A motorist who attended a self-service pump was alarmed to find £100 taken from his account.
Mark Fuller, from Plymouth, had filled his car up with £70 worth of fuel but was later shocked to find that a £100 pre-authorization amount had been withdrawn.
Mr Fuller filled up his vehicle at Sainsbury’s Marsh Mills last week but when he checked his online banking app the morning after he saw £100 had been withdrawn from his bank account.
It’s subject to new Visa and MasterCard requirements, meaning self-service pumps at Sainsbury’s and other supermarket forecourts will require a pre-authorization amount of £100 before starting the process.
This is a change from a £1 pre-authorisation that was taken from customers’ accounts to confirm their card was valid before topping up, reports Plymouth Live.
Mark wants to warn customers about the new pre-authorization charge for paying at the pump.
He said: “I usually get my fuel from Sainsbury’s and I usually pay at the pump to stop me going to the shop and it’s always been like you put your card in and they take £1 off your card , you fill up your fuel and then two or three days later the rest of the balance.
“The other night I went to get fuel as I normally do, got £70 worth of fuel and when I got up the next morning I checked my banking app and £100 was withdrawn so I called Sainsbury’s and they said so had nothing to do with them and it was up to the banks and now they will take £100 from your account and refund you the rest.
“It’s absolute madness. If someone goes in and pays £30 for fuel, they take out £100 and don’t get the rest for two or three days.
“I just want to bring this to people’s attention because I’m quite happy I had £100 in my account but if someone hasn’t and they try to pay at the pump they get overdrawn etc.
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What does Sainsbury say?
The supermarket’s website states: “Under new industry requirements mandated by Visa and MasterCard, self-service dispensers at Sainsbury’s Petrol Forecourts will require a pre-authorization amount of £100 before they start refueling; this is to ensure that customers have adequate coverage for the cost of fuel dispensed.
“When the transaction is complete, the Pay at Pump terminal sends a message to your bank with the actual transaction amount to be charged to the customer; the pre-authorization amount is returned to the customer’s account almost immediately.
“The introduction of this change means that the customer will see the actual value of the fuel spent in their bank account almost immediately.
“Previously, customers were charged a £1 pre-authorisation from their account to confirm their card was valid before they started to fill up. The exact cost of the fuel was then reflected in the customer’s account, typically a day or two after the transaction, which could make it difficult for customers to track available spending.”
As for the impact on customers, it said: “While the earmarked amount on a customer’s card should be released at the time the transaction is completed, this may not happen as quickly as the customer expects. Mobile banking apps and online banking can sometimes take some time to update and not provide the true real-time information.
“If you are concerned as a customer in these circumstances you should contact your issuing bank for advice as they are fully aware of the change and can advise you.”
When asked how Sainsbury’s can help, it said: “Sainsbury’s has no control over the process of securing customer funds in these transactions and therefore cannot assist directly.
“If customers see a pending transaction on a mobile banking app that is greater than the amount spent, they should call the number on the back of the card they were using and ask why the bank is holding their money.”
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