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Author Topic: Fuel stations... pay at pump  (Read 1074 times)

sevenlayermuddle

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Fuel stations... pay at pump
« on: October 31, 2020, 10:30:41 AM »

In the interests of additional voluntary social distancing... has anybody used the Pay at Pump phone Apps?

I tried once with Esso, but found myself uncertain as to whether it had worked.  So I had to go into the kiosk for assistance, defeating the object. :'(

The promotional description tends to suggest that you just authorise it on your phone, fill up, and drive off.  But I feel I need to see conclusive evidence that the transaction is closed, before driving off.   It would be ‘somewhat annoying’ if people  behind me succeeded in drawing extra fuel from my payment...
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broadstairs

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Re: Fuel stations... pay at pump
« Reply #1 on: October 31, 2020, 01:11:46 PM »

Well I have in the past used Pay at the Pump option on the pump itself with no issues, an option at our local Tesco and Sainsburys. I see no issues with that but I don't think I'd trust an app. The normal Pay at the Pump means I do have to put my card in and touch buttons but I wear nitrile gloves to handle that and the nozzle and it saves a mask by not going inside, plus I can get a receipt.

Also actually going in to the kiosk to pay, at least at our Tesco, is not really a problem as they leave the door open (weather permitting) and I can use my card and wave it over the machine to pay, the receipt comes out on the machine for me to pick up and the cashier is behind a screen. So distancing is not an issue if I do go in the kiosk.

Stuart
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Fuel stations... pay at pump
« Reply #2 on: October 31, 2020, 02:02:46 PM »

Thanks Stuart.  I’d happily use a physical payment terminal by the pump, but I don’t think the pumps at any of my nearby stations have them.   Maybe I’ve just never noticed.

I was probably a bit unlucky that last time as, in addition to my unplanned visit into the shop, I seemed to coincide with lunch time at the nearby school - the place was quite busy with kids queuing up to buy (I assume) sweets.  That said, they all behaved well, kept their distances.

Come to think of it, whilst I now need petrol, that was the only other time since March I actually refuelled.   Something of a reduction, vs my 20k+ miles pa, just a decade ago!
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broadstairs

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Re: Fuel stations... pay at pump
« Reply #3 on: October 31, 2020, 03:20:34 PM »

The pay at pump in Tesco is actually built into the pump, its not a separate terminal. I have attached a photo of the kind of pump we have.

I think I've only filled up 3 times this year!!!

Stuart
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Ronski

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Re: Fuel stations... pay at pump
« Reply #4 on: October 31, 2020, 03:47:23 PM »

Stuart that picture is so typical of Tesco's, so often various pumps at both our local Tesco's are out of order. I always fill up at Tesco's Extra (once a month usually) and use pay at pump, but last week I had to try at least 4 different pumps to get a receipt, and the final one I did manage to get a receipt from reported it was low on paper - wasn't easy finding a pump that wasn't in use either  :no:
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Fuel stations... pay at pump
« Reply #5 on: October 31, 2020, 03:48:54 PM »

It’s entirely possible some of the pump I use have such terminals, a browse using street view lacks sufficient clarity.

I’m a little bit fussy about the fuels I buy.  Not so much to make my car go faster, but I fill my cans for garden machinery at the same time, and 2 stroke engines don’t like too much ethanol, especially if not used regularly.  Ethanol can legally be added to petrol these days, and most do so, varying from 5% upwards.   Esso still publish an faq asserting that their super-duper-pay-more blend is ethanol free and, since using it, strimmer and leaf blower have been a great deal happier. 

At two fills a year, the extra cost is no great problem.
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Chunkers

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Re: Fuel stations... pay at pump
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2020, 10:07:08 PM »

I use the BP Me app, its great, you just select the pump and pay in the app, fill up and drive off.

Cool
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Fuel stations... pay at pump
« Reply #7 on: October 31, 2020, 10:45:49 PM »

I use the BP Me app, its great, you just select the pump and pay in the app, fill up and drive off.

Cool

Great to hear you use it!

But my real question was... before driving off,  what confirmation do you get that the transaction is complete, to exclude the possibility you will also be  charged for the next car in queue?

To put that in context I often do fill the car and then and then, after a minute or so’s preparation, from the same nozzle, I top up the cans for garden machinery.   That’s all recognised as  a single purchase when I pop in to pay, and not all that different to fuelling a second vehicle. :-\
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tubaman

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Re: Fuel stations... pay at pump
« Reply #8 on: November 01, 2020, 09:06:57 AM »

...

But my real question was... before driving off,  what confirmation do you get that the transaction is complete, to exclude the possibility you will also be  charged for the next car in queue?

To put that in context I often do fill the car and then and then, after a minute or so’s preparation, from the same nozzle, I top up the cans for garden machinery.   That’s all recognised as  a single purchase when I pop in to pay, and not all that different to fuelling a second vehicle. :-\

As long as you don't put the nozzle back onto the pump it should always be treated as a single transaction. As far as I know it's that action that completes the sale.
 :)
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broadstairs

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Re: Fuel stations... pay at pump
« Reply #9 on: November 01, 2020, 09:52:20 AM »

As far as I am aware if you DO put the nozzle back in the holder it stops the transaction and the pump will not make another until it has been paid and cleared by the system for another separate transaction. So to fill the car AND petrol cans in the same transaction you must hold the nozzle all the time, so I'd say always prepare BEFORE starting any fuelling so you can go directly to the can after the car or vice-versa .

Stuart
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Fuel stations... pay at pump
« Reply #10 on: November 01, 2020, 11:07:34 AM »

Hmm, I always assumed that in the past I could hang up the nozzle then pick it up again and resume fuelling, that it was a button on the cashiers til that terminated the sale when I settled the payment.

From a safety perspective it’s what I’d want to do.... hang up the nozzle out of harm’s way while faffing around replacing the fuel cap, then getting the mower can out and ready.  It’s depends upon having  a petrol car, so a single pump suffices for mower too.   I would almost swear that is what I’ve done in the past, sometimes at least, but may be mistaken, might be having a senior moment here.  :-[
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Ronski

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Re: Fuel stations... pay at pump
« Reply #11 on: November 01, 2020, 11:48:28 AM »

7LM, that probably is the way it works with a cashier payment if you hang up the pump between filling the car and the cans, they just charge you for the the two separate transactions. If using pay at pump then you'll have to initiate another transaction once the pump is hung up.
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Fuel stations... pay at pump
« Reply #12 on: November 01, 2020, 12:14:18 PM »

Plan is to put it to the test this afternoon, in which case I’ll share the excitement later in thread. :D

Can’t make my mind up, what to expect...

A) Forecourt deserted, nobody buying fuel, as not much point during the new lockdown.
Or
B) Queues a mile long, everybody panic buying fuel, even though it’s no more logical than panic buying loo paper.
 ::)
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Fuel stations... pay at pump
« Reply #13 on: November 01, 2020, 02:49:55 PM »

Mission accomplished, car refuelled.  And I feel the need for a tiny rant...

I installed the ESSO App.  It was a newer than the one I failed to use back in April, and the accompanying email assured me it would always show payment completion, and in fact I should make sure that happens before driving off - else I might not have paid. And that reassurance addressed all my concerns.  So after a quick trial run at home (it correctly told me I wasn't at a garage) off I drove, quite excitedly, to a real Esso garage. 

On arrival I opened the App, got a spinning 'wait' Icon, with no indication what it was waiting for, that lasted a good 2 or 3 minutes.   It then located me somewhere in New Jersey.  Then it complained I had to allow location access (it was already allowed) , then all of a sudden it correctly located me.   Unfortunately I was at pump 7, and the only pump it would let me select was pump 1.  I could have authorised payment for pump 1, but that seemed unwise.   With hindsight, I could have manoeuvred the car to Pump 1, but didn't think of it at the time.

I unloaded and restarted the App for a second try.  It repeated all of above steps (except new Jersey), then suddenly blanked its view, declared it was 'closed for maintenance', or something similar, 'Please try again later'.  I resigned myself to paying in the shop if I wanted to buy any petrol, grateful that I had brought a mask. 

For the actual refuelling aspect there were signs that I liked on every pump, mandating that Disposable Gloves Must Be Worn,.  There was also a glove dispenser on every pump, all of them empty.  I carry a box of latex gloves in the car so wore my own, but nobody else had gloves on. 

In the shop, there was a narrow corridor leading from the (closed, non automatic) door to the checkout desk, with 2 metre markings for the queue, generally being observed.  After paying, rather than walk the long way around the shop, other customers were navigating back down the same narrow corridor towards the door, squeezing past those waiting to pay.  Some were masked, others not.

I'd lost interest by now in establishing the truth about pumps being parked/resumed, sorry - none the wiser on that front.

Rant over, feeling better for it.   ::)

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