but I want to fill it up

[Roland]

I work as an assistant manager at a convenience store. One thing I notice is that every shift I work at least one person will come in asking to fill it up. Now for those of you who haven't worked in a convenience store there are 2 ways to pay for gas now prepay inside or pay at the pump with a debit or credit card. The days of simply turning on the pump and trusting the customer to come in and pay are pretty much over with at least in my area. Drive offs became too common thanks to gas prices so not that many places do it where I live. It never fails though. Some old guy will inevitably get pissed about having to prepay usually accompanied by the well I do it everywhere else line. Not around here you don't.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Some old guy will inevitably get pissed about having to prepay usually accompanied by the well I do it everywhere else line. Not around here you don't.

"Well, I do it everywhere else!"
"Welcome to [here]. We're not everywhere else."

[Minflick]

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area - I think it's 20+ years since we got Pre Pay ONLY around here, even in the out of the way stations.

[Kittish]

Yea, I can't remember the last time I saw a pay after you pump gas station, anywhere in the U.S. It's been at least 10 years, likely closer to 15. Even in the dinky little town I live in now, even the mom and pop stations are all prepay/card at the pump setups.

[Aragarthiel]

I know of some places that will let you pay afterwards if you have the corresponding rewards card to scan first. But of course, having the rewards card means that they have your information on record, so if you DO skip out, you're SOL.

[otter]

Back home in MN last month for my mom's wedding, I had to explain pre-pay and how it works to my little sister and her friend. Its just not common there at all. Here on the east coast, however... So there are still some holdouts

[EvilEmpryss]

I've seen some places where the signs on the pump still say you can push the button to get the attendant to turn the pump on and then pay after, but I've never actually tested that one. If I'm going to fill up, I go inside and drop $50 to cover it (Jeeps have big tanks and gas is expensive ) then go back in for the change when I'm done.

The fact that I get groused at sometimes by cashiers who want to know why I didn't figure my gas needs closer to the dollar is a complaint for another site.

[BrenDAnn]

C-Store chain which I work in lets you pay afterward, prepay or use your credit/debit/ gift card. I wish we'd convert over, but alas, corporate is too piss in their pants afraid of offending customers!

[Catwoman2965]

I live in NJ so I only have to pump my own when traveling, but as I'm lazy, and usually in a hurry, i use my cc at the pump. Swipe it, put in any relevant info, and boom, I fill my tank, and get charged whatever it costs.

[earl colby pottinger]

No pre-pay

Here in Ontario, Canada I never have to pre-pay for my gas, but the moment I cross the border I know I have to pre-pay first if I want gas.

The last trip to Florida (just last week) the only question I had for the gas attendants is if they would take $100 bills since that is what the Canadian banks gave me.

And when they refused I used all the small bills I had then drove to the next gas station that would break the large bills. No fuss, be polite and had no problems.




However!!!!

We now have a lot of pressure to change over to pre-paid at the pumps.

WHY???

Because we just had our second fatality from pump-and-run when the station attendant tried to stop the thief from leaving without paying.

They killed someone just so they did not have to pay for a tank of gas!

Bring on the pre-pay.

[bbbr]

Got gas in Millincoket ,Maine 2 years ago and the cashier refused to let me prepay as their system wasn't capable. Threw me for a loop as it never crossed my mind to read the pump (15 years of pre-paying will do that to ya...) before walking in to pay.

[Roland]

I had a Canadian customer who was on a road trip. She was puzzled by the prepay. So now I know why. As for the large bills taking those is frequently dependent on how much change is in the safe. There are only so many rolls of twenties available and the safe doesn't get topped off until maybe 10 in the morning. Plus the cash levels we have to keep in the drawers are quite low. 50-85 depending on the time of day.
On the other hand some cashiers are like the soup Nazi when it comes to large bills too. I break them whenever I can unless I have to work a 3rd. Then Mr I want to buy one pack of cigs at 3:00 am with a hundred can forget it.

[Jetfire]

Prepay usually doesn't catch me or my family off guard; we're pretty much used to it.

What can catch us is how much to guestimate for the prepay.

A few years back, we rented a car in Vegas, and on the first fill up, we had to prepay. Mom went in, gave some money and topped the tank off. When she went back to get her change, the cashier asked if she was Canadian, because of how much mom had thought it would cost to fill the tank (and thus had left with the Cashier. )

[carryonnow]

"uhyeah....I am on the diesel pump and I want to fill it up."
<thrusts dirty grubby card in my face>
"but I wanna give you cash after I fill my tanks..."

"Sir, I can't turn the dispenser on, I need an amount to put on the dispenser."
"WHATTHE(BLEEEP) ARE YOU SERIOUS???"

"yes sir, I am serious..."
"Just turn the pump on...hold my card...and I will come back to pay cash..."
"Why not just break out the Benjamins NOW and stop yelling at me?"

[blondescales]

My only problem with prepay is the places that are too lazy/cheap to put signs on the pump telling you that you have to prepay.