How to use Canadian Visa at U.S. gas pumps?

[Cam A]

Requires you to enter 5 digit zip code, 6 digit postal code not accepted. Any work-arounds?

[Rick Mooyman]

Is that something NEW? I have never had to enter a code in the US before. We go down a few times a year and just give the attendant the card and sign the paperwork and leave. Ask the attendant what to do or use the most famous US Postal Code 90210. That funny green stuff that people call CASH works too if you don't want a paper trail.

Originally Posted by Cam A

Requires you to enter 5 digit zip code, 6 digit postal code not accepted. Any work-arounds?

[Art VanDelay]

It is not at All Gas Stations.
I suggest that you go inside B-4 you pump and deal with the manager.

[Terry G]

Well, the option is to use you debit card and put in your PIN. A method that has been suggested online is to take your Canadian postal code (say K3L 2K8) and strip away the letters. That would give you 328. Add two zeros at the end (i.e. 32800) and it should work. Let us know.

[Michael Pupeza]

Many of the self serve gas stations in Florida require a 5 digit ZIP code, BUT WILL ACCEPT your numbers of your Postal Code followed by 2 zeros.
For example if you are K1M 2L7 you enter the numbers only, followed by 2 zeros - that is 12700.
Apparently other Credit Cards also work that way. I know that AMEX and TD Visa and BOM Mastercard work for me.
This is not a fudge, because I was advised by the TD bank in Merritt Island that this was the correct way to go.
Mike .....>

[Roy in TO]

We have found that when you encounter this situation you have to go in and prepay at the counter with your credit card. You will be guessing on what it takes to fill your tank converting to US$ and US gallons at the same time can be difficult at times. Small time operators may just hold onto your card until you finish filling.

If you estimate wrong and use less than you prepaid they will issue a credit. If you estimate less than a full tank they only dispense what you paid for. The latter is preferable because credit cards are not double dipping on exchange rates. You may also find that many US gas stations charge more for using a credit card. Using cash can save you some $$ on long trips.

Rick, the zip is not required when dealing with an attendant, you have paperwork and a signature.

Terry, that may not work. Most our cards are chip enabled now and require a PIN. The US system was not set up for that the last time I was down.

Cam, one more thing. Most cards now allow you to preregister your out of home area travel plans. You tell them online or by phone when and where you are going and that alters their fraudulent use warning flags. That is they are expecting charges to made on the road.

ON EDIT
Thanks Michael, I'll have to check that out with CIBC, it sure would make life a lot easier.

[Ian G.]

We have found so many inconsistencies on using Canadian Credit cards at US Gas stations. We finally just got a US Visa attached to a US bank account through our regular bank (TD). Have not had any troubles since we started using it 2 years ago

[ThomasE]

You can go in and tell the cashier you want to fill up and they'll hold your credit card. After you're done pumping, go inside again to complete the transaction.

[theresa p]

we go to the states, most frequently into maine, quite often. we do not wish to leave our credit card with any clerk. friends of ours had their card info stolen and many, many charges wracked up before they realized it....and the only place they'd used the card was at a gas station.
instead, if we cannot pay with cash, we will use the card at the pump and yes, the use of the numbers from our postal code plus 2 zeros works every time.

[Bob Miller]

That must be an agreed upon code for using the Canadian postal codes.

If I enter a zip code that does not correspond with the billing address for the card, it is rejected every time.

In over 50 years of handing credit cards to others to either fill my tank (OR & NJ) or while I fiil up, I have never had a problem.

Seems like everyone "Knows" someone that had their I.D. stolen, but, according to the FBI, the fact remains that most identity theft is still done by someone you know, usually a relative.

[Cam A]

Zeros it is, thanks for all the info.

[Carol H]

I have found the closer you are to the border to gas up the less likely you are to be asked to put in a US zip code. I have also been at gas stations that rejected just using the numbers and adding OO's - got the message that it was an invalid Postal Code which makes sense. I have also in the past couple of years had my chip card rejected at the pumps many times as the US seems to a bit behind Canadian banks in regards to the use of chips.

When faced with not being able to use my card directly at the pump I go to the major national type gas stations such as ESSO. Most are set up that if you give the attendant the card they will get a pre authorization on the card up to x so many dollars and give you the card back so they dont need to keep hold of it. Once you pump the gas the receipt for the actual amount pumped will be spit out at the pump itself. Have found the regional or discount type stations are often not able to process your purchase that way and will want to hold onto your card while you pump - which I will never let happen.

[Terry G]

Originally Posted by Cam A

Zeros it is, thanks for all the info.

Well, I'm glad that something works even if it seems kind of hit or miss. I'm wondering if this double zero thing is something that gas chains put in only when they think that there's a lot of Canadians present--like close to the border and in Florida.

[Glenn Baglo]

Filled up at the Husky/Mowhawk in North Vancouver today. Sticker on the pump tells customers with non-Canadian credit cards to pay inside prior to filling up. So, it works both ways ( or doesn't work ).

[theresa p]

By Karen Freifeld
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Thirteen people were indicted for swiping credit card and ATM information from gas pumps in Texas, Georgia and South Carolina, and using the data to steal more than $2 million using ATMS and banks in New York, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. announced on Tuesday.
Members of the alleged identity theft ring installed Bluetooth-enabled skimming devices at the pumps so the data could be retrieved without removing the devices, Vance said.
The case is the latest evidence of credit card skimming at gas stations. Similar scams have been reported across the United States, in states including Florida, Oklahoma and Utah.
In the New York case, the stolen data was encoded onto forged cards used to withdraw cash at ATMs in Manhattan, Vance said in a statement.
The cash was then deposited into bank accounts enabling others to withdraw the money from banks in California and Nevada, the statement said.
"These defendants are accusing of fueling the fastest growing crime in the country," Vance said in a statement.
Four of the defendants were first charged in March: Garegin Spartalyan, 40, Aram Martirosian, 34, and Davit Kudugulyan, 42, all of Las Vegas, and Hayk Dzhandzhapanyan, 40, of Whittier, California.
Two of the men were arrested inside ATM vestibules while withdrawing money from victims' checking accounts, authorities said.
Lawyers for the men declined comment or could not be reached for comment.
(Editing by Eric Walsh)

[Bob Miller]

Most of the time, just by observation a "Skimmer" can be spotted, avoided and reported to the local police (not the store, it may be an employees)

Google "What does a skimmer look like" and earn your own B.A. in Skimmerology

[Rick G]

Originally Posted by Cam A

Requires you to enter 5 digit zip code, 6 digit postal code not accepted. Any work-arounds?

last fall in Utah, Nevada, Montana and Arizona I simply put in a random 5 digit number, and had no troubles with the credit card being accepted at the pumps.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Most of the time, just by observation a "Skimmer" can be spotted, avoided and reported to the local police (not the store, it may be an employees

Not always easy to spot.

I have twice now had my card info used to remove the max allowable cash withdraw for one day out of the bank account tied to it. The good news in each case the bank replaced the stolen funds. :-)

How it was done is they switched out the hand held device in the store. Looks just like the one they replaced. Staff doesn't notice the difference and neither do the customers. But the one the bad guys put in has some kind of wi-fi or bluetooth device built into it that allows the bad guys to capture the card info and pin numbers used. Both times it has happened to me it happened at large chain stores and thousands of people lost funds as I did over the course of only a few days.

As I said the banks did put the funds back into my account but in one of the cases it was a bit of pain as I was traveling and I went to use my card to get some cash from a bank machine and it refused to give me any. The bank had locked up all my bank accounts as soon as they became aware of the problem. Was not able to get the accounts unlock until I returned home and signed off on the police report. Had to get by with only a credit card from a different bank for the balance of the trip.

The above is why you will often see that stores have some type of locking cable attached to their hand held card readers as well as stickers with their store name on the device.

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Rick G

last fall in Utah, Nevada, Montana and Arizona I simply put in a random 5 digit number, and had no troubles with the credit card being accepted at the pumps.

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That may be a forgiving feature built in by the banks when they see an out off country card.

If I enter an incorrect zip code or even miss my own billing address zip by 1 digit, it kicks it back. At one time I had two different billing address zips, what a pain.

[RogerDat]

Local bank found one of the skimmers had been installed on the ATM in the vestibule of the bank. Was even able to pick up the weak signal of the touch pad when the pin number was entered.

And this is not in a big city, actually it's a village out in the country a good ways yet was still targeted.

Call me old fashioned but I prefer cash, want to steal from me you should at least have to come see me in person so we can "chat" about it.