Hooniverse Asks- Do You Pay and Pump, or Pump and Pay? (Pump Week)

Robert Emslie

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VintageStation

As car owners, one thing that we may currently take for granted is the lowly gas station. Once a proud beacon of repair, refuel and respect, they’re now on average just a place where you’re more likely to find a microwave burrito (yum) than a mechanic. Not only that but as the inevitable tide of alternate fuel cars arrive, the gas station’s inexorable slide into history will only accelerate. So this week we’re celebrating all things gas station with Pump Week.

Today, I want to know your fueling and paying habits – do you pump and pay or pay and pump? You may have seen the horrifying and yet hilarious video about the Aussie couple who tried to pump and jump at a Caltex station in Mount Warren Park.

 [youtube width=”720″ height=”504″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-lS4yj3dvw[/youtube]

Pretty great, huh? This event initiated a discussion across a lot of Internet sites wondering where exactly you could pump gas without first paying for it – which seems to be the common case in much of the U.S.. 

Since we don’t want to be excluded from the discussion, I thought it might be fun to poll all of you and see if you live in a place where they trust their customers, allowing you to slake you car’s thirst before whipping out the dough-rey-me, or if you have to pay up front for the honor to pump. Oregonians will likely have to sit this one out, as it’s against the law in that state to pump your own. I wonder, when they go to a restaurant does someone have to cut their meat for them too?

Alas, I digress. The question then is whether, in your neck of the woods, you can just sidle up to a gas pump and start filling you tank, or if you need to show proof that you can pay before you can get that precious petrol. Are you a pay and pumper, or are you able to pump and pay? 

Image: Route 66 Chamber of Commerce 

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Robert Emslie

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80 responses to “Hooniverse Asks- Do You Pay and Pump, or Pump and Pay? (Pump Week)”

  1. Kris_01 Avatar
    Kris_01

    Every gas station around here is a pump-then-pay with the exception of "debit-or-AmEx-only" Costco pumps.The above pumping method, minus the shenanigans and spraying gasoline everywhere, is pretty normal.
    EDIT: when I say "here" I mean Atlantic-by-God-Canada, specifically Fredericton NB.

    Reply
    1. racer139 Avatar
      racer139

      I believe they made it a felony to pump and go here in Nova Scotia. A guy I knew about five or so years ago would pull up to the pump and fill the car and procede to fill like eight jerry cans and then drive off. At about that time it was a common thing now I dont hear about it as much.

      Reply
      1. Maxichamp Avatar
        Maxichamp

        Aren't there only four people in the entire province? Wouldn't it be easy to catch this guy?

        Reply
        1. racer139 Avatar
          racer139

          Four million people in these here atlantic provinces. Makes for a terrible place to drive. Especially when 3.99 million of them dont know or care enough to do it right.

          Reply
  2. buzzboy7 Avatar
    buzzboy7

    My station is cash at the pump. So, pay and then pump. Nothing like showing up with a 10$ bill in the middle of the night and topping off the tank.

    Reply
  3. engineerd Avatar
    engineerd

    Here in the frozen deserted tundras of Detroit, Michigan it varies. Pay-then-pump is pretty universal here (not sure if it's actually codified in law), and if you're paying at the pump you pay first. However, I know one gas station (and repair shop!) whose pumps are finicky about taking plastic. So, I go inside to give them my card and the guys says, "Hey engineerd! Go ahead and pump then come in when you're done." Not sure he would do that for just anyone, but I wouldn't doubt it. This gas station, and its owner, definitely have the air of stations of a day gone by.

    Reply
  4. BЯдΖǐL-ЯЄРΘЯΤЄЯ Avatar
    BЯдΖǐL-ЯЄРΘЯΤЄЯ

    In Brazil we still get service, there will be attendends to fill up for you, clean your window and lights, check your oil level, water level, tire pressure, etc. and pay after. At my local pump they just take note and only pay once a month.

    Reply
    1. JayP2112 Avatar
      JayP2112

      Wow.
      Edit- how much is fuel in Brazil? In the states, a fill up on a Suburban can be $100US or more. Do that a 3-4 times a month… Significant money there.

      Reply
      1. BЯдΖǐL-ЯЄРΘЯΤЄЯ Avatar
        BЯдΖǐL-ЯЄРΘЯΤЄЯ

        Yes the fuel is obscene expensive, U$ 10,00 / gal for gas and U$ 7,00 for ethanol.

        Reply
      2. duurtlang_ Avatar
        duurtlang_

        It's $110 to fill up my mk2 Golf where in the Netherlands. More for my Peugeot, but I've never topped that one off with gasoline as it has an LPG gas conversion. $3.21 a gallon (US) and a 10-15% decrease in economy easily beats $8.15 a gallon.
        More on topic: 100% pump and pay, unless it's an unmanned station.

        Reply
        1. BЯдΖǐL-ЯЄРΘЯΤЄЯ Avatar
          BЯдΖǐL-ЯЄРΘЯΤЄЯ

          In the Netherlands all my cars used to run on LPG, don't tell the tax people because it was allways illigal too.

          Reply
  5. $kaycog Avatar
    $kaycog

    At gas stations in my small town, if you buy the microwave burrito, gas is free.

    Reply
    1. tiberiusẅisë Avatar
      tiberiusẅisë

      Try as I might, I've never been able to run my car that way.

      Reply
      1. $kaycog Avatar
        $kaycog

        Hot sauce additive may help.

        Reply
    2. Alff Avatar
      Alff

      How to make a Civic fart can functional.

      Reply
  6. joedunlap Avatar
    joedunlap

    Here in Oregon, its pay only. By law, someone else has to do the pumping. There probably an obscene joke in there somewhere.

    Reply
    1. tiberiusẅisë Avatar
      tiberiusẅisë

      We're not allowed to pump ourselves here in Jersey either.
      Some stations enforce this while others do not. Especially if they're busy.

      Reply
      1. lysenko Avatar
        lysenko

        It is almost universally enforced in Oregon.

        Reply
        1. MrHowser Avatar
          MrHowser

          Unless you're on a motorcycle. I never had one attendant even try to pump gas into my bike.

          Reply
  7. smalleyxb122 Avatar
    smalleyxb122

    When I first started driving, I would pump then pay. Pay at the pump hadn’t really become ubiquitous, and a $10 bill would fill the MR2, and leave me enough change for a pack of smokes. Prepaying was always a hassle, since it either required two trips into the store, or something less than a fill-up. Most gas stations now seem to be pre-pay, but with card readers at virtually every pump, it’s less of a concern. I occasionally come across a station (usually in very rural areas) where it is not pre-pay, or is only pre-pay after dark. I’ve as recently as last year filled up as a station that not only didn’t have a pump mounted card reader, it had a pump with mechanical dials. I pumped and then paid cash.

    Reply
    1. P161911 Avatar
      P161911

      That sounds the same as where I live. In the last 10-15 years or so almost all stations have gone to pay at the pump or pay first. I know a few, namely Quicktrip, have a card you can sign up for to start the pump, then go in and pay cash. I guess they get all your info up front to prevent drive offs. A few rural stations don't have pay at the pump or require pre-pay.

      Reply
  8. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar
    Rust-MyEnemy

    Pimp 'n pay. It's like cash 'n carry, but with whores.

    Reply
    1. tiberiusẅisë Avatar
      tiberiusẅisë

      Gives new meaning to "Fill 'er up."

      Reply
      1. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar
        Rust-MyEnemy

        Just remember the anti-knocking agent.

        Reply
  9. scroggzilla Avatar
    scroggzilla

    I always pay before pumping and, when given the chioce between 'debit' or 'credit', I always use the 'credit' option. Gas stations have become a prime target for identity thieves and the 'debit' option can expose your pin number.

    Reply
  10. frankthecat Avatar
    frankthecat

    I always pay after pumping. None of the stations around here, beside the one or two Mobiles, are pre-pay.

    Reply
  11. OA5599 Avatar
    OA5599

    I can't remember the last time I didn't pay at the pump, so I'm not sure if there are any pump first stations left in the area. If there are, I'd bet it's at a station that still has a full service island.
    I do go to a restaurant tthat doesn't prepare a bill for your food. You order at a counter, sit down and they bring it to you, and you eat it. When your meal is over, you go to the cashier who asks "What did you have?" so he knows what to ring up. Sometimes it is hard to remember when the food is already being digested. I wonder how many items get missed.

    Reply
  12. Wolfie Avatar
    Wolfie

    Here in Northern Michigan,we are still given the benefit of pumping then paying,so far.

    Reply
  13. SSurfer321 Avatar
    SSurfer321

    In rural KY you can pump then pay. In Lexington, its pay then pump. At Shell stations you can get a $0.10 discount if you use your Kroger Plus Card.

    Reply
  14. FuzzyPlushroom Avatar
    FuzzyPlushroom

    In rural NH, it's a mixed bag. If the pumps are old enough that they don't take plastic, I'll just pump what I want and go in afterward. Usually they're newer, and I just swipe my card first. Down here in Massachusetts, yeah, you pay first, that's a given.

    Reply
    1. Alcology Avatar
      Alcology

      I live in mass and you pretty much get the choice of pay now or later. The cheapest gas stations are usually an attendant and you pay first with cash only though.

      Reply
      1. FuzzyPlushroom Avatar
        FuzzyPlushroom

        I suppose I'm just used to eastern Massachusetts – here in Lowell, you go in and pay; the same is true the closer you get to the city. In more rural parts of the state, you definitely have the choice as you do in most of New Hampshire.
        I don't really pay attention, though, since if I'm paying with cash it's usually a fixed amount ($20, rather than 'fill it up' and have to deal with $3.38 in change) and most places that take credit/debit have pumps with card readers.

        Reply
  15. Hopman Avatar
    Hopman

    For my work truck, fueling is through Ryder, so I get full service pumping, and the company pays later.

    Reply
  16. JayP2112 Avatar
    JayP2112

    Debit pay, fill it up.
    Only time in the 10+ years I hadn't "filled it up" was on rent car returns that I got with less than a full tank.

    Reply
  17. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar
    Rust-MyEnemy

    For my sensible answer; apart from where there's a "pay at pump" option, I pump, then pay, then go sit in the car and have a little cry about the money I've just handed over.
    I still have a stupid habit of only putting £15 in my car at a time. It somehow seems less painful. It's £1.35 per litre right now, at least by only carrying around a few gallons I'm saving weight, right? That's the logic I use. I sometimes forget how weird I am.

    Reply
    1. OA5599 Avatar
      OA5599

      When I fill up, I like checking out the other pumps to see how much gas the last customer pumped. Often, it isn't even in the double digits. A few weeks ago, I saw a guy pull in to the station in a beater Chevy C1500. He went into the convenience store for a pack of smokes, walked back to the pump, and put $3.00 worth of gas into the truck. I wonder how much of that got used up re-starting the truck?

      Reply
      1. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar
        Rust-MyEnemy

        That's astonishing. Maybe he's just obsessive and wants to account for daily fuel evaporation?

        Reply
      2. P161911 Avatar
        P161911

        My in-laws seem to operate the same way. They seem to always put $20 worth of gas in, it doesn't matter if this was back when it was $2/gal or when it was up to $4/gal. The problem is they drive an Avalanche. It never has more than 1/4 tank of gas in it. I think they do fill it up, but only for long out of state trips.

        Reply
    2. mdharrell Avatar
      mdharrell

      That may explain why my MG Metro was designed with a tank that only holds 6.6 Imperial gallons.

      Reply
      1. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar
        Rust-MyEnemy

        I'm kind of jealous of your Liberty gallons, or Freedom gallons…

        Reply
        1. mdharrell Avatar
          mdharrell

          They're so inherently superior that we can put eight of them in a tank designed for only six-ish of yours.

          Reply
    3. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      I fill up the Town Cow's 20 gallon fuel tank twice a month — once per paycheck — which currently costs me about $50-60 a tank.
      BUUUT… between the Town Cow, the SuperCrew, and my wife's Chrysler 300, we spend a total of about $440/month (£280) in gasoline, which translates to well over 2000 miles a month between the three cars.

      Reply
      1. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar
        Rust-MyEnemy

        Here's the logic my Dad uses when justifying his 540. His car; 25mpg. The beater Ka; 55mpg. That makes an average fleet consumption of 40mpg. If he uses the Ford versus the BMW at a 4-1 ratio, he's being positively frugal.

        Reply
        1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
          Peter Tanshanomi

          Town Cow: 17-18 MPG.
          F150 SuperCrew: 12-14 MPG.
          Chrysler 300: 18-20 MPG.
          Yea, we pretty much suck at this game no matter how you slice it.

          Reply
        2. smalleyxb122 Avatar
          smalleyxb122

          Well, his math is off on his fleet average. 25 and 55 actually works out to 34.375 mpg (You have to average the reciprocals) if driven equal distances. His 4:1 driving ratio helps, and brings him up to an average of 44.45 mpg.

          Reply
          1. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar
            Rust-MyEnemy

            Yeah, maths were never my strong point, either. Everything I was told went in one ear and came out the others.
            I can colour things in really well, though.

    4. Devin Avatar
      Devin

      I wish that the pay at the pump setup at the station I'd go to would use odd numbers, it takes $50 or so to fill but I usually get $40 because I don't want the extra hold nonsense on my card.

      Reply
  18. Devin Avatar
    Devin

    At my station, when it's cold I pump then pay, because I go down the full serve lane and go inside as quickly as possible. If it's nice out, I pay then pump, because that's the only option for self serve.

    Reply
  19. Lotte Avatar
    Lotte

    Some of the bigger, newer stations here (Toronto, Canadaland) are pre-pay only for the pumps on the fringes of the station, but still allow pump then pay inside for the ones close to the gas bar.

    Reply
  20. tiberiusẅisë Avatar
    tiberiusẅisë

    Some stations by me in Northeastern NJ offer a cash discount. Those go pay after pump. Otherwise it is all swipe at the pump.

    Reply
  21. racer139 Avatar
    racer139

    How about paying a dollar to charity to put air in your tires…. One of those things that iirks me, I ask which charity the cash goes to and can never get a straight answer from the cashier. Or you pay and the pump just will not fill a tire or deflates it because its just a glorrified 12 volt emergency compressor.

    Reply
  22. dwegmull Avatar
    dwegmull

    I guess, technically, I "pump" and pay: I plug in my car every night and then, some time later, I get the electricity bill…

    Reply
  23. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    It's a mixed bag around here (DFW area). Some are pump then pay, pay then pump, or pay at the pump, or a combo of two of the three. I normally use a card or SpeedPass, so I always pay in advance.

    Reply
  24. Irishzombieman☆ Avatar
    Irishzombieman☆

    I'm not sure there's anyplace in California that lets you pump first anymore.
    As it is, there are very few places where you can't pay at the pump. if I happen to pull into one of those, I leave, go next door and pay 3 cents more to keep from having to walk inside.
    This also keeps me away from the burrito temptation.

    Reply
  25. P161911 Avatar
    P161911

    For the first time in a long time I went to a station yesterday that charged $0.05 more to use a credit or debit card instead of cash. It was a Valero station. It didn't notice it until I swiped my card.

    Reply
    1. Alff Avatar
      Alff

      A couple gas station owners I've spoken with tell me that the margins are so thin that fuel sales are essentially a break even proposition, particularly with the higher transaction fees they pay on credit cards.

      Reply
      1. P161911 Avatar
        P161911

        I do remember hearing that the only profits at a gas station/convenience store come from the alcohol and cigarette sales. Even the cokes and candy bars are a break even kind of thing.

        Reply
      2. Manic_King Avatar
        Manic_King

        Same in Europe too I've heard. Here only few crappy places in countryside have pay&pump system but chain with biggest stations (all pump&pay) has installed only 1-2 card terminals at the pumps per petrol station of, say, 8 pumps, just to get people inside to pay and shop, to earn some money through sales of anything from toothpaste to vodka.

        Reply
        1. Alff Avatar
          Alff

          I see some irony in the fact that the stations (typically franchisees) aren't reaping huge rewards and yet 3 of the top 5 (and 4 of the top10) in the Fortune 500 are oil companies.

          Reply
          1. Maymar Avatar
            Maymar

            A sad irony lost on everyone who sporadically insists we take a day to collectively not fill up, figuring it'll magically drive gas prices down (forgetting the oil companies have already made their profit on the gas).

    2. johnf1979 Avatar
      johnf1979

      That's nearly universal here in metro Detroit, except for a very small handful of corporate owned gas stations. However the premium is usually .10 to.15 cents a gallon for using plastic.

      Reply
  26. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
    Peter Tanshanomi

    Pre-pay only is practically universal here, and has been mandated by law within the KCMO city limits since 2006.
    Code of Ordinances of the City of Kansas City, Missouri, Sec. 50-126.
    Gasoline pre-payment or pre-approval.
    (a) Definitions. As used in this section the following terms shall have the
    meanings given in this subsection:
    | (1) "Pre-approval" means the business has issued an identification card
    | to the purchaser that verifies and records the purchaser's driver's license
    | information.
    | (2) "Pre-pay" means payment in advance for any quantity of gasoline or
    | diesel fuel sold at any time by cash, credit card, debit card, check or any
    | other legal means.
    (b) Payment or approval in advance required for gasoline and/or diesel fuel sold.
    Business establishments that sell gasoline and/or diesel fuel shall require pre-payment or
    pre-approval of sales of fuel prior to activation or authorization of any fuel dispensing
    unit or fuel pumping devise.
    (c) Penalty. Failure or refusal to comply with this section will be a basis for the
    non-renewal of a business license pursuant to Section 40-31.

    Reply
    1. Alff Avatar
      Alff

      Combining this with a common $75 limit on pay at the pump transactions means that I can't get a full tank in the pickup when prices spike.

      Reply
  27. MVEilenstein Avatar
    MVEilenstein

    When I was younger and poorer, I would pre-pay in the gas station with my cash. These days, I just run my debit card at the pump and fill the tanks. I can't think of any stations around here that allow you to pump gas before paying for it.

    Reply
  28. Scandinavian Flick ★ Avatar
    Scandinavian Flick ★

    I'm confused… Do you mean the car wash stations…?
    <img src="http://oi40.tinypic.com/34g801u.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
  29. wunno sev Avatar
    wunno sev

    pay and pump, i guess. swipe card, fill tank completely full, record miles since last fill-up, gallons pumped, total price paid, and MPG for the tank in a small notebook kept in the center console.
    are there really people who don't do that for every tank? what a bunch of lazy bastards.

    Reply
    1. Maymar Avatar
      Maymar

      I have a notepad, and I run fuelly. Worked out great come tax time.

      Reply
  30. Slow_Joe_Crow Avatar
    Slow_Joe_Crow

    Here in Oregon, somebody else pumps the gas and usually wants to be paid first.

    Reply
  31. jeepjeff Avatar
    jeepjeff

    I don't actually know what the rules are around here. I track gas mileage on my cars (nice canary for tune-up problems), so I always fill all the way up. That means using my credit card is the simplest, most convenient and secure way to do it. So, I always pay then pump.
    I also use a station that's both a gas station and mechanic (although, I don't use the mechanic service, so I don't know how good they are).
    Finally, the interesting thing around here is that you can tell how nice the part of town you're in is based on the amenities at the gas station. By "available amenities" I mean "does the gas station leave the window squeegees in the wash water bins"? This was something I noticed almost immediately when I moved down here. Only in the nicest, richest parts of the Bay Area will they actually provide squeegees. If the station is in a modest part of town (read: near a mildly sketchy area), there will be no squeegees. I presume all the station owners got sick of replacing them years ago.
    I drive over to the slightly further away gas station in the really nice part of town so I can wash my window when I fill up. It also happens to be about the same distance from the freeway, and thus not actually a bigger hit on the wallet than the closer station.

    Reply
    1. vwminispeedster Avatar
      vwminispeedster

      Jeff, where is your station of choice?

      Reply
      1. jeepjeff Avatar
        jeepjeff

        I normally go to the shell station on Grand at the edge of Piedmont. There's an Arco closer and another couple of stations down on International that are closer (but never have squeegees). The one on Grand is at least between me and a bunch of places I often go to.
        I'm somewhat loyal to shell, but there's probably a decent bit of irrationality built into it. I distrust the cheap stuff (sold at the Arco station), I remember it wrecking my folks' lawnmower when I was in high school. That may have been the ethanol content, which is, of course, mandated across all stations now. Also, my Jeep has a tractor engine, and probably doesn't care.

        Reply
  32. desolit Avatar
    desolit

    I havent seen a pump and pay since gas first went over $4 a gallon back in 2007. when it got close to $5 they enforced a $50 cap per transaction. That was a lot of fun driving a 70 mile round trip in Silverado with a 32 gallon tank. 3 transactions to fill up and filling up 3 times a week. ugh.
    now that its up over $4 again some of the stations are putting the caps back into effect.

    Reply
  33. mallthus Avatar
    mallthus

    Having lived in California, Connecticut, Oklahoma and Colorado, I can say that I can't remember the last time I pumped, then payed. Oh, wait, it was in New Jersey (where it's technically have pumped, then pay) on a trip to pick up people at EWR when I was living in CT. My point is that pump then pay is pretty damn unusual.

    Reply
  34. sohc Avatar
    sohc

    brodus, mt on my way to strugis, pump and then pay. No credit card thingy on the pump. Also right after you fill up you pull forward so someone else can get gas then you use the restroom, find something cool to drink then tell the cowboy at the counter how much you owe him. He just writes the total on a note pad but can't keep track of who is who so you gotta tell him.

    Reply
  35. craigsu Avatar
    craigsu

    Pay at the pump is the norm around here in Charlotte, NC. There are a few full-service stations left in the area but the gas costs more since you're paying someone else to pump (I assume they check your tire pressure & fluid levels also, like they did when I was a youngster). The only time I go into the store is when the pump won't print a receipt and I have to get it from the cashier.

    Reply
  36. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    Like Lotte said, virtually all of Toronto's gas stations allow pumping, then paying. I just pay first since virtually all my transactions go on the credit card for the points. Also, my car's tank is approximately a half pint, so I'm filling up two or three times a week, and I'd rather save the time to walk in and pay, however incremental it is.

    Reply
  37. ptschett Avatar
    ptschett

    I honestly don't even understand paying before pumping if payment is through something other than scanning a credit card at the pump. I've never done it – I either pay with a card @ the pump, or go elsewhere that lets me pump & then pay inside. Seems to me pay-before-pumping, without a card reader on the pump, involves 2 trips into the store unless you pump exactly what you pay.

    Reply
    1. C³-Cool Cadillac Cat Avatar
      C³-Cool Cadillac Cat

      It harms the establishment none whatsoever if you make two trips.
      If you drive off without paying…yeah, that's a loss.

      Reply
    2. Tiller188 Avatar
      Tiller188

      I don't think I've ever encountered a pump-then-pay setup, myself…sounds like that probably has been gone from most of California for quite some time.
      As far as how pay-before-pump works with cash, I do remember that back in high school, before I had a credit card, the local station where I usually filled up had some method of metering the gas to a particular pump. I'd pull up to a pump, walk into the little convenience-store/hut thing, say something along the lines of "$20 on pump number 5, please", hand over a bill, and walk back outside. Then I could just let the pump go until it hit however much I had paid for. I never thought twice about it; kinda just assumed that's how it always worked when you paid cash for gas.
      Side note: man, that $20 used to put the better part of half a tank into EACH of the tanks of the big ol' E-150 conversion van I was driving at the time. I'd be hitting ATMs a lot more often if I were still using that method nowadays…

      Reply
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    web hosting reviews intuit

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