THERE is a significant change incoming for road users who use Pay at Pump services administered by Visa. The new rule changes the pre-authorised amount from £1 to £100, regardless of how much fuel you wish to buy.
Previously, Pay at Pump services would pre-authorise an amount of £1 on a customer’s card when using a Pay at Pump service. Once the fuel had been purchased, the amount of money that covers the petrol bought would be debited from their account, usually the next day. Now though the pumps will be able to pre-authorise much larger amounts, with the maximum set by Visa sitting at £100.
The new process will mean that the full amount is pre-authorised, and once the petrol pump is hung up the exact amount will be debited, charging the customer for the exact amount of fuel they purchased.
Pay at Pump changes | What happens if I have less than £100 in my account?
If your account balance is low at the time you need to fill up – it happens to us all from time to time – you can still fill up. Firstly, the pump will notify you of the lower amount via the screen, and the pump will automatically cut off when that amount is reached or when you hang up the pump – whichever comes first.
The press release sent out by Visa also confirms that £100 is the maximum amount the pumps can pre-authorise, with some retailers likely to request smaller amounts. We’ve already read reports that Asda Pay at Pump services are pre-authorising £99 from today.
For more information on the new rules, head to: www.visa.co.uk
