Buc-ee’s has changed how people will be paying for their gas, and many aren’t happy about it.
The popular gas station chain Buc‑ee’s has shifted to an exclusively pay‑at‑the‑pump system. This new system forces credit and debit card users to pay at the pump, no longer allowing them to pre-pay for their gas inside the store.
Buc-ee’s Gas Pump Policy
When did Buc-ee’s change its pay-at-the-pump policy?
Reports from media outlets and customers say that the new Buc-ee’s Gas Pump Policy was put in place around March 1st.
Why did Buc-ee’s Gas Pump Policy change?
So far, Buc-ee’s has officially not made a statement as to why they changed their pay-at-the-pump policy.
What Buc-ee’s Customers Are Saying About the New Pay-at-the-Pump Policy
Many Buc-ee’s customers are not happy with the change. People paying with credit and debit cards are especially concerned about pre-authorization holds, temporary charges that can range in value to determine if a card has enough money on it to pay for the amount of gas a customer filled their card with. These charges are to help detect potential fraud and are useful to the gas stations that place these holds, they can be difficult for customers to stomach, depending on the value of the hold.
Buc-ee’s provides the following example of a pre-authorization hold on their official website: If the pump is authorized for $100 and $40 of gas is pumped, there will be a $40 charge and a $10 hold. Holds can last for up to 72 hours.
Others are more concerned about the multiple transactions now involved with shopping at Buc-ee’s, and they believe that this new system is a lot less streamlined than the original payment method. In a Reddit thread on the new payment policy, one user asked, “How does this stop people from blocking the pump? Even if you pay inside with cash, you now have to have two transactions, one for food/other items, then one for gas.”
However, there are also many who don’t seem to mind the new policy. “It makes sense.” Another Reddit user said. “Busy place. Too busy to park at a pump, then go shopping…then leave to get gas. A person could be blocking a pump for 20 minutes while messing around inside.”
