse engineer the algorithm. I suppose it might work if the same token were issue again, but what are the chances?

Most of the contactless chip readers around here don't work. Not sure if that is unique to SC or everywhere.

Credit cards give cash back almost the same or even better than if by paying cash. The aversion to using them over cash is unfounded in the overall scheme of things as the benefits outweigh the minor risks.

I am looking for a prepaid card for a very specific purpose for a very specific window in time and has nothing to do with savings or cost. I already have regular cash back credit cards.

 

[4WD]

I have an Exxon reward card hooked up to Exxon Speedpass, love being able to turn on the pump from inside the car. The only problem that poses is that you have to find an Exxon station when you're ready to fill up.

That is handy on the iPhone - no shortage of Exxon here …

 

[JavierH19]

Most of the contactless chip readers around here don't work. Not sure if that is unique to SC or everywhere.


I am looking for a prepaid card for a very specific purpose for a very specific window in time and has nothing to do with savings or cost. I already have regular cash back credit cards.

I think good old cash will never fail. Scammers can still drain skimmed prepaid cards. You can also open a second checking account and have that card only have what's needed to pass the hold which is $150 or 175 i think and lock the card in the app until you need to use it again. I've gotten an alert when trying to spend online when i left my card locked, So you'd know if you were getting charged. But the charge won't go through.

 

[Shel_B]

I am looking for a prepaid card for a very specific purpose for a very specific window in time and has nothing to do with savings or cost. I already have regular cash back credit cards.

That would have been good info to share as you'd probably get better responses.

 

[y_p_w]

That is handy on the iPhone - no shortage of Exxon here …

It's really weird though sometimes. For about a couple of decades there were no Exxon (or Mobil) stations around my area. I certainly used Mobil 1 but that was about all I knew about XOM still existing until maybe 2016 when they started coming back or my occasional visits to Tahoe or Southern California.

Heck - I used to have BP Visa card. Once I didn't cash in my credits and then involuntarily received my gas credit in the form of a $20 card, but only after their gas stations were gone in my area. I just gave it as a gift to a relative in Southern California.

 

[SC Maintenance]

That would have been good info to share as you'd probably get better responses.

maybe I should have been more specific:

Years ago I went on a trip across 9 states, and I didn't want to use a credit card at every stop mainly for security or the card getting skimmed or shut down - whatever. That trip I used cash for gas, but that's a pain - you have to go in first, then go back to get your change.

I am looking to do a similar trip like this again, so this card is mostly for a multi state road trip, so I can minimize my cc use for security.

 

[Jimmy9190]

I buy gas gift cards at the grocery store. It's Publix here in Florida. They sell cards for all the popular stations, WaWa, Shell, Racetrac, BP, Chevron, Marathon, they are all there on the end cap rack, sold in $25.00 and $50.00 denominations. I buy the cards with cash in the store and use those instead of a credit card at the pump. It may not be a 100% fool-proof/scammer proof way to do it but it seems a lot more secure to me. Publix sometimes also runs a coupon for $10.00 off a $50.00 gas card when you make at least a $50.00 grocery purchase.

I also have a low limit credit card I use when I don't have a gift card on hand. If a scammer gets that one, they won't get much off it. I never use my debit card at the pump. I hear Wawa has an app you can get where you link your credit card on the app and use your phone to activate the pump and pay through the stored card. I have not tried that and probably never will. I think the gas station gift cards are still a more secure way and a lot less trouble to use.

 

[y_p_w]

I buy gas gift cards at the grocery store. It's Publix here in Florida. They sell cards for all the popular stations, WaWa, Shell, Racetrac, BP, Chevron, Marathon, they are all there on the end cap rack, sold in $25.00 and $50.00 denominations. I buy the cards with cash in the store and use those instead of a credit card at the pump. It may not be a 100% fool-proof/scammer proof way to do it but it seems a lot more secure to me. Publix sometimes also runs a coupon for $10.00 off a $50.00 gas card when you make at least a $50.00 grocery purchase.

I also have a low limit credit card I use when I don't have a gift card on hand. If a scammer gets that one, they won't get much off it. I never use my debit card at the pump. I hear Wawa has an app you can get where you link your credit card on the app and use your phone to activate the pump and pay through the stored card. I have not tried that and probably never will. I think the gas station gift cards are still a more secure way and a lot less trouble to use.

One possibility is maybe getting a Costco Cash card, which I've used at Costco gas stations directly. I remember my Costco membership lapsed for a while and I got a friend to buy me one to primarily use for buying gas.

 

[andrew_j]

I used a debit card from a checking account from my bank used for travel by me with very little/enough money in it. I can easily add money however if someone steals it I don’t freak out either .

 

[eljefino]

On this road trip, how are you paying for hotels? They will want a credit card.

The credit card company likes seeing repeating patterns. If you're booking hotels on a route but not buying gas on that route, they might shut you down as fraud prevention.

The reasons I imagine someone would do this are

-- a kid is coming home from college, but isn't trusted with a full line of credit, just enough for gas to get home.

-- a dude is cheating on his wife, running drugs, etc

Turning cash into a prepaid card with all the protections of cash, but less useability, doesn't make sense to me.

 

[researcher]

maybe I should have been more specific:


I am looking to do a similar trip like this again, so this card is mostly for a multi state road trip, so I can minimize my cc use for security.

yes most of your pre-paid gift cards will work at the pump.. Only once in awhile they don't and you have to go in and pay inside (with the card).. I think that one was because the reader was faulty on the pump. Just remember to select "debit" not credit when it asks.. gift cards are debit cards.