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Anyone used their mobile, especially via Google Pay, to pay for petrol in the UK?
Was about to fill up the other night and then realised I didn't have any cards with me, but did have my phone. I know contactless cards are typically limited to £30, but my card provider assures there's no limit with Google Pay, just may have to use PIN or finger to unlock.
However I'm not sure about filling up, going to pay and then finding for some reason it refuses payment. I'd be stuffed then.
Anyone tried it?
The vendor sets the limit iirc some allow way over £30.
In theory mobile pay should work anywhere contactless cards work.
The £30 might be the sticking point though, I haven’t tried for a while, but even though Apple Pay has no limit, a couple of retailers I’ve used still enforce a limit for contactless transactions.
What happens if you have no mobile signal?
I've done it. It was for a Toyota iq which cost less than 30 quid to fill up anyway . Doesn't seem to work at the terminals at the pump .have to go to checkout .
It’s really variable. I’ve paid for petrol with Apple Pay (~£70) and it was fine. However, some time later in the same petrol station, they refused to even try Apple pay for >£30 despite my explaining that it would work. They made me put the fuel through as two transactions each less than £30. Which is obviously ridiculous.
Petrol is pretty much the only thing over £30 that I buy in person rather than online. So for everything else I can use my phone. It’d be great if they could reliably sort this out so I could leave my wallet at home.
Works regardless of the signal same as a card.
Used it a lot.
Doesn't need signal. as long as the card is registered on the app; details will be passed to the merchant - it will just show on your phone receipts upon getting signal.
the £30 limit is for cards - phones sometimes if its locked, but with it unlocked - you should be limitless.
Its my primary payment method these days - I like it because I can switch off the NFC on the phone when not required.
the £30 limit is for cards – phones sometimes if its locked, but with it unlocked – you should be limitless.
Not sure I understand..
What is locked?
High Value Contactless has been widely available since Apple Pay launched - most retailers had to take updates to take Apple Pay and it opened up HVC for Google Pay etc. It's considered safe because the card issuer has much more information about the mobile wallet than a card (location, IMEI etc.).
Retailers and card issuers can still pick a lower limit e.g. Amex picks £30 via Google Pay, Barclays picks £100.
Now that all contactless payments are online for Visa and Amex with MasterCard following (except transit, tolls, unattended parking and vending) the limit for cards may well get raised too - in Australia it's AUS100. Fraud rates for contactless are very low and are predominantly card intercepted in the post / stolen card. Online auth means they get blocked immediately the customer calls it in or the fraud engine picks it up.
BP have an app that gives you the nearest filling station location, and allows payment via the app. Used to use the app a lot, as I had a BP card when working for BCA Logistics, but that wouldn’t work through the app, as it’s not technically a credit/debit card.
Likewise the Shell app which is now really easy to use and can link to any card via PayPal
Android/Apple pay is limitless in loads of places now. It’s more secure than a card so no reason it should have a limit.
By locked, i meant the phone being locked, unlocking your phone via pin/fingerprint etc means you can use it for high value charges.
I use my ApplePay a lot, way more than I expected to..
Car only takes £32 to fill up and I’ve used my iPhone in all sorts of petrol stations..
Use my Apple Watch a lot to pay for petrol. Mind you, a full tank is less than £30
rachel
Regularly pay for petrol with Apple Pay , £50 for a tankful so no worries about the £30 limit.
By locked, i meant the phone being locked, unlocking your phone via pin/fingerprint etc means you can use it for high value charges.
Apple requires a fingerprint to activate the pay which why its far safer than cards. I’m still not sure if it has to be ‘Unlocked’ I’ve had no issues.
I wouldn't ask, when the card reader is waiting for payment it will sound a tone if the transaction is too much. So just wack your phone on the terminal and by the time they helpfully suggest it won't work, it will have either worked or not worked 🙂
I forgot my wallet, thought it would be ok at tesco paying by apple pay for > £30 for fuel. It wasnt.
Retailer sets the limit.
Got stuck behind someone using apple pay in the supermarket yesterday.
Why on gods green earth is it considered an improvement? I know not everyone has to faff through their apps looking for it as much as this guy, but FFS surely once the novelty has worn off surely just getting your bloody cad out is quicker than your phone. "Credit card sized" is a synonym for small and easy to carry!
It actually appears more faff and less useful than those Harry potter fans that realised you could put the NFC bit of a card on the end of a stick and pretend to be a wizzard on the tube.
Apple requires a fingerprint to activate the pay which why its far safer than cards. I’m still not sure if it has to be ‘Unlocked’ I’ve had no issues.
Unless you've got an Apple Watch. My series 2 Apple Watch does Apple Pay even when I don't have the paired Phone with me. Just unlock the watch with my code, double click the button and present. The paired iPhone is an iPhone 5 without the fingerprint capability, so the phone can't do Apple Pay but the Apple Watch does. My work iPhone 6 with fingerprint doesn't require to be unlocked...you can jus present the phone to the terminal, then when it detects the contactless device you put your finger or thumb on the fingerprint button and it works. Never had an issue with it for purchases over £30...i'e' I've never had to unlock the phone separately then do the Apple Pay thing.
forgot my wallet, thought it would be ok at tesco paying by apple pay for > £30 for fuel. It wasnt.
Retailer sets the limit.
Didn't know this...must be rare...never had a problem, even Tesco supermarket or any other petrol station. Have had comments form shop owners and workers several times when going to pay with Apple Pay saying.."I don't think that will work, it's over £30" and surprised when I do it, so not sure many shop owners actually know the rules themselves. Maybe different for large chain shops, where someone in HQ will determine the rules. though I'm not sure why a retailer would set a lower limit for Apple Pay though. They're shooting themselves in the foot, Apple Pay is more secure than cash, they should be encouraging it. Cash is crap...invites thieves, have the problem of getting the cash to the bank, have the problem of being given dodgy notes, is an expensive overhead for any business.
Unless you’ve got an Apple Watch
Errr! Yeah.
I don’t see what problem some people have with using ApplePay!
Its not an APP, it’s a function APP that is available as soon as the merchant machine sends a signal to the phone and instantly the ApplePay function shows the card being used for the transaction and you simply hold your fingerprint on the home button and PING! It works.
No opening APPs up, no scrolling through functions, no swiping left/right upside down or inside out.
Simple & effective.
Clearly the issues are User related like most tech.
Just used mine again for £28 to fill the tank, simple and effective transaction and a notification telling me what I’ve just done.
It works.
Some people just love looking backwards, backwards to the days when everyone carries shillings and sixpence and the landed gentry ruled over the serfs.
We had years of warnings about not using mobile phone in petrol stations in particular near the pumps, now we have signs encouraging you to pay with your mobile phone at the pumps.
We had years of warnings about not using mobile phone in petrol stations in particular near the pumps, now we have signs encouraging you to pay with your mobile phone at the pumps.
😂😂😂🤔
True, but you aren’t using them whilst pouring petrol are you?
Are you?
The pre-auth machines in the likes of Tesco aren’t contactless, you have to put a card in and pin... no facilities for contactless nor will thier be on the forecourts.. inside the booth or shop counter there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use your mobile for contactless payments..
What are these cars that you fill up for less than 30 quid???
Petrol is used to power more than cars...
#mindblown
rachel
Cars don’t need to be empty to fill up.
#moremindblows
Maybe they are preppers. They never go below half a tank before filling back up.
My main visa is Nationwide and they say on their site that Google Pay transactions are limitless unlike the cards which are £30.
It's not the provider limits that are the concern, it's technology failure and/or the petrol station being funny about paying by phone or having their own limit. It's the filling up and then having to pay bit. Wonder if you can pre-pay inside like in US.
I've had a couple of places using the phone where though it should work and even after unlocking, it just refused it every time. Tried the card, and fine.
I use cards mostly though. Just the phone sometimes if it happens to be in my hand, quicker than opening my wallet, or a few times when I've left my wallet or card behind. Happened a few times with bike rides as I transfer stuff to a very slim wallet for minimal bike ride stuff but have forgotten the card. Or pop to the shops at work and left wallet in the office.
Out of interest, I believe you can get cash with your mobile from some cash points now, though limited to bank branches possibly.
Apple Pay and Google Wallet use a thing called tokenisation. They are treated as a card present transaction and hence there are generally no restrictions on the value of the transaction (beyond those applied to normal card present transactions).
But the merchant needs to be configured / enrolled to accept these transaction types. If they are not, it just appears to the terminal to be a standard contactless card transaction and is bound by the typical £30 limit.
Basically if you see ‘Apple Pay accepted here’ you should be able to spend over £30. If not, you’ll need to insert your card anything over £30.
Going back to the OP. At your most commonly used fuel pump why not try it and have a card handy as a back up?
Or is this (common sense) a bit against the idea of using tech?
What are these cars that you fill up for less than 30 quid???
Not a prepper no, well maybe be I don’t let it get to really bloody empty then call the AA out no.. (s****)
Hybrid petrol, mines got a teeny tank 33ltrs.. but current averages 63.3 mpg. Get 500 ish miles to the tankful.
Got stuck behind someone using apple pay in the supermarket yesterday
I use android pay on my phone as much as I use my cards, it's much quicker for me. Phone is always in my pocket, wallet is often in my bag. You don't need to open an app, just phone out, unlock with fingerprint and bosh it on to the terminal. Job jobbed.
Just like electronic boarding cards do you want to rely on it? Lack of battery or damage to phone... and you're screwed.
My fingerprint no longer works anyway... and seems to be a common issue with iPhones...
mmm android pay - post above reminds me why I didn't bother despite being enthusiastic...in secure luddite that I am quite like my phone not being locked - nothing on it which I wouldn't want other people to see...as to electronic boarding cards - easier than finding a printer nowadays - hotels used to have them but almost disappeared from public areas - if travelling can almost guarantee I'll have a battery pack back up in carry on though
The BP app sort of puzzles me - yes it appeals to time pressed people on what is generally described as a distress purchase but in its current evolution there is no ability to get some one to run out of the shop and handover some overpriced crisps and a pack of toilet rolls - all that effort at high margin retail going to waste?
this popped up in my facebook feed today presumably it comes with a reminder to obey local traffic laws:
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True, but you aren’t using them whilst pouring petrol are you?
Are you?
You seem to be trying to say that it's ok to use them if you've put the nozzle back in and that you'd be some sort of crazy fool to be paying and pumping at the same time, but the reality is that there is no consistency in the instructions to switch off your phone while on the forecourt and the encouragement to use your phone while on the forecourt. The reality is that everybody has long forgotten the "switch your phone off" signs and half the population never believed them anyway. Same as in the library or the doctors waiting room.
The reality is that everybody has long forgotten the “switch your phone off” signs and half the population never believed them anyway. Same as in the library or the doctors waiting room.
Like most things the answer is no until there is a business model ...
Why on gods green earth is it considered an improvement? I know not everyone has to faff through their apps looking for it as much as this guy, but FFS surely once the novelty has worn off surely just getting your bloody cad out is quicker than your phone. “Credit card sized” is a synonym for small and easy to carry!
Ok, i go to waitrose, get the app out to self scan then go to the self pay terminals and pay using the same phone i have been scanning with. no need for a card, no queues, no social interaction etc. gets me in and out of the shop in the fastest way possible.