CanOppo Life Hack

"someassemblyrequired" (someassemblyrequired)
12/26/2019 at 19:27 • Filed to: pay at the pump eh

First time I’ve seen it on a pump, but yes Canadians you can use pay at the pump with this simple hack.

DISCUSSION (25)

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > someassemblyrequired
12/26/2019 at 19:35

Dumb question, do Canadian pumps ask for a postal code?

someassemblyrequired > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
12/26/2019 at 19:39

Nah they are Chip & Pin just like Europe.

M.T. Blake > someassemblyrequired
12/26/2019 at 19:46

Canada is not a real place.

someassemblyrequired > M.T. Blake
12/26/2019 at 19:55

You may know it better as North Montana. It’s the part of the state with better beer.

M.T. Blake > someassemblyrequired
12/26/2019 at 20:12

Molson is part of Coors after all...

Svend > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
12/26/2019 at 21:08

Why does a pump need to know your post code?

Svend > someassemblyrequired
12/26/2019 at 21:09

Why does a pump need to know your post code?

and what would it be if someone was visiting from the U.K.?

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Svend
12/26/2019 at 21:15

base security question when you scan your credit card at the pump.

smobgirl > Svend
12/26/2019 at 21:17

Many (but not all) will request zip code if you’re paying credit, since most American credit cards don’t have a pin. It’s just a less accurate identity verification step.

My old company Visa the pumps would always ask for a pin, which we didn’t actually have. Turned out you could put in any four numbers and it would activate the pump.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > M.T. Blake
12/26/2019 at 21:23

I’ll never forget the phone meeting I was on,

“We need to translate this for the French speaking parts of Canada”

“(Long pause) Sir this is only sold in the US”

“Yeah but Canadian law requires French to be shown”

“( Longer pause) Canada isn’t part of the US”

(Acceptance this guy makes an order of magnitude more than the rest of us)

ranwhenparked > Svend
12/26/2019 at 21:24

Most of our credit cards are not set up to use PINs, but the point-of-sale systems in pumps still require some sort of code to be input, so they’re all programmed to ask for the ZIP code of your credit card’s billing address. Obviously, debit cards will still require a PIN, but you really shouldn’t be putting those in fuel pumps these days.

SiennaMan > someassemblyrequired
12/26/2019 at 21:32

A reminder of how far behind the times America is. We have chip at some pumps (and most retail), but I've never been asked for a pin so a stolen credit card is still worth thousands to criminals. I honestly prefer swipe and zipcode for this reason..

Svend > ranwhenparked
12/26/2019 at 21:33

We don’t have any issues with whatever card you wish to use.

Any fraudulent activity gets reported either by the bank or by the card holder, it gets checked and money re-credited back to the account.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > someassemblyrequired
12/26/2019 at 21:35

Any time I've tried this, it has never worked.

Svend > smobgirl
12/26/2019 at 21:37

Well that’s not safe, but then again some of ours will tell you how much you can spend when you put the card in, then use the pump and go.

But any fraudulent activity can be easily flagged by the bank (card issuer) or card holder, it gets checked and money refunded in about two weeks.

Every pump has a camera on it or few pumps have a camera on it.

someassemblyrequired > Svend
12/26/2019 at 21:39

Because a lot of US banks refuse to issue PINs for chipped cards as they can contractually charge much higher swipe fees for signature based/non- PIN transactions.

The same scheme works for U.K. post codes - so if Her Majesty was visiting Florida, she could gas up her rental Mustang Convertible using 11000 as the zip code (for Buckingham Palace’s SW1A 1AA).

ranwhenparked > Svend
12/26/2019 at 21:45

Ideally, yes, but under federal banking regulations, banks are not required to provide any compensation for fraudulent activity on debit cards if you don’t file a claim within 2 months of the transaction in question, and, technically, they can leave you on the hook for up to $500 if you don’t notify them within 48 hours. Those are just minimums, some banks are better than that, but that’s what they are allowed to do.

Basically all credit cards totally indemnify you against any fraud, regardless of how long it takes you to discover and report it, or how much or little the amount. Plus, even if you notify a bank right away, the provisional credit doesn’t always show up in your account immediately - it might be the next business day, which could be 3 calendar days if it falls over a weekend or holiday.

someassemblyrequired > BaconSandwich is tasty.
12/26/2019 at 21:45

This was in the Buffalo area, I’ve been with folks who have tried it in DC and Florida. It’s worked with every one I’ve seen tried (BMO, Scotia, Royal, TD) at lots of different brands . It’s only been around for a few years though. Always worth a shot, worst case you still have to go inside.

Svend > someassemblyrequired
12/26/2019 at 21:54

There was a documentary a few years back as to why the U.S. doesn’t use chip and pin and it was the stores that pushed back against it’s implementation. The stores argued it took two to three seconds longer to put through a chip and pin on average over not doing so and the stores argued that they’d pick up the tab for fraudulent use of a card at one of it’s stores.

I was curious, because the store said it took longer to put through a chip and pin than without it, but they never looked at whether it was faster than a signature. Though they did argue that it would take much longer if a customer forgot their pin than write a signature.

Some U.K. postcodes may only have one number while some have up to four.

Svend > ranwhenparked
12/26/2019 at 21:57

Ye’, you’ve got different regs to ours.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
12/26/2019 at 22:36

Because of our socialist policies it just comes out of our quarterly petrol ration, party members have an ID# but us proles just have an account linked to our pin

facw > Svend
12/27/2019 at 02:18

So we are way behind in credit card tech. We have chips now (though we don’t require a pin). However, even that was too much for the gas stations, which were granted an exemption, and so haven’t been required to replace their card readers with chip readers. In exchange, they agreed to require zip code entry to help detect fraud. This is coming to an end though, next year gas pumps will have to read the chip (if present), or the gas station will be on the hook for fraudulent purchases. Still I have only seen two gas stations with chip reading enabled (I’d imagine there are others that have it turned off until it is required), and both of those have been within the past month.

Svend > facw
12/27/2019 at 05:44

That’s crazy seen as how you have TVs playing adverts at the pump, no way that can’t be annoying and distracting.

How re you guys (and gals) with contactless payment?

You’ve got Googlepay, etc... but are you able to do it with your credit/debit cards?

someassemblyrequired > Svend
12/27/2019 at 10:06

The initial EMV implementations were really slow in the US, perhaps by design. Shenanigans somewhere I’m sure.

With U.K. post codes you just use the numbers and add zeros to make 5 digits. So if 4 was the only digit, you’d use 40000 as the zip code.

facw > Svend
12/27/2019 at 10:37

Usually there is an (unlabeled) button to mute the ads. Also most stations don’t have them, I see them mainly at Interstate service plazas.

Lots of card readers support contactless payment (though it’s not anywhere near as common at the pump), but most credit cards don’t support it (I don’t think I have any that do), though I think at least one of the major issuers has started rolling them out. The tech has been around for ever, but card issuers haven’t wanted to spend the extra money to include it, but I think now they are worried that contactless smartphone payments will cut them out if they don’t keep up.