Self Service Caution

[Robert Eilers]

Several years ago, I flew my Champ to Oshkosh. Along the way I fueled up at a little airfield in North Dakota using a self service pump - the kind the use your credit card to operate. After returning home from the trip I received an incredible fuel bill charged to my Visa at that same airport. I was able to correct the billing error with the card company. At the time I thought it was some sort of fluke.

Today, our accountant brought me a fuel receipt for the Sheriff's aircraft. The receipt reflected the Sheriff's aircraft N-Number and the correct gallons used on that date - but, was charged to some stranger's credit card - no our credit card.

After asking some questions among other pilots - it appears that if the fuel transaction is not competed at the pump, i.e., turn pump off and collect receipt - it is possible that the next user of the pump may have their fuel charged to your card.

I am not sure why this occurs, but I am now convinced that it does occur.

[GAHorn]

Thanks for posting this caution, Robert. I've experienced outlandish fuel charges after using a self-serve pump myself (and I believe I did close out the pump.) It took several billing cycles and some strong language before things were straightened out. (Hillsboro TX where the next fly in is being held....but it was almost 10 years ago when the event occured.)

[Metal Master]

I have found that using some of the self service pumps in our area we are given the choice of selecting fuel dispensed in a maximum Dollar amount, an amount up to a set number of Gallons or Fill up. I think that’s it any way. When selecting Fill up the charging system uses a preset dollar amount up to some several $100 dollars and holds that amount from your checking account until the actual billing comes through. The actual fuel dispensed and dollar amount may be considerably less than the amount of Dollars held for the billing by the bank.
I have found this out when my bank account was slim and suddenly could not make purchases because the fuel bill being held from my account at the previous fill up was greater than I anticipated until the actual billing came through. This happened while on a trip with the airplane and at my second stop I could not dispense fuel because funds were not available as the amount being held by the bank waiting for the actual billing to come through exceeded the funds I had available.

Thanks to on line banking and cell phones I was able to transfer funds from another account and continue my trip. Now I carry several types of bank cards. Because I found some bank cards will not be accepted by certain machines.

As a result I try to estimate the actual gallons I need, calculate the cost per gallon and select the appropriate maximum dollar amount.

I have also found this to be true at some automotive filling stations as well where I have spent say $35 and the bank holds $150 from the account until the actual billing comes through. It is the bank that the machine uses that holds the funds from the account. Not my Credit union. In this case I choose not to use those filling stations unless I am in an emergency fuel state in my vehicle. I do not usually have that choice at the self service fuel pumps while on a trip with the plane.