Circle k Swipping at pump Bullhead City Arizona

Here is what happend. When you swipe your card at the pump at ANY gas station, if it is a debit card they will  attempt to hold a certain amount of what they expect you to pump. Depending on the gas station this varies anywhere from about $50-$125. Had it been approved and if by chance you attempted to pump more than $76 the pump would have stopped and you would have had to swipe your card again to continue.

99% of the time you won't notice this, because as soon as it is approved and you pump the specific amount the system automatically releases the hold and charges the actual amount. So you never see this extra hold. But if there are system issues at the station it could delay this process.

Now, if you do not have the amount they are going to hold available it is declined. As for the "hold" this will fall of anywhere between 1-28 days depending on your bank. If you have a regular bank account you can expect it to fall of within about 1-3 days. If you have a "Pre-Paid" card those banks tend to keep holds longer and you may not see it released for a month.

If you want to avoid this, the answer is simple. As you said pay cash or go to the register and request a specific amount. If you request a specific amount that is all that will be charged there will be no additional holds.

Yes, this is very common and yes this has been pretty much standard for several years.

Also, there are other cases where the bank will restrict these type of purchases. So when you contact your bank you may want to ask them if they allow you to use your account for the Pay at the Pump.