How could this have happened?

Question

I'm kind of mad about something. Last night on the way home from work, my mom said we needed gas (we were in her car). We stopped, and I used a credit card...I think it was about $24 worth or something like that. I closed the transaction by hitting ''no' on the gas pump screen when prompted whether I wanted a receipt or not. Because I check stuff online and usually never get a receipt. Well, I checked the still-pending charge today (the next day)...and it says $65.00.

How could this have happened? My mom has a Ford Escort ZX2...it already had a quarter of a tank of gas or a little more, when we stopped for a fill-up. It holds about $45 max, I'd say. Definitely not $65.00 by any means, and my charge was not an 'even' number. It was something like $24.52.

I plan on calling my credit card company tomorrow and addressing this, to see if I can get the entire transaction or even just the part I didn't get voided off from my credit card. It's the only transaction on there...I just got the card several months ago. Could the workers at the store have charged me extra somehow, even after I closed the sale at the pump? I know that they have some admin control over the pumps, prices, etc. Suggestions/comments? I think I'm going to request a new card/account number for that particular credit card, just in case...when I call to try to get this transaction dealt with and reversed, if possible. It's a Bank of America American Express Accelerated Rewards credit card.

Answer 1

they more than likely didn't charge you more at the store level....usually only the store manager or owner has that kind of access to merchant accounts.....but check the actual price of the gas you bought.

some older pumps can't be reset to the higher prices now being charged, so depending on where you live and what the price of gas is there, the number on the pump may have only reflected half or a third of the total sales.

there are several stations here like that where the charge will read $10, but due to the inability of the older pump to register the above $4/gal price, the price shown is only $2/gal and you have to double the amount when you pay....although this should be clearly marked on the pump if that is the case.

and that's what you get for not getting and checking a receipt at the time.

next time get the receipt and check it for accuracy before you leave the store. it's the only prudent thing to do. you'd be surprised how often they aren't correct.

another possibility, especially with BOA and others that offer these types of cards is that they charged your annual fee or service charges or whatever fee it is they are charging now for use of the card during this billing cycle and i showed up in there as well.....a $24 charge for gas and the average $45 annual fee equals $69 so that's pretty close and a real possibility. always look at the fine print and find out what additional charges may be snuck in there on you.

Answer 2

I think that they automatically charge your card a set amount when you first swipe your card (I think it is up to $75). Then, within 5 days after the sale is complete, the actual amount is charged to your card, with the balance returned to you if it is less.

Answer 3

a lot of gas station hold the money for a lot higher (a freeze)

thats sound that what happen

I presume you paid at the pump?

Answer 4

http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/cle...

Check the third para under Origins...

Answer 5

It should balance out within 5 days to the correct amount

Answer 6

Asking for a receipt has another benefit. If you should fail to properly return the nozzle to close off the transaction, you can drive away with the pump ready to deliver to the next customer on your card. If you are waiting for a receipt you are far more likely to  call for it before you leave, and  will be told your nozzle is not returned to its holder.

However, with an exact dollar amount, I expect this is unlikely to be the next customer taking your gas.

Answer 7

When you purchase gas at the pump, the credit card company charges you a flat fee which they have preset.  You will not be able to purchase an amount higher than the selected preset amount.  When they get the exact amount that you actually purchased, the amount billed to you is corrected.

This is simply a way of protecting themselves and you.  If someone stole your credit card or cloned it and then used it to buy gas, they would not be able to purchase more than the amount that had been preset,