Supermarkets have introduced a £99 'holding fee' when drivers pay for their petrol at the pump with Visa and Mastercard.
It was brought in last year as a security measure, and is one that is used across Europe already - a significant price rise from the previous £1 holding fee.
However, the charge is just a temporary fee placed on your account and only the actual charge for fuel will be deducted from your balance, The Mirror reports.
Despite this, many people have faced errors at the pumps - with the holding fee not clearing or being released back into drivers' accounts.
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An Asda spokesperson said: "The solution makes it easier for you to keep control of your finances when you pay for your petrol at the pump, however if an issue does arise you should first contact the bank that issued your card."
The rules were introduced a year ago across the country in various supermarkets including:
- Sainsbury's
- Tesco
- Asda
- Morrisons
Martyn James, runs the consumer website Resolver and helped address over 2,000 complaints about pay at pump charges last year.
He said: "The way this is supposed to work is the money is "temporarily" held on your account (meaning you can’t spend it) until the end of the transaction when the correct amount should be debited.
"Now the problem – as anyone who has used pay at the pump services will know – is sometimes the machines don’t do what they are supposed to.
"People have been reporting problems anyway with automated pumps, with keying in details, incorrect billing and other issues. Many people are rightly concerned that the £99 is being debited in error after they’ve driven away.
"The good news is if this happens, it should be pretty clear that there is an error and your bank should be able to step in on your behalf if the petrol station provider of services is dragging its feet or isn’t contactable. But that’s not really the point."
Visa said: "If your account balance is below £100, for example £50, this would be communicated back to the fuel pump by your bank enabling that amount of fuel to be dispensed.
"This means the pump will automatically cut out once you have reached the approved amount (or before if you choose to dispense less).
"This is called ‘partial authorisation’ and ensures you can get the fuel you need."
