Credit card fuel purchases

[NJMac]

I'm at KCTJ with 13 gals of gas wanting to head home. At the pump and my card is declined. Called customer support and they said I'm outside my normal purchase window and asked if I was traveling. I repeated to her I own a plane, that's kinda the point of a plane. 17 mins into a hold and they still won't let me buy gas.

 

How do you all work around this fraud prevention measures? I'm a millennial (barely) and I just NEVER carry cash. Maybe I need to.

 

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[kpaul]

Some banks allow you to turn off travel restrictions on your card.  I had to do that with USAA.  I initially had that problem when traveling in my motorhome, by the third day of a trip my card would get declined.  

[toto]

I know nothing about CC fraud protection measures, but I also never ever ever carry cash, and I'm completely at the mercy of a self serve credit card reader. 

I've never had a decline at a functioning self serve pump, but I've had a few broken pumps that required phone calls and FBO gymnastics to get sorted.

I suspect that a pattern of purchases at self serve pumps close to home would help your odds when you use one on the road. A lot of these purchases ring up with very similar vendor names (Phillips Aviation or Exxon Aviation or whatever).

[donkaye]

32 minutes ago, NJMac said:

 

I'm at KCTJ with 13 gals of gas wanting to head home. At the pump and my card is declined. Called customer support and they said I'm outside my normal purchase window and asked if I was traveling. I repeated to her I own a plane, that's kinda the point of a plane. 17 mins into a hold and they still won't let me buy gas.

 

How do you all work around this fraud prevention measures? I'm a millennial (barely) and I just NEVER carry cash. Maybe I need to.

 

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

 

 

I've had the issue a couple of times with my Capital One Card (2% cash back).  Even after I've called them to straighten things out, I've had the card declined.  Solution: carry another less used credit card (not usually used due to less cash rebate).  That has never failed to work.

[PT20J]

6 minutes ago, donkaye said:

I've had the issue a couple of time with my Capital One Card (2% cash back).  Even after I've called them to straighten things out, I've had the card declined.  Solution: carry another less used credit card (not usually used due to less cash rebate).  That has never failed to work.

That's what I do. It can even improve your credit score since the more credit you have approved -- and don't use -- the better your score (up to a point).

[RLCarter]

another "gotcha" is I use to just enter a "Dollar" amount (I was using a debit card), When I put in say $500.00, that is what is authorized until the credit cards are batched, do that twice and your over your daily limit unless you have it raised

[kortopates]

A second credit card has been my solution as well; and critical too if you ever get the opportunity to fly your Mooney internationally (but you'll also have to carry cash, which I never do in the US).

[kmyfm20s]

Amex or Schwab debit card always work.

[NJMac]

another "gotcha" is I use to just enter a "Dollar" amount (I was using a debit card), When I put in say $500.00, that is what is authorized until the credit cards are batched, do that twice and your over your daily limit unless you have it raised

I think that was part of the issue. The pre-approval was going to the card co for almost $400 and it only took $150.

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[NJMac]

Amex or Schwab debit card always work.

Debit cards got me in trouble in college not recoding all my transactions. Now we linked all our cards to our checking to autopay the balance each month. We also get 2% on this card and usually rack up about 20k a year in cash rebates between our personal and business cards.

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[NJMac]

Is there any value to my less frequent card being one of the aviation specific fuel cards?

 

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[carusoam]

When traveling heavily... As a CB...

You never know what is going to mame or kill your credit card...

It won’t matter if the card gets damaged, or just lost, mostly left behind... at the last shop... 500 miles away...

Expect the following... Any card with a high reward value, has an increased chance of not being accepted... especially when making large purchase of small margin purchases... the rebate will be too close in size to the profit... the shop owners know this and can explain...

My solution was to have multiples, ready to use... all free, until you miss a payment... then the evils show.

• credit cards on different networks...
• debit cards from different banks...
• MasterCard
• Visa
• Amex (corporate card, cost money)
• Discover
• enable Apple Pay, chase pay, other electronic cellphone pay system...

One or two will be your favorites, the others just age or get minimal use... once per year is usually good... the non-favorites aren’t going to do any point collecting, they just need to work!

It really helps to have a relationship with your bank...  available in various ways so even millennials are comfortable...

The relationship has a different 800 number... but off hours, you have the same conversation with the same people as everyone else...

Know that they want to help you, spend your money, on their system...

Getting to the bottom of this challenge has to be easy... you are on the same team.

By now... you should have your cell phone number attached to every finance card you have... any question about your identity, they call your cell phone, you answer, agree it’s your charge...

Expect this to happen quickly and often, with predictable results... the Cloud has enabled fin tech to be able to check things in real time...

Next thing you know you are conveniently eating at McDs in Bar Harbor!   

No, no, no... never auto-pay anything... electronic bill pay is so easy... click, send... There will be a day that there accidentally won’t be enough dough in the account... the same day you pay a months worth of bills... how many $50 charges will occur that day?

Plan for uncertainty in the finance world... you will be alive long enough to see a few times where Cash will be king, and once in your life when cash might not buy anything.... (2008 sucked, but wasn’t THIS terrible)

 

millenials may be challenged when their cell runs runs out of power... get a spare battery for that...  this really doesn’t work in many places as cell service can be non-existent in many places...

Notes regarding free cards... they have due dates shortly after you receive the bill in the mail. They have huge fees waiting for you to make a mistake paying them... Back in the day... Mom and dad had a bill paying day at the end of the month...  that is less likely to happen today...

To really enjoy this advice... know that I have two millennials in my house... at any one time... 

PP thoughts only, not a finance expert... if I had extra dough, it would be in an avionics account somewhere...

Best regards,

-a-

[RLCarter]

22 minutes ago, NJMac said:

I think that was part of the issue. The pre-approval was going to the card co for almost $400 and it only took $150.

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I found out be loosing my receipt and looking online for the amount, showed 400 as debit memo so I knew immediately how it worked. A few days later when I checked it was gone, I mean completely gone. I gave it a few more days but nothing, flew back over to the airport and talked to the manager, she had a record of the sale but no idea who it was or any card info, big glitch somewhere. She gave me a huge discount ($50.00 total for over 25 gal) for being honest and going back to see what was up. It's only 18nm from my base so I buy fuel there a lot, plus they are cheaper on fuel

[jkarch]

I tend to travel with redundant cards, just in case I get stuck somewhere or get too many declines while trying to fill.  My card also has an app which allows me to turn on travel mode on my phone.  It may have happened to me once or twice, so I now double down.  Find some guy on the field and paypal him for gas, that's probably your best bet now.  -J

[larryb]

Like others, I have several credit cards with plenty of limit to choose from. The other thing my wife and I do is carry a dis-similar collections of cards. We have the main card we both carry, and other cards the other does not carry. That way if a wallet is lost and cards must be cancelled we have non-compromised cards with us. I also carry a pack of checks (remember those?) in my flight bag.

Larry

[BDPetersen]

Recently I had a card decline that was apparently generated by inserting my card in the reader backwards ( I was at optometrist and eyes were dilated). Getting my card reactivated involved getting photos of my drivers license transmitted to the card company (like transmitting a check, front and back). Frustrating. Cash in billfold hurts my back. Writing checks makes my hand hurt.

[Greg Ellis]

I second those that say carry a second card.  American Express saved me from being stuck away from home at midnight with no one around.  MC declined....Discover declined....AMEX no problem.

One thing that I do is with my AA advantage MC, I can tell them all the states and or cities I will be in when I am traveling.  So if I know my flight plan and where I will be stopping for fuel (just the State) I will tell them online before my trip.  I no longer have anything declined.  Funny thing....they always put a fraud alert on my Sporty’s purchases.

 

[TonyK]

AMEX.  No points but it has never left me high and dry.  My primary card has left me hanging at the self serve kiosks several times.

[Skates97]

Just now, Greg Ellis said:

I second those that say carry a second card.  American Express saved me from being stuck away from home at midnight with no one around.  MC declined....Discover declined....AMEX no problem.

One thing that I do is with my AA advantage MC, I can tell them all the states and or cities I will be in when I am traveling.  So if I know my flight plan and where I will be stopping for fuel (just the State) I will tell them online before my trip.  I no longer have anything declined.  Funny thing....they always put a fraud alert on my Sporty’s purchases.

 

When I was based at Corona (KAJO) I got a fraud alert every time I bought fuel with my Citi Visa. Every, single, time. Responding to the text alert always cleared it up but it was a pain. I called Citi questioned why I would get a fraud alert when I had made similar purchases at the same location many times yet I could fuel at a different airport 500 miles away and get no fraud alert. Their answer was KAJO was in a high crime/fraud area... 

Like others I always have multiple cards, Amex, Visa, and a couple different Master Cards. If none of them work I have bigger problems. 

[ArtVandelay]

I assume they have your cell phone, I’ve gotten texts (or maybe emails, I forget now) from discover asking if a recent charge is valid, but they already let it go through. I would talk to them, see if they have better options than just invalidating charges.


Tom

[EricJ]

1 hour ago, BDPetersen said:

Recently I had a card decline that was apparently generated by inserting my card in the reader backwards ( I was at optometrist and eyes were dilated). 

Were you going flying or coming back from flying? 

 

[NJMac]

I assume they have your cell phone, I’ve gotten texts (or maybe emails, I forget now) from discover asking if a recent charge is valid, but they already let it go through. I would talk to them, see if they have better options than just invalidating charges.


Tom

They called my cell immediately from an IVR system but they wanted me to approve the last 5 purchases, one of them being my fuel but there was another in the last 5 for a hotel and we NEVER stay at a hotel. Probably relates to Airbnb for our Sedona trip but I didn't want the liability so I said no, had to approve or deny the whole 5 until batch and I'm guessing that was part of the problem.

I was just coming back from taking my father in law on a flight over his home and he offered to fill us up. At first I said no but 20 mins later he won.

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[GeeBee]

As a world traveler I will put in a shameless plug for the Delta Skymiles AMEX card. Besides miles and your first bag free, you cannot beat AMEX's use of "big data" to track you and keep you out of "fraud purgatory.  I have had AMEX call me and say someone was using my card but they saw (somehow) I was flying N5ZU and to go ahead and use my compromised card until I got home and they would track me and shut off everything else outside of my travels. 

A while back in the middle of vacation I got a call from AMEX while in LAX. They said they stopped some funny business in New Jersey with my card. I told them I was about to jump off for Australia the next day what can be done. The agent said, "Oh yes I see you are staying at the Marriott Circular Quay in Sydney, is that correct? I said, "Yes" and he said, "No problem, we will have a card delivered to you there". I arrived bleary eyed at the Marriott and the desk said, "Oh yes AMEX called and said check you in under your old card and they would be here shortly with your new, they asked to be notified of your arrival is that OK?". I barely had set the bags down in my room when there was a knock on the door. It was Jason from AMEX.....with my new cards.

You just cannot beat that kind of service. 

Now VISA. I rarely use it, but sometimes they only take VISA or MC. So before I leave for London I tell VISA I will be in London. I go to use it and blam! Declined. I call VISA. They said, "Well you are well outside of your normal range. I said, "Really? What bank issued my Visa card." Agent says, "Delta Air Lines Employees Credit Union". I said, "Do you suppose Delta employees do a lot of international travel?" VISA, "Well I would not know" You cannot believe the fraud idiocy at VISA.

Point is this, when I flew corporate, when I traveled as an airline crew member, now that I am retired you cannot beat AMEX. If you don't have it, get it because if you travel they are the only card outfit that has your back. They have never let me down.

[BDPetersen]

34 minutes ago, EricJ said:

Were you going flying or coming back from flying?  

Neither, thankfully. But there are apparently a few pitfalls out there.

[Bravoman]

5 hours ago, NJMac said:

 

I'm at KCTJ with 13 gals of gas wanting to head home. At the pump and my card is declined. Called customer support and they said I'm outside my normal purchase window and asked if I was traveling. I repeated to her I own a plane, that's kinda the point of a plane. 17 mins into a hold and they still won't let me buy gas.

 

How do you all work around this fraud prevention measures? I'm a millennial (barely) and I just NEVER carry cash. Maybe I need to.

 

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

 

 

You are being declined because you are a millennial. If you were a Boomer, you would have no problem at the pumps!