Major UK supermarkets have all changed how drivers pay for their fuel.
All Pay at Pump transactions were previously authorised by requesting a £1 transaction from your card issuer before taking payment for the value of the fuel one to three days later.
But new rules imposed by Visa and Mastercard last year, mean that the pre-authorisation has changed to £99 which means your bank may create a temporary hold of up to £99 while you fill up.
On completing the transaction, the actual amount is deducted immediately from your account and the pre-authorised amount is immediately cancelled.
While some supermarkets immediately rolled out this update, others including Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Morrisons have just started to trial the process, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Here is what's changed:
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's under 2021 requirements by Visa and MasterCard, will request a £100 pre-authorisation amount before starting the process.
The supermarket's website said: "Under new industry requirements mandated by Visa and MasterCard, self-service pumps at Sainsbury’s Petrol Forecourts will request a £100 pre-authorisation amount before starting the fuelling process; this is to ensure that customers have sufficient funds to cover the cost of fuel dispensed.
"When the transaction has completed, the Pay at Pump terminal will send a message to your bank with the actual transaction amount which will be charged to the customer; the pre-authorisation amount will be almost immediately released back to the customer’s account.
"The introduction of this change means that the customer will almost immediately see the actual value of fuel dispensed in their bank account.
"Previously, customers had a £1 pre-authorisation was taken from their account to confirm that their card was valid before they began to fill up.
"The exact cost of the fuel would then appear on the customer’s account typically one or two days after the transaction, which could make it difficult for customers to track available spend."
According to the Express, around 60 pay-at-pumps sites operate on this system.
Tesco
Tesco is currently trialling a £99 pre-authorisation payment.
The supermarket said: "We are currently trialling this change in selected locations. So you may find this payment change happens at one petrol station but not at another.
"If you have a problem with a payment, please contact your bank that issued the card, as this new payment rule is not under our control...
"There may be a small number of occasions where your card issuer doesn’t update your balance in real-time.
"We’ll only ever charge you for the value of the fuel you’ve purchased, but if you do have concerns, please talk to your bank for further details."
Asda
Asda is in the process of upgrading its forecourt rules to include a £99 hold payment.
The supermarket said: "On completing the transaction, the actual amount is deducted immediately from your account and the pre-authorised amount is immediately cancelled.
"The solution makes it easier for you to keep control of your finances when you pay for your petrol at the pump, however, if an issue does arise you should first contact the bank that issued your card."
Morrisons
In November 2021, Morrisons adopted the pre-authorisation charge.
Morrisons said: "Under new rules, implemented by Mastercard and Visa, we must now request authorisation from your card issuer for up to £100.
"Don't worry - once you’ve finished filling up, the final transaction amount is sent to your card issuer.
"We will only charge you for the value of the fuel you’ve actually purchased, the remainder of your pre-authorisation amount will be released without charge."
