When I use my debit card for either credit or debit at a gas pump, it shows up $1 on my account and holds the rest. I'm not sure how long, but I do know at least 2-3 days.

My credit union debit card will not allow me to use my card like that if it is low..not sure about my other card, I haven't let it get that low. One time I only wanted to get a couple dollars of gas to make it home from work and I had $10 in the account. It still wouldn't allow it. I really like that so then I won't go over.

When they started that game, which is utterly ridiculous, I stopped using my debit cards and used only my ccs there. Hotels do the same, which is why it's better to use your cc there, also.

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My dh and I have gone to using our Amex card for gas purchases, groceries, and hotels. We earn points plus we have a accurate accounting on expenditures every month.

Wow! I am shocked! I used a debit card for years and have never had this happen. I thought maybe it was because I bank with Wells Fargo but there was a rep from there in the article. About 3 months ago I started using my AMEX card also because of the points. Is this a new thing?

Does this seem to be more of an East Coast thing because I haven't seen it out here in Idaho, Montana, Washington, Oregon, or California (though I haven't been in California for some time). Knock on wood! The article was helpful but it really didn't explain how this loophole can be corrected other than pay inside with cash! With a three year old and an infant that really isn't going to happen for me. Very frustrating.

In this time of all of our modern abilities, surely the bank / gas station can pin point, by the end of the day, how much gas was actually purchased on our debit cards. Someone, somewhere is making a lot of money off of this at the consumer's expense - the true American way.

I've heard of this happening but have never experienced myself. I do notice a hold of $1 in my account after I get gas at a certain gas station, so maybe that's the hold my bank allows. I know I can't use my debit card if I have low funds though.

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This has never happened to me before, and I vary on how I use my card, credit or debit, just whatever I feel at the time. Never been charged anything. Weird.

My SIL want into major financial crisis over this exact thing! They did not realize that the bank (or gas station) held $90 from each time you would pump gas- they bounced their rent check over it (the place even held $90 for filling up 1 gas can!) and got into huge trouble over it (the landlord took them to court over writing bad checks and so on), BTW, they also had a credit union and not a bank. They would put it in as a debit card. I never went through this with our bank-thank goodness!

You all know that the same thing happens with holds on your debit accounts when you check into a hotel or renta a car as well.

This is not a new thing, I've been dealing with issues like this since 1998. I used to travel a LOT, thus checking into a new hotel every night, etc. Ran into this very issue because previous hotels had not released "held" funds from days prior. So even thou I had the money, I could not use it.

Make sure you read the terms and conditions on everything involving money.