View Full Version : gas stations
sammibabe
23-04-2008, 03:21
Are the gas stations still pay before you fill or is it the same as here, fill before you pay? We used Walmart last time and I asked the attendant and he looked at me like I had 2 heads![msnembarrased] Didn't seem to have a clue what I was talking about and I'm still not sure what we sjould be doing![msneek]
Normally pay before you fill, you dont have always have to go inside to pay though, some/most gas stations will accept your credit card at the pump.
Tetrarch
23-04-2008, 04:15
If you're using a UK resident then you can't pay at the pump as you can't enter the required zip-code.
I received a tip from a local. Buy a pre-paid credit card from Walgreens that you can then load cash onto (even from your regular
credit card)
I was told that this card can be registered with a US address and can then be used at the pump.
Tetrarch
JOHNNY BOY
23-04-2008, 09:57
you can usually either pay at the pump via credit card,.. sometimes we have found this dosen't work for whatever reasons at some stations, and then we just pre-pay the cashier for a set amount, around $50 and they set the pump to the required amount.
JR
Put some money on a Gift Card from Wal Mart and you get 3cents a gallon off at Wal Mart gas stations. You put the Gift Card in the slot on the pump just as you would a credit card and you 'work off' the amount. Having said that I find that Wal Mart is the one gas station that does allow UK crdit cards (Nationwide is fine) without zip code.
E. Cosgrove
23-04-2008, 10:38
If you pre pay inside but you don't know how much the tank is going to take, pay more than you need and they just give you the change. [msnsmile]
Pegasus928
23-04-2008, 12:49
I wonder how long before they adopt a similar approach in the UK to stop all the joyriders filling and running. The thing that confused me the most - and it doesn't normally take much on a good day - was the way that you have to do something strange with the pump. I know this sounds vague but it was a couple of years ago, and I do remember having to spend a good couple of minutes fiddling with the filling handle or something. Maybe someone can refresh my memory.
At least now I dont have to mess about as all the filling stations here have attendants, so you just turn up and pay, then add a bit for a tip - and believe me this is no big deal when it costs the equivalent of around 4GBP to fill up our Lancer from empty.
Kenny
Tetrarch
23-04-2008, 12:56
Hi Kenny,
I think you're referring to the fact that you sometimes have to lift the "holster" in which the pump sits in order to start the fuel flowing.
Tetrarch
Kenny I was at a petrol station 'oop north' last year and had to pay before I could fill as I was not a known local. They said they did it because of problems in the past with so many driving off without paying. They also had signs up saying camera record all number plates, so I suppose they also were able to spot which cars were stolen when the plates did not tie up with the DVLC computers!
You can just put a zip code in anyway- we use our UK CC but put our local zip code in - no problem ever - you will get the zip code on the literature from your villa owner, I am sure.
Mrs Brizzle
23-04-2008, 14:03
We always had to go inside to pre pay when we were there last month as we didn't have a zip code to pay at pump. It's a bit of a guessing game as to how much fuel you will need though so don't buy too much until you get used to the car. Also keep an eye of the price as it did vary a lot from gas station to gas station and changed almost daily.
mfairhurst
23-04-2008, 14:36
A lot of the gas stations like you to go in and pay before you fill up as I think they have had some ride away and not pay ,Not the UK people but locals or out of state .
We always pick up our coffee as well as it is exellent and very good value plus sometimes you get a doughnut or muffin included [msnsmile2]
MAUREEN
www.onlinefloridavillas.com/villas/1683.aspx
Susan J - there is no way the US zip code is going to tally with a UK credit card.
Southsider
23-04-2008, 15:36
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Clare R
Susan J - there is no way the US zip code is going to tally with a UK credit card.
[/quote]
We always use our UK Credit Card and just put in the villa zip code and never had a problem!
Tricia
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Clare R
Susan J - there is no way the US zip code is going to tally with a UK credit card.
[/quote]
Bizarrely this doesn't seem to matter [msnoo]. We pay our water charges by credit card each month and when I asked what we did about entering a UK address, I was told to use our US zip code. Sure enough it works! We have also done this at a gas station.
It certainly doesn't work in Englewood on the Gulf Coast when I have tried it.
I used my Virgin CC last summer and wasn't asked for a zip code.[msnscared]
CCollins
23-04-2008, 23:11
I use my Visa and put in the US Zip Code and it always works ok.
I just tried it out earlier this afternoon. My UK credit card doesn't work at the pump using any sort of zip code.
The gas stations I've used ask for a zip code when using a credit card and my US zip code usually doesn't work for either my UK or German credit cards. Using a debit card though (which I have from Suntrust) it just asks for your PIN...no problems whatsoever.
Mrs Brizzle, when paying inside by cash it's no problem. If you over-estimate you can just go back inside and ask for the difference to be refunded.
We have always found our Nationwide credit cards never work if the pump asks for a zip code.
We have always found our Nationwide credit cards never work if the pump asks for a zip code.
My point exactly right at the start of this thread.
I am pretty sure that there are only the odd station that asks for a zip code anyway. Most of them we have used have not asked for one.
Hi Kenny,
I was in florida in march and the pumps at the gas station we used had to have a lever pulled down once you had removed the fuel nozzle out of the holder to allow you to pump gas after prepay of course. The lever was located beneath the nozzle. Hope this helps.
The reason it asks for a zip code is simply to prevent fraud - otherwise it's too easy to fill up with a stolen card. It matches the code you enter with the one registered for that card. Some of the systems they use seem to be capable of recognising a non US card and don't ask for the code, others don't seem to be that clever so you have to prepay.
How it works using the code from a villa you're staying in temporarily is beyond me, I can only assume the system recognises it's not a US card and will accept any code in those circumstances, but I'm sure it shouldn't.
in n e polk county I think ALL are prepay now.
I paid $20 to fill up and did not need as much, got a refund back to my cr card with no problem