With gas prices out of control these days, choosing between groceries and filling one’s tank is a difficult decision many Americans face. For Reddit user Draconianprophecy, that almost seemed to be the case when they tried to buy $12 worth of gas. In their post on r/povertyfinance, they stopped at a gas station for a quick fill-up before grocery shopping. However, they had an unpleasant surprise when their card was declined at the cash register.
Even though they knew they had enough, their card had been frozen. “Checked my banking app and the gas station had a $100 pending charge,” Draconianprophecy recalled. Fortunately, it wasn’t some secret fee or accidental charge from the gas pump. It was a temporary authorization hold that would eventually clear after a few days.
OP Had to Leave Their Groceries Behind Because of the Temporary Authorization Hold
Unfortunately, Draconianprophecy did not have “a few days” to wait for their groceries and had to leave everything at the register that day. “The charge disappeared two days later, but it’s ridiculous that buying $12 of gas can temporarily leave you without access to $100,” they sighed in disbelief. They concluded their post, vowing to never pay at the pump again.
While some in the comments were shocked, many or less knew how this can happen at gas stations. “That’s why I don’t use my debit card anywhere but the atm. I’ll let those authorization charges sit on a credit card,” remarked a commenter. “This is the kind of thing many of us don’t find out until it hits us!” exclaimed another user, who shared a story of how temporary authorization holds messed with their purchases when they were younger.
For anyone confused, the reason a gas pump would authorize a hold of $100+ in advance is to prevent fraud, as it can’t predict how much gas someone is going to get. The actual temporary hold amount will vary by gas station, but the concept is in place to ensure people have enough to pay in advance for what they are taking from the pump. “That’s why I always prepay in the store,” expressed a Redditor.
In the end, Draconianprophecy should have gotten their money back. Still, not being able to buy groceries because of a gas station quirk they didn’t know about definitely left a sour memory that’ll last.
