It’s no surprise that gas prices are high right now, and it’s costing people a whole lot more to fill up their SUVs. Yet if you have a larger SUV or truck, it’s possible that you’re unable to fill it completely. Why? Some credit cards have preset limits on gas station purchases at $100. That means if you have a large gas tank, filling it completely might take some workarounds.
2022 Ford Expedition Platinum | Ford Motor Company
Why do gas pump shut off at $100?
Gas pumps shut off at $100 because of security measures on credit cards. If you pay with cash, you can avoid this. Still, that’s not a great option for people who prefer the convenience of cash or use a credit card for rewards or cashback.
KSBY reported on this and says that the cap on gas station purchases is “unique” because it’s one of the few transactions you make where the purchase price is set in advance. Since it’s unknown how much fuel you’ll buy – you could buy $1 or $80 – the credit card companies set a limit of $100 since that should cover most gas station purchases.
Some credit card companies are changing the rules
According to Bloomberg, credit card companies are aware of how the gas station limit is negatively impacting its customers. To remedy the situation, Visa and Mastercard are considering raising the limit on gas station purchases to $125. This would allow even owners of larger SUVs like the Ford Expedition Max or Chevy Suburban to fully fuel their vehicles.
In addition, Visa is going to “quadruple the maximum transaction amount that carries better interchange rates for purchases made with small-business and commercial cards.” The fraud-liability amount will be raised to $175, meaning it should be easier for gas stations to raise the limits on how much they’ll allow customers to pump at once from $100 to $125.
Mastercard is going even higher and allowing consumers to have a limit of up to $175. If you have a commercial credit card, the limit will be raised to $500.
How can you avoid gas station limits
One way to avoid gas station limits from your credit card – or, in other words, to be able to completely fill up your gas tank – is to run your card twice. This is obviously not the most convenient approach, especially if you just need to put a couple of gallons in. Yet for the average person who only needs to refuel occasionally, you may wish to do this just to avoid another trip to the gas station.
Of course, you could always choose to pay in cash. Again, this may not be the best option. If you use your credit card for gas rewards or other credit card rewards – like cash back – it may not be worth it. Another option is to check in with your credit cards to see if any of them have raised the limit to $125 – or to encourage them to do so.
Altogether, gas station limits mean that people are struggling to fully fill up their gas tanks – and that’s a headache for everyone. Until gas prices go down (if they go back down), moves like those from Visa and Mastercard should make it easier for people to fill up their tanks – and stop fewer times.
Keyword: This One Annoying Thing Might Keep You From Filling Up Your SUV