Been using card for ages but had some cash on me. Went into and said “20 quid on pump 10 please”. Woman behind counter looked at me like I was a moron.
Has this ever been a thing or have I just dreamt it? I could’ve sworn I used to fill up like this ~5 years ago. Asked me mum if you used to be able to do this. She gave me the same look as woman behind counter. Am I just retarded?
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It’s a very American thing. As far as I’m aware, this facility has never been available in the uk. Some pay at pump stations allow you to pre-set a limit, but that’s obviously for cards.
I worked in a motorway petrol station in 2002. People often did it and I’d take their money if it was cash but there wasn’t any way of ringing it through the till until they’d taken the fuel.
I’ve never seen this done in the UK. The closest I’ve come to it are pumps that have buttons to set a limit before you fill (so that you end up with a round £20) but you still pay at pump or in the kiosk afterwards.
I’ve been driving in the UK since 1997 and I’ve never come across prepayment.
I agree that it sounds like quite an American thing, I’ve had to do this on a couple of occasions when travelling in the US.
Back in the olden days when late/all night stations were a rarity and credit cards a sign of affluence, your one (there would only be one) petrol station that opened late would have pumps off, until you paid. So you’re not scatty, just old.
Some places still do it, if they have had problems with people driving off without paying
Not really a UK thing. THere are some options on newer pumps, but I think you’re confusing us with US practices.
You used to get petrol stations that weren’t self service. You waited at a pump, someone would come out and you’d tell them how much you wanted. This is the closest to what you describe in the UK. This was 40 odd years ago mind.
I’ve been driving since 1994. This has never been a thing, at least while I’ve been driving.
I think I have been *asked* to prepay on a few occasions. Maybe they were rationing fuel, or maybe they had a problem with theft. But a petrol station that demands you do that will say so quite clearly.
In my driving lifetime it’s never been a usual option at a normal petrol station.
You have to do this at some petrol stations overnight.
Occasionally you will see a sign in the window saying; at night, please pay before taking fuel.
Probably due to people driving off without paying. 🤷🏼
There’s a petrol station near me (Birmingham) that only lets you get petrol if you pay first. Really confused me the first time I went there as I couldn’t get the nozzle and then a voice came over the tannoy asking me to go inside. When I got in I had to say how much I wanted and pay by card, then back outside I could get the nozzle and the pump dispensed the exact amount I asked for. I assume it’s to stop people driving off without paying?
Only time I’ve seen this in the UK was at 24 hour places and they made you pre-pay after they shut the kiosk/shop and just have a night window. But I’ve only ever seen this done at a couple of places. Common in America though.
Not in this country as I remember. America, Portugal and Spain I have definitely seen it
I do seem to recall having buttons on the pump to dial in how much you wanted and then it stopped. But that may also be America as I worked there for a while.
Used to work in a petrol station, we didn’t do it except for the lorry pump where we needed people to give us their card before filling up because they filled up £300+ in one go sometimes. There were options for pre-pay on our tills though so I would say yes, this used to exist, and probably still exists in some places.
Back in the day (mid-90’s) there was a small independent garage near me with a couple of pumps – they used to come out and fill up for you!!
An absolute god send in winter when it was pissing down – I’d just crack open the window enough to slip the bloke a fiver.
The only places I have seen pre-pay are any pay-at-pump machines.
American thing. Always struck me as weird as I don’t know how much gas I want before I fill the tank, particularly on a rental car.
So many people seem confused by this but : many pumps have a set of buttons where you can choose what you want to pay. £5/10/20 maybe a few others.
You just press the button, squeeze the trigger until you hit your limit and then pay.
I’ve never done it, but I assume if it goes a few p over they let you off.
There is no need to pay in advance!
There is a petrol station on the outskirts of town that has recently enforced paying in advance as a policy after they had dozens of drive offs in one week. I have never come across this anywhere else in the UK however
This is still a good thing where I live. After 10pm many smaller independent garages will ask for payment upfront to avoid idiots thieving
Was the surprise possibly because £20 of petrol might not get you to the next petrol station these days?
I don’t think I’ve ever encountered it in the UK.
I do remember learning how to say it in French and in German at school – I don’t know if it was more of a thing on the Continent in those days because we didn’t go on European driving holidays.
Nope, this was a thing. They’d set the pump number to only allow 20quid and it’d autocutoff