I don't know if you all are aware of the hold placed on your account if you use a debit card at the gas pump. $17 worth of gas cost me almost $100 in fees because my account was running low. The holds range from $50 to $100, and can last up to 72 hours. My credit union returned the fees, but only as a one-time courtesy. So just beware when you're paying for gas with a card linked to your checking account.

This article explains it pretty well, and the use of this practice is growing.
Hosed at the gas pump -- by your debit card - MSN Money

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Julie M.

If you use it as a CREDIT card, I don't think they do that.

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Yes, this has been going on for years...It is why I use my debit as a credit (It has to have the visa or MC logo on it) at the gas station. Hess is the one up the street from us and they put a $75 "hold" on the account if you use it as a debit. We use BJ's for most of our gas and even swiping it as a credit, it still 'holds' $1 until the actual charge hits (usually the next day).

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I never knew that, but we always use our debit card as a credit anyway because our bank charges .50 cents per debit. I am not sure if they still do but at this point its automatic to use as a credit!

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Have a bootiful Halloween!

Yes they can do that. I also had to pay a $32 fee on a $20 gas purchase. It happened 1 time and was I MAD! I called the bank and he told me that if you use the card as a credit, they automatically put a hold on the funds. I still don't get what he told me.

I DO know, that this was 1 particular gas station. I no longer purchase gas at this gas station. The other one I started going to, actually has it posted on the pump, that they do NOT hold funds for any reason. LOOK for that sign when you are at the pump.

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~Missy~Mommy
Meghan8.Samantha7,Cameron4

Unfortunately I WAS using my card as a credit card. They told me it doesn't matter any more. The only way to avoid it is to pump then pay inside (which of course defeats the whole pay-at-the-pump idea in the first place). It may just be that my gas station recently got on board with this program. The bank blamed Visa, Visa said it's the merchant, yada, yada. I just figure I got off lucky!

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Julie M.

Alot of our gas stations do this too. The bad thing is that we were told they can hold our funds for anywhere between 5 to 7 days!! I think that is crazy considering it doesnt take that long for the charge/debit to go through.

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SAHM to Elias 3/00, Camdyn 7/03 and Teagan 5/08

my recomendation would be find a financial institution who does not allow that large of a hold. i did. i always pay at the pump with my debit card i don't want to get 2 kids out of car seat and drag all 3 in to pay for gas(i won't leave them in the car). my financial institution will only hold $1.00 out of your acct for gas pump purchases the bank holds the rest so i never have that problem. when i used to use my credit union acct i always had 50 bucks held out and when there are two of you paying at the pump thats 100 bucks.

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'The will of God will never take you where the
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HAVE A BOOTIFUL HALLOWEEN

That has happened to me before. The gas station told me it was my bank and the bank told me it was the gas station. Somebody is responsible for it but nobody admits it, which is strange to me.

This happened to me too! Recently, I called over a questionalbe transaction and the bank told me that they always put a hold on funds that don't require a pin #. I called them on that right away, because there are VERY FEW transactions that we do that don't require a pin#. We always try to use the debit, as opposed to the credit. And the transaction in question I know for a fact was a debit, I was holding the reciept in my hand!

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~Missy~Mommy
Meghan8.Samantha7,Cameron4