topping off, get money back?
 

when you pay cash, and you top off or decide to not pump anymore, how do you get the rest of the money back? do you just walk inside the station and ask for a the rest that you didn't use?

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

id assume...ive never bought gas with anything besides a card...because of that hasstle...

and really anyone can get a gas card nowadays...

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

That's exactly what you do. You have to go back inside to get your change.

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

I wonder what Captain Obvious would say. :)

https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...9ee9725e86.jpg

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

It seems weird and awkward, but that's how it's done.

1. Walk in, say "I'm going to fill up on pump 4" and hand over all your hard-earned moolah.

2. Walk out, pump.

3. Walk in, say "Change and receipt for pump 4, please"

4. They say "I'm sorry, was that the one with 23?"

5. You wonder: Does he mean 23 gallons, 23 dollars pumped, 23 dollars change, or a number ending in 23? How much was mine? Why can't these idiots use pump number at the end of the transaction like they do at the beginning?

6. "Uhh, sure."

I remember back when you pumped first, then you went in to pay...much better.

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

As someone who has worked in fuel stations, I can tell you that the system holds a history of the last few transactions for each pump, and won't always tell you which was the last pumped. I can remember when I worked at a busy 7-11 that someone would come in saying they were paying for fuel at pump 4, and I'd look down and show 2 transactions at pump 4 that haven't been paid for yet. Invariably I would have to ask "Which one?"

The fuel pump attendant consoles in the store seem overly complicated to me. It is easy to understand how someone who may not be technologically inclined to have difficulty with them. I of course read all the manuals and had no problems, but not all stores may have the manuals available (easily lost) or the persons running the equipment may be of limited cognitive ability. Managing a fuel station takes a fair amount of intelligence. I tried once to explain the difference between gross gallons and net gallons to a co-worker once, and completely lost them. :confused: I remember coming back from a week's vacation and having to redo the gas reports as somebody royally screwed them up, showing a shortage that didn't exist.

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

Hah! I wasn't expecting an answer, but I got one!

Knowing that, allow me to rephrase:
Why can't these idiotic systems use pump number?
:D

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

some of ours still do! The screen asks if you want to 1 Pay inside 2 Payoutside - debit 3 Pay outside - credit.

If you select pay inside (like getting gas AND beer) you press inside, (i generally start putting the nozzle in and select fuel grade) they come over the intercom: Pump ## your set to fill please pay inside when your done. THen pump resets, then starts flowing.

Go inside spend 10 min selecting a beer then say and pump ## or usually they ask if you pumped any fuel even if you didnt.:p

Alot of them say please pay inside first after this time yet they will still do it the normal way if you dont look suspicious haha

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

you're crazy if you don't pay at the pump w/ a cash back(reward) card...with so many out there now! btw, shell has teamed up w/ winn dixie to offer cash back bonuses. one of the prompts asks if you have a WD card. ok then...

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

When its busy, you usually don't have time to track everyone who pumped fuel, while you have a line at the counter and 20-30 customers in the store. When that happens, you just ask everyone at the register if they had a fuel purchase. I remember when I was relatively new at 7-11 I was pretty much handling the store single handed, and my manager was in the office laughing her arse off. When I had the store cleared out I asked her what was so funny. She said, "You looked that woman in the eye and asked her 'Do you have gas ma'am?' "

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

There's a station north of my location that offers a 5cent per gallon discount if you use cash. I had to fill my fiancee's car and was running late to pick her up, so I went in and handed them two $20's. I forgot about the discount, went in for my receipt/change, and hit the road. Later, I looked over the receipt. The attendant had intentionally handed me a "reprint" of some variety that omitted the number of gallons. I knew what the price per gallon was, but was in a hurry and depended on the receipt to tell me the gallons. Doing some quick math, it looks like the attendant did that to put the 5cents per gallon in his pocket.

Oh well, won't go there ever again. I can't confirm it really went down, just highly speculate it. I figure if that guy behind the counter is willing to risk his job/possible jail time for 5 cents per gallon from the few cash customers that still come in, he must have really needed it. In fact, he needed it far more than I did, and I'm a self employed musician!


On a different matter-
BTG, I don't get cards with special rewards for using them. It really just digs in harder to small merchants, as far as I'm concerned. Somebody pays somewhere for those rewards I get. It's almost always expressed as a percentage to the retailer. Maybe I'm wrong about it, but I just don't like the idea.

B

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

the stations dont make much off of gallons so saving a nickel isnt hurting them.

majority is the cost of crude its like 69% of the price, refining comes in 2nd, transportation and marketing (ya know delivery and your favorite TV commercials, billboards, magazine ads, etc) is 3rd. Taxes on it can come in 2nd or 3rd (depends on your state/city) and refining it is bottom barrel.

Stations mark it up very little usually anywhere from a penny to sometimes outrageous dime. (we all can pinpoint the stations doing that)

so your saving a nickle isnt going to hurt anyone but the oil companies. i think they can splurge a dollar.

rewards cards or "clubs" have been around for at least 20+ years...i remember my parents having the old cards when i was very young.

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

i'm with ya 100% vetteowner! i'm a capitalist at heart, so i fully understand owning and operating a business, but hey, they make most of their profit on amenities anyway. and i dont buy food, beverages, tobacco and the rest from them either.

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

yea thier 69 cent fountian sodas thier making AT LEAST 65 cent profit, thier 12 packs of soda or milk are marked up high (4 pack of AA batteries are $6 haha) beer is usually all the same as i think distributors/beer companies set those prices (much like video game stuff)

its all the other crap they sell that they get thier bucks from.

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

I believe benfrogg was referring to fees charged by the credit card companies to the merchants. The CCs get a bit of every transaction, so what little the gas station owner gets is even less, and possibly even lose money. It's why several stations have gone back to higher gas prices for credit transactions in the recent past.

Rewards cards might take a higher cut than a non reward one. A stand owner at the local farmer's market once told me he didn't take Discover because they charged the highest rates of the cards to merchants.

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

I'm pretty sure the rate is the same for all cards in a given network, eg all Mastercards have one rate, all Visas have one rate, all American Expresses have one rate, and all Discovers have one rate. I'm not 100% sure about that.

Re: topping off, get money back?
 

The absolute worst processing charges for merchants are from American Express.