Explain this tourist unfriendly policy....
 

In Florida most of the gas stations are self-serve, pay at the pump. However there is a growing trend of requiring the input of a zip code when payng by credit card. This doesn't work if you are a tourist, visiting from another country.
I have no idea if this is the trend thoughout all the states but in Florida... the tourist capital of the world... somebody's not thinking.

Uh .. sorry - but this is standard in NY, too.

Its for security reasons. There is something that you can do if you are not from the US. Google it. It may just be that you need to enter your country code. Not positive. It is spreading across the country so there will have to be something for International Codes to use. Or you just have to go to a cashier.

But what's the point?
Visa/MC will make good on any charges on foreign credit cards.
Neither the customer or the business is responsible for fraudulent use of credit cards...why would the gas companies cut off their noses?
Or is this just a sneaky way of carrying out market research?

We see this request for a zip code when we are traveling but not when we are using the same cards at home ... probably the card company is doing the checking to catch fraud, so what I'd do is call the card company before your trip and tell them you are traveling to Florida on certain dates and they'll OK the transaction without doing the check.

Bill

I live in FL and one of the three stations nearest me, a BP, requires the zip code be entered. The other two, Murphy and Hess, do not... I have also found this policy in other parts of the country.

Bill that seems logical. However it doesn't work.
In fact as we live in Florida for half the year, my Florida address is on record for my card but the machine rejects it as soon as it recognizes the card as a Canadian Visa.
So how do they want me to purchase gas? Line up. Surrender my Visa card to the cashier and leave it there while I pump the gas and then line up again...Not bloody likely.

We have experienced this in Florida and find it most annoying. As robjame says, with all the tourists in Florida you would think the gas pumps would accept foreign postal codes. If the pump will not accept our card, then the attendant inside asks that we leave our credit card with them while we fill our tank. Then they will process the charge manually. This is something that we do not feel comfortable doing unless I stay inside with the card while my husband refuels.

Hess is changing over as we speak. Shell is there already. Race Track and Raceway are changing.
It is interesting as I usually find my American friends and neighbors reluctant to give in quietly to random identification programs.

I'd suggest you write a letter of complaint to your credit card company.

Fra - I spoke to my cc company and they said they are powerless to control what is done by a retailer in another country.
The manager of the Hess station at Wesley Chapel said he has had all kinds of complaints as the zip codes are changing there as the area is so fast growing.
Me I am shopping at Citgo and Wallymart who still both welcome my credit card.

I think it would be much simpler if all Credit Cards transactions required a PIN#. Then there would not be a problem.

Although I live in Florida, I don't think I've ever encountered this buying gas in Florida. I guess they just don't do it at "my" stations. But I have run into it -- I'm thinking it was in California. And just today I charged some Christmas decorations at K-Mart and when I swiped my card I had to enter the zip code. I remarked "that's new" and the clerk said, "yes, it's a way to catch some stolen cards, but you'd be amazed how many people don't know what their zip code is and hold up the line while they search their purses". Too funny.

In my area you have to enter your zip code when buying gasoline with your credit card. I never thought about what visitors from other countries could do. Interesting.

Just like the credit card readers at French gasoline pumps won't take US credit cards (which lacks a smart chip). Same thing with Dutch train ticket machines, you just have to go inside and pay.

And people leave credit cards with the attendants for years before there are card readers at the pump.

rkkwwan Dutch train ticket machines don't accept any CCs not just foreign ones. They do accept ATM/Debit cards though.

Seems to me it would be easier to introduce the use of a PIN on creditcards, with or without a chip. There is no way I would leave my (chipped) credit card with a cashier while I am outside - that is exactly how creditcard fraud occurs - they can skim your card while you are not there and have a fake one on the street before you have finished filling up.

Are you sure they don't accept foreign credit cards?

On the New York subway, you can enter '00000' at the zip code request on the Metrocard machines, to get them to work with non-American cards. Common sense would say that if the NY city government can organise itself round visitors, BP and Shell, both London-headquartered, would at least organise themselves to let their companies' senior management buy petrol at their own stations.

Unfortunately, common sense also says they'd never organise themselves to train their petrol station staff to understand this.

But thanks for bringing this up. I'll remember to contact BP in Cleveland before I next try driving in the US.

This policy is in place in a few gas stations in the DC region. It is supposed to prevent someone with a stolen card from pumping gas.

If the station is attended in any way there is no reason for someone to have to go elsewhere if they have a foreign card.

As to leaving the card with the attendant inside.. people do it all the time or at least show it to the attendant so the pump can be activated.

In my opinion the request for zip code is strictly for marketing purposes. We see it more and more. Walmart, gas stations, etc. The first time I encountered this I was stumped. What to fill in with a European credit card. I punched in my mom's California zip code which has nothing to do with my European credit card and it is accepted every time. So my advice to foreign travellers is to type in 99999 or any easy 5 digits.

I found this article when I Googled. It implies that only certain cards are affected, and that for instance that Mastercard has forbidden this practice. No idea what Visa's policy is.

http://tinyurl.com/2k2qke

I've noticed that many pay at the pump stations here are asking for zip codes. I can't say I remember ever having to leave my card with the attendant before...they usually just swipe it for authorization.

hetismij, I clicked your link, but your comment was misleading. Mastercard has NOT forbidden the practice at non-attending credit card swipes -- like gas stations, for instance.

And people can say what they like -- the information may be used to help marketing research, for example -- but that is NOT why they do it. The practice is done to reduce credit card fraud -- pure and simple. Normally the zip must match the one on the card's registration or it won't work. Why it did for someone above is simply because of a glitch, or perhaps the machine wasn't functioning properly. But I was shocked when mine was refused one day punching in the zip, but I think I hit a wrong digit. Second time worked fine.

Neo - then why do they allow me to use my Visa in Starbucks, etc without signing it? If fraud were really a concern they would PIN all credit cards wouldn't they (like most of the rest of the world)?

Whether to accept a card without a zip code, signature or a PIN is up to the merchant. Many places don't require a signature for items under $5.00. They're taking the risk in that case that the item won't be paid by the credit card company.

Maybe it's turn-about fair play. I've heard that Visa cards require a PIN in Europe and that some US tourists are having problems using their Visa cards because they don't require a PIN here.

From OP:
"Neither the customer or the business is responsible for fraudulent use of credit cards...why would the gas companies cut off their noses?"

That's sort of ignoring the elephant in the room.
No one likes poking 5 extra digits into the machine. OMG... are y'all kidding? It takes all of 5 seconds.
If it keeps someone from using my card I am glad for it.
So what if I'm not responsible... or the station.
Do you honestly think that no one pays?
With the rampant theft out there, any little barrier helps.
As a matter of fact, I wish all vendors did this... or go to PIN numbers.
This is pretty common on web purchases. You have to match up the billing addresses.
And so what if they use the zip codes to study customer market segments. What the heck difference does it make? Woo-hoo... they have my zipcode.

well dm...the truth of the matter is actually

"April 11, 2006

Visa Waives Signature Requirement to Encourage Small-Ticket Credit Card Purchases
In an effort to make Visa credit card purchases "faster, secure and more convenient" for its cardholders--and make some serious money--Visa has introduced a two-prong strategy to drive a higher volume of small-ticket purchases on its cards. Included in the effort is a lifting of the requirement for signatures on credit card purchases of $25 or less."

Well tx, you missed the point ... reread the quote.

I live in Texas and I don't believe I have ever had to enter a zip code with a debit/credit card. Sorry, it sounds like a pain that they don't accept a foreign zip.

The bottom line is you can't fight city hall.
robjame we spend 6 months in Arizona and so far the zip code isn't required at the pumps we go to. As a matter of fact we fill up at Costco whenever we can with a Costco AMEX. However - in an effort to keep our life simple we opened accounts at the local bank and we use their debit/visa card. I know that this isn't what this post is all about but I find its just simpler to go along with the changes and act accordingly.

I figure they require the ZIP to protect me from misuse of my card. Thank you. I don't want to be ripped off.

If I didn't have a ZIP for some reason, I would present my card to the person on duty within the "convenience" store that usually accompanies gas pumps in the US.

A lot of this didn't make sense to me so I called Hess corporate and asked them. Interesting.
The reason indeed is fraud but not the type of fraud I had been imagining.
I thought it was to protect against someone who had stolen your credit card. As I had thought, they are covered for this sort of fraud and have no reason to worry about it. As the rep told me if someone has your credit card, thay probably have your wallet (purse) and know your zip.
The customer service rep told me that they have had a rash of people who dispute the charge, claiming that they had never bought gas there. These are "regular" people trying to get away with something. In this type of dispute, the business shoulders the loss. Gas companies are fighting back by saying if your zip is entered, and you haven't reported your cc lost or stolen, then it must have been you and they aren't refunding the disputes.
Isn't it amazing what "honest" people do for a buck (or thirty bucks)?

I like the idea.

Since I live in the US anybody using my card must know the Zip Code.

For those who don't live in the US it will accept any zip code.

At least that's what happened a few years ago when a relative of mine filled up their car. I told them to use my zip code when using their card and it worked.

Hopefully that still works. Protection when they can and not when they can't.

Good!!!

robjame, I'm really curious about what you said. So if someone gets a bill from the credit card company saying they bought gas, but they say they didn't, it's not an issue. But if the company says the person also doing it used the zip code, then it becomes an issue? Sorry. I just don't get the "why" of that. If the owner of the card didn't report it stolen how would he justify it being used at all -- with or without the zip code?

&quot;<i>But what's the point? Visa/MC will make good on any charges on foreign credit cards.
Neither the customer or the business is responsible for fraudulent use of credit cards...</i>&quot;

I assumed that the point was to make it so that Visa/MC would not have to &quot;make good&quot; on fraudulent charges. Money is going to come out of their corporate pocket if they have to do it.

Just my 2 cents worth...my co-workers husband lost his cc. By the time that he reported it lost, someone had tried to use it at two gas stations in Houston. Since they didn't know zip, it didn't go through.

I like it. . prevents fraud. . not really a big deal.

If it doesn't work, it states to go into the gas station attendant who can run the card and check the ID. NOT a big deal whatsoever.

It's not just tourist unfriendly, it's consumer unfriendly.

All the hype over &quot;stolen identity&quot; is just that, hype to sell more advertising at the dinner hour. If you pay attention to it, you would think that the mafia is about to steal your identity and use it to spend all your life's earnings in one night.

I remain unconvinced.

My bf, who does not live in the U.S., has been able to use his credit card when paying for gas by typing in other five digits as his zip code....so this practice is not really good at preventing anything.

Even if it is used to understand where customers come from, I don't care.
It's a zipcode.
Quite a few stores have the clerks ask for your zipcode so they can better target advertising... not specifically to you, to your area.
I am generally happy to help.
Once in a while I see some do*** in line who goes into some &quot;Why should I give you my zipcode speech&quot;... to the kid at the register.
Barf.
It's a zipcode.