Credit Card Limits At Gas Stations: Time To Raise the Roof?

Cost of fill-up: $72. Limit on transaction by credit card company: $50 Upsetting everyone else behind you while you re-swipe your card: Priceless.

It's understandable that credit card companies try to cover themselves when it comes to pay at the pump transactions. What better place to try out your freshly stolen or newly minted plastic then at some anonymous gas station where the worst that will likely happen is your transaction not getting approved?

However, times have changed. The once rarely seen $50 or $75 total at the pump is now an everyday occurrence. Personally I find it really annoying to have to go thru the whole credit card business twice just because the pump stopped at $50 and I need $72. It pisses off people waiting to fill up and the passengers in my car aren't much happier than the glowering hordes behind me. IT'S NOT MY FAULT, PEOPLE!!!

I do not believe that gasoline stations have to abide by the cap, but allowing consumers to pump above whatever Visa, MasterCard, etc. allow would then mean the station would be liable for that overage in the event of fraud. I think that credit card companies should raise the cap to $100. That should again make things invisible to most drivers and yet not cause too much damage to the bottom line.

The above photo is a nod to SNL's Kristen Wiig's "Target Lady" character. I always chuckle when she swipes a credit card, raises her fists and shouts "Approved!" I've tried this several times at my local Target store and no one has laughed yet. It's a pretty obscure credit card tie-in, so I thought I'd better explain it.