You Asked... 

by Karin L. Nauber

The following question was posed recently: "Do I run a risk of additional charges appearing on my credit/debit card if I fail to press 'clear' after purchasing gas at the pump?"

You may have received an e-mail message similar to the following: "Jim just told me about something that happened to one of his co-workers. She used her credit/debit card to purchase gas at the pump (like most of us do). She received her receipt like normal. However, when she checked her statement, there were two $50 charges added in addition to her purchase. Upon investigation, she found out that because she did not press the 'clear' button on the pump, the employee inside the store was able to use her card to purchase his/her own gas! 

"To keep this from happening, after you get your receipt, you must press the 'CLEAR' button or your information will be stored until the next customer inserts their card. Be sure to tell all your friends/family so that this doesnít happen to them!"

If your e-mail spam filter did not stop this one from going through, it is probably because a concerned friend or relative sent the e-mail to you.

Fortunately, according to Snopes.com, you don't have anything to worry about as this is not happening. 

Here is what they had to say about this. ìThose in the know say thereís nothing to this notion that pressing the ëclearí button after refueling will safeguard the pumpís user from having his credit card accessed by future users, or indeed, have any other effect. As W. Michael Hardin, an employee of Dresser Wayne, a manufacturer of gas station fuel dispensing units, says: ìIf a fuel dispenser is operating in its normal mode, the way it was designed to work, your transaction is complete as soon as you hang up the nozzle. There is no need to do anything else at that point or press any buttons. If for some reason you hang up the nozzle incorrectly, and the transaction does not complete, a receipt will not be printed, which would be an indication that something is wrong.î 

ìIn other words, a properly functioning gas pump will conclude its transaction when its nozzle is returned to its cradle. There is no magic to be had from pressing the ëclearí button: a gas pump that is working the way it should will have already closed the transaction by that point, and a misfunctioning one isnít going to be prompted into righting itself by your mashing the ëclearí button a few times. Look instead to your receipt. That the pump dispensed one after you recradled the gas nozzle is a sign that all went well. If a receipt does not present itself, a trip inside the gas station to discuss the matter with the clerk on duty is in order.î

Although Snopes does point out that some dishonest gas station employees have run additional charges through customerís credit and debit cards, this form of crime is usually a matter of miscreants charging some cards two or more times to cover for other fuel purchases paid in cash  (which was pocketed by the thieving employees, with the false charges laid against the credit or debit cards of victims used to account for the decrease in the stationís fuel inventory). In May 2008, two employees of a Hopatcong gas station in New Jersey were caught and charged with theft for attempting to run such a scheme. 

To read more about how to protect yourself and your credit/debit cards, log on to snopes.com. They have a wealth of information about all sorts of scams, frauds, fakes and real threats.