Driving in the USA - paying for fuel - Cash or card?
Discussion
I'm off to 'Murica for a couple of weeks part of the holiday involves driving from Charlotte down via Savanah to Clearwater, last time I drove in America was back in 2018 which was around Orlando and I paid cash for fuel, I remember seeing posts about ways to use a UK CC at the pump but can I find these topics now, can I buggery!
So what tips have you got for driving in America and how do you use a UK CC at the pump?
So what tips have you got for driving in America and how do you use a UK CC at the pump?
Martyn76 said:
I'm off to 'Murica for a couple of weeks part of the holiday involves driving from Charlotte down via Savanah to Clearwater, last time I drove in America was back in 2018 which was around Orlando and I paid cash for fuel, I remember seeing posts about ways to use a UK CC at the pump but can I find these topics now, can I buggery!
So what tips have you got for driving in America and how do you use a UK CC at the pump?
Depends. So what tips have you got for driving in America and how do you use a UK CC at the pump?
Some petrol stations still don't have chip and pin machines so they're cash or American cards only.
WRT entering a "ZIP" code at the pump... Do we not remember the 90s? Beverly Hills 90210. Also try 00000 as that sometimes works with foreign cards.
Otherwise you'll have to go in to the shop and pay.
Might be worth having $40 or so on you in case you get stuck out in the middle of nowhere and find you they won't accept your card.
The thing which peed me off when I was doing this last year (UK credit card, used 00000 as zip code) was when paying by card they want you to pay in advance. But I wanted to fill the tank and didn't know the exact amount it was going to be. So you have to pay them more than you estimate it'll take to fill up, and trust them to do a refund of the difference. Extremely boring.
CivicDuties said:
The thing which peed me off when I was doing this last year (UK credit card, used 00000 as zip code) was when paying by card they want you to pay in advance. But I wanted to fill the tank and didn't know the exact amount it was going to be. So you have to pay them more than you estimate it'll take to fill up, and trust them to do a refund of the difference. Extremely boring.
This did my head in last time I was in the US. Especially annoying at a busy gas station. captain_cynic said:
Martyn76 said:
I'm off to 'Murica for a couple of weeks part of the holiday involves driving from Charlotte down via Savanah to Clearwater, last time I drove in America was back in 2018 which was around Orlando and I paid cash for fuel, I remember seeing posts about ways to use a UK CC at the pump but can I find these topics now, can I buggery!
So what tips have you got for driving in America and how do you use a UK CC at the pump?
Depends. So what tips have you got for driving in America and how do you use a UK CC at the pump?
Some petrol stations still don't have chip and pin machines so they're cash or American cards only.
WRT entering a "ZIP" code at the pump... Do we not remember the 90s? Beverly Hills 90210. Also try 00000 as that sometimes works with foreign cards.
Otherwise you'll have to go in to the shop and pay.
Might be worth having $40 or so on you in case you get stuck out in the middle of nowhere and find you they won't accept your card.
Martyn76 said:
MrBig said:
I always try and make sure I've got a hundred bucks or so on me just in case, but I agree with the above, Zip code 90210 for the win. The irony being that I never even watched the show 
Yeah we will have cash for tips and bits n' bobs, so will have it as a back up.Most of the gas stations are pay at pump with card or pre-pay in store. If you pay at pump you need a ZIP code which is 5 numbers but your UK postcode only has 3. if you put the numbers in from yours followed by 00 it generally works. eg AB12 3CD would be 12300.
edited to add, if you only have 2 numbers then add 3 zeros.
edited to add, if you only have 2 numbers then add 3 zeros.
Edited by 4Q on Wednesday 26th June 11:56
Liamjrhodes said:
We went to Orlando last year and it worked the same as at home... fill the car up then go in the shop and pay with the card, no hassle.
It may be different in Orlando due to the number of tourist they get but would of thought in this day and age it shouldn't be difficult
Are you sure about that? I live in Orlando and I've never encountered a gas station anywhere in the US that allows you to pump gas before paying up-front with cash, or having your card authorized at the pump.It may be different in Orlando due to the number of tourist they get but would of thought in this day and age it shouldn't be difficult
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