Pre-pay pumps soon to be norm.

sandin

Looks like a good few garages are about to move over to prepay at all times.

Brennans Maxol in Newbridge, on of the busiest stations in the country as its just off the M7 is to introduce it almost immediately - signs are up, but covered.

I'd say you'll hear a few complaining, but then the other side is the motorist is paying for those who drive away without paying.

ardmacha

I wouldn't patronise a station that required two trips to the cash desk. Why don't they have credit card payment at the pump?. Applegreen had this on the M1 and disabled it shortly after the stations opened.

Gran Hermano

Whilst it might work with those who buy their fuel in quantities of €10 or €20 at a time, I don't. I fill my tank in one go and put in whatever it takes to fill fully and the amount varies greatly. I have no problem swiping a card for payment at the pump but refuse to use prepayment and two trips to the till.

Leonard Hofstadter

I agree. I will not use a pre pay pump as I like to brim the tank and so can accurately work out what my mpg is. I have no objection to a card reader though, that saves me the time of going in!

Eric Cartman

I love the card machines at some maxols and topaz's , means I dont have to go to the counter.

What I dont understand is why the outmost pumps at stations are prepay, if im going to do a driveoff surely i wouldnt care, rather than only go for the outside pump

MugMugs

I'd rather be able to use my card at the machine frankly.

skyhighflyer

Eric Cartman wrote: »

I love the card machines at some maxols and topaz's , means I dont have to go to the counter.

What I dont understand is why the outmost pumps at stations are prepay, if im going to do a driveoff surely i wouldnt care, rather than only go for the outside pump

It's because usually staff have a better view of you and the car, and also CCTV often doesn't pick up reg's once you get too far away.

Cuddlesworth

Eric Cartman wrote: »

I love the card machines at some maxols and topaz's , means I dont have to go to the counter.

What I dont understand is why the outmost pumps at stations are prepay, if im going to do a driveoff surely i wouldnt care, rather than only go for the outside pump

A fair few cheap out on the cameras so they can't pick up accurate details on the far pumps. Face is unclear and a light dirt smearing on the reg makes it unreadable.

charlemont

I'v had the habit of paying first for years, So doesn't really bother me. Its not often I drive much anymore.

McGrath5

Ugh, 2 trips to the till, no thanks. It would make sense if you could just swipe your card at the pump and work away.

From the point of view of the service station, I can see why they are doing this. All those eejits who fill up with €20.02 and only hand over the even €20 when paying, it will certainly cut out that crap.

Marcusm

Not so much pre pay pumps but prepay service stations. Bizarre way to approach the matter unless driveaways are really that common. In Italy, prepay facilities exist and are, in some cases, 12c per litre cheaper. In the UK, Shell is bringing back pump attendants at any busy stations. In Ireland, if this post is anything to go by, it's a combo of further discommoding the customer and slowing the process dwn. Progress?

bijapos

ardmacha wrote: »

I wouldn't patronise a station that required two trips to the cash desk. Why don't they have credit card payment at the pump?. Applegreen had this on the M1 and disabled it shortly after the stations opened.

Applegreen still have card payments in the truck section of that station, in fact I dont think you can pay for truck fuel with cash.

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Whilst it might work with those who buy their fuel in quantities of €10 or €20 at a time, I don't. I fill my tank in one go and put in whatever it takes to fill fully and the amount varies greatly. I have no problem swiping a card for payment at the pump but refuse to use prepayment and two trips to the till.

With a card system it's possible to fill to the brim, you put your card in first, then print the receipt when you finish. I can understand your point though if your paying in cash.

L1011

Marcusm wrote: »

Not so much pre pay pumps but prepay service stations. Bizarre way to approach the matter unless driveaways are really that common. In Italy, prepay facilities exist and are, in some cases, 12c per litre cheaper. In the UK, Shell is bringing back pump attendants at any busy stations. In Ireland, if this post is anything to go by, it's a combo of further discommoding the customer and slowing the process dwn. Progress?

I suspect the OP is confusing the optional prepay pumps that a lot of Topaz and Maxol stations are adding with stations becoming forced prepay.

keithclancy

I would say their a great idea... but foreigners wreck the whole thing.

Coming back from the UK I was at a Car pump just outside Antwerp behind a bunch of UK reg cars, scratching their heads.

naughtysmurf

In Florida last year I used to pull up at the pumps, walk in to the cashier & ask for $20 on pump 5 and pay, walk back to car and the pump would only dispense $20 worth of fuel, thought that worked grand and only one trip to the cashier, maybe that's the system they will use, could also pay by card at the pump

Berty

Be like yer man in Texaco in Limerick who just dumped a car at a pump furthest away from the shop because there were no security cameras. Car must have been there 2 years. Used to really confuse people sitting behind it waiting for the customer to come out because said customer never existed.

I don't mind pre pay pumps because less interaction with surly staff who don't want to be there. Although I have a fuel card so looks like they'd have to invest in chip and pin for Topaz.

sandin

MYOB wrote: »

I suspect the OP is confusing the optional prepay pumps that a lot of Topaz and Maxol stations are adding with stations becoming forced prepay.

Nope - 100% pre pay 24hours a day and cheaper price. They had over €2k in dreaways in one week recently and they would rather lose some business than put up with this as the only other option is to close.

So blame the thieving scum who don't pay rather than the garage.

As some post above shpow, there will be those who won't like it and sayign they want to fill up / buy by litre etc, but looks like this will spread very quickly as driveaways cost stations a fortune these days - esp whn profits on a litre of fuel is only about 5c in most cases.

My guess is if a staion is 2c cheaper in an area, people will prepay - I certainly would.

Wise Old Elf

I hate having to pre-pay in a shop if I'm tring to fill up, obviously no idea how much car is going to take.
If you're talking about the Tesco style Pay-at-Pump facility, I'm all for it; insert card, fill up, leave, no messing.

smemon

Screw all you lot, i want to pay online in advance, get a voucher number, key in the voucher number and bam - pump dispenses that amount.

Ideally, i want my car to tell me how much it needs, find the garages nearby, price them all and give me the cheapest then pre-order petrol. I pull up to the pump, it recognises my plates and a machine opens the fuel cap and inserts the nozzle, auto pumping fuel.

THAT'S how it should be, not this prepay ****e that will only serve to confuse people & cause backlogs at pumps.

bop1977

i go to a petrol station in santry that is not manned and has credit/debit card payment only at all of its pumps.

you insert your card select petrol/diesel then the amount in 10 20 40 60 or 80. lift the nozzle and fill.

it only dispences the amount you requested and you are in and out in no time.

L1011

sandin wrote: »

Nope - 100% pre pay 24hours a day and cheaper price. They had over €2k in dreaways in one week recently and they would rather lose some business than put up with this as the only other option is to close.

So blame the thieving scum who don't pay rather than the garage.

As some post above shpow, there will be those who won't like it and sayign they want to fill up / buy by litre etc, but looks like this will spread very quickly as driveaways cost stations a fortune these days - esp whn profits on a litre of fuel is only about 5c in most cases.

My guess is if a staion is 2c cheaper in an area, people will prepay - I certainly would.

If this is the case, their shop will be closed within weeks, and that's where most stations make the bulk of their profits, so the station will follow...

pcardin

ardmacha wrote: »

I wouldn't patronise a station that required two trips to the cash desk.

how is a prepay pump forcing you to make two trips to counter? You park at the pump, go to the till pay €50 or whatever get back to car fill petrol and drive away. Or am I missing something?

Of course prepay automated pumps would be a perfect solution ( at least for me) as I hate going to the till at all.

ofcork

Only one garage in cork is all prepay afaik.

Gran Hermano

pcardin wrote: »

how is a prepay pump forcing you to make two trips to counter? You park at the pump, go to the till pay €50 or whatever get back to car fill petrol and drive away. Or am I missing something?

Of course prepay automated pumps would be a perfect solution ( at least for me) as I hate going to the till at all.

You prepay your 50 at the till but your tank will only take 47€, second trip for your change.

You prepay €50 but your tank takes €54, second trip to pay the extra.

By brimming the tank and then paying you also get to minimize the amount of times you need to fill up.

zenno

I know 11 cent is not much but everytime i pre-pay for petrol say for €20 when i hold down the pressure pump it always goes to €20.11, even if i get a fivers worth it will be €5.11, i take no notice as they said the pump is configured for the amount i pay so must be a flaw in the pump but it's like this 5 months now.

kuro2k

ofcork wrote: »

Only one garage in cork is all prepay afaik.

TOP kinsale road?

Its diesel only, cheapest in the city!

The Pontiac

ofcork wrote: »

Only one garage in cork is all prepay afaik.

The one in Little Island is prepay only.

ofcork

kuro2k wrote: »

TOP kinsale road?

Its diesel only, cheapest in the city!

Garage on rochestown road was the only one i was aware of.

GreeBo

zenno wrote: »

I know 11 cent is not much but everytime i pre-pay for petrol say for €20 when i hold down the pressure pump it always goes to €20.11, even if i get a fivers worth it will be €5.11, i take no notice as they said the pump is configured for the amount i pay so must be a flaw in the pump but it's like this 5 months now.

Happened me before but it went over by 55 cent or so. The guy called me back in over the loud speaker I complained that pre-pay should stop at the amount I pre-paid, like it does everywhere else in the world...he answered that it was the customers responsibility to stop it at exactly the correct amount. So I passed over my laser card to pay for the extra 55c and he complained saying he wouldnt take it...I said I had no cash at all and he let me off.

In Italy you stick in a card or cash and prepay a specific amount, pump slows down and cuts out exactly at that amount. In US you go in and swipe your card authorizing whatever amount you think you need, then they just debit the actual amount.

pete4130

While driving across the US a few years ago its very common to pay at the pumps. You type in the amount you want (say $60) and if it came to $56 then only $56 comes off your card. Either you get refunded or the $60 is just pre-authorised. No big dramas.

It works well. The only occasions I had to go inside to prepay was when my Irish credit card was declined, as most pumps in the US you need to enter the zip code of where the card is addressed to.

Rayne Wooney

I've always wondered why they don't enclose the garage, and do it like a car park sort of thing. You drive in, fill up your car, a ticket comes out of a machine beside the pump, you drive up to the exit barrier and put the ticket in, it tells you what to pay and when you put the money in the barrier opens to let you out.. Thank you for listening Dragons, I'll take that investment now

The Pontiac

Rayne Wooney wrote: »

I've always wondered why they don't enclose the garage, and do it like a car park sort of thing. You drive in, fill up your car, a ticket comes out of a machine beside the pump, you drive up to the exit barrier and put the ticket in, it tells you what to pay and when you put the money in the barrier opens to let you out.. Thank you for listening Dragons, I'll take that investment now

Because there's not a whole lot of profit in selling fuel. They want you to go into the shop and buy stuff. They would usually make more profit on a cup of coffee.

I'm out.

privateBeavis

The reason garages won't do the selfservice card at the pumps everywhere is because they want to get you into the shop so you might spend more money, on a few packets of Tayto or something.

Rayne Wooney

<Ollie> wrote: »

Rayne Wooney wrote: »

I've always wondered why they don't enclose the garage, and do it like a car park sort of thing. You drive in, fill up your car, a ticket comes out of a machine beside the pump, you drive up to the exit barrier and put the ticket in, it tells you what to pay and when you put the money in the barrier opens to let you out.. Thank you for listening Dragons, I'll take that investment now

Because there's not a whole lot of profit in selling fuel. They want you to go into the shop and buy stuff. They would usually make more profit on a cup of coffee.

I'm out.

Darn you, I didn't want your investment anyway Duncan.

I don't know about you but I've never impulse bought something in a garage I'd only buy it if I actually needed it, so people could go into the shop anyway. Maybe I'm wrong back to the drawing board

highdef

I fill my tank by the litre, not by the cost. Cost per litre varies all the time however a litre is always a litre. Can i presume that I can walk to the prepay and just ask to pay for 48 litres or whatever the amount should be? Otherwise, it's not so convenient. I generally fill to the brim but can usually guess how many litres it will take to the nearest litre or so. Having to pay based on the price per litre is a pain as the amount of fuel dispensed per litre varies, as mentioned already.

AltAccount

I'm unsure how one station going pre-pay = "becoming the norm"...

Pottler

My Company do maintenance for a fair few service stations, we repair the buildings, unblock the toilets and fix any damage/emergencies. The amount of drive-offs in the last few months is unreal and the Staff cop hell when it happens as they get the blame. Pre-pay is fine by me, I prefer the insert card type machines but whatever, it's a business, you can choose where you shop - if you don't like it, shop elsewhere. Blame the scumbags, not the people trying to make a living.

V480

The garage in Rochestown in Cork introduced this a good while back. One of the staff was telling me that when it was first brought in a big problem was people coming in and paying for petrol and then driving off without filling up!

ShadowHearth

Gran Hermano wrote: »

Whilst it might work with those who buy their fuel in quantities of €10 or €20 at a time, I don't. I fill my tank in one go and put in whatever it takes to fill fully and the amount varies greatly. I have no problem swiping a card for payment at the pump but refuse to use prepayment and two trips to the till.

Yup. I never have a set amount I fill in. I just fill to full tank, so amount is always different.
Now I don't mind some system where I can just use my card at pump, but that way garages will always lose on sales in the shop. I almost always grab a bottle of something when I paying for petrol.

Cienciano

bop1977 wrote: »

i go to a petrol station in santry that is not manned and has credit/debit card payment only at all of its pumps.

you insert your card select petrol/diesel then the amount in 10 20 40 60 or 80. lift the nozzle and fill.

it only dispences the amount you requested and you are in and out in no time.

They had them in Finland years ago on the big long roads in the middle of nowhere.
Just a diesel and petrol pump at the side of a road with a slot for your card. Very handy.

AugustusMinimus

Barrier at each pump which only lift once the person behind the counter knows you've paid mightn't be a bad idea.

Cumbersome, yes. Sure to work, yes.


I always fill the car to the top in order to work out MPG so I can't stand having to prepay. I prepaid about 3 Euros too much one time. Went up to the counter and the guy kept claiming the system didn't allow him to give me my 3 Euros back. :mad:

the groutch

V480 wrote: »

The garage in Rochestown in Cork introduced this a good while back. One of the staff was telling me that when it was first brought in a big problem was people coming in and paying for petrol and then driving off without filling up!

only in Cork (and maybe Leitrim)

goz83

the groutch wrote: »

only in Cork (and maybe Leitrim)

But NEVER in Cavan

mathepac

highdef wrote: »

I fill my tank by the litre, not by the cost. Cost per litre varies all the time however a litre is always a litre. ...

Untrue. A litre is not always a litre. Petrol is a volatile substance and will respond volumetrically to variations in ambient temperature (and pressure). This is the reason F1 teams weigh their fuel and the reason why fuel tanks in cars have such large capacity expansion tanks (irrelevant for diesel BTW).

Chris_Heilong

IMO cash is king, feck all this prepay this, direct debit that. I want to be in control of my cash, its too easy lose track of our hard earned when we have signed up to 10 or 20 things(ESB,mobile internet,gas,bins, insurance, mortgage..ect). Attendants at petrol pumps would be a welcome sight, they can check oil and fluid levels for us just like in Japan.

AugustusMinimus

mathepac wrote: »

Untrue. A litre is not always a litre. Petrol is a volatile substance and will respond volumetrically to variations in ambient temperature (and pressure). This is the reason F1 teams weigh their fuel and the reason why fuel tanks in cars have such large capacity expansion tanks (irrelevant for diesel BTW).

No. A litre is always a litre.

The mass of the litre may vary though depending on the temperature of the fuel.

kuro2k

<Ollie> wrote: »

The one in Little Island is prepay only.

ofcork wrote: »

Garage on rochestown road was the only one i was aware of.

Did the price of petrol/diesel in these Cork stations drop after the change over to pre-paid? AFAIK the rochestown road station was alway one of the most expensive in the city..

Just curious if the change in payment condition is reflect in the current price, prepaid should mean cheap...........

YourName

As another poster stated about the Santry petrol station. There is one on the old ashbourne road on the way to Slane, just at the turn for Drogheda. No shop, not people, just the pumps, you insert your card and choose the amount and it dispenses that amount.

This is the future of petrol stations IMO, there is a vending machine, and the usual compressed air etc. It is linked up by camera and audio streaming to a central control station and any issues on the forecourt can be sorted out either with a loudspeaker or by contacting the guards. Read up about it in the paper last week, brilliant idea, probably around ages but news to me TBH.

bmstuff

Pre pay does not necessarily mean your card is debited of a certain amount before you even put gas in it.

The system I am used to from the continent, is that you insert your card, it pre charge an amount of 75 euro, it records it, then you fill, put the nose back, then your card is debited of the actual amount you used.
The pre charge is not actually made, this is just the machine asking your bank if you have 75 euro available before it serves you. You can't actually use more than 75 euro per filling.

lau1247

prepay is simple, anyone wishes to use credit/debit card should have option at the pump prior to starting. If paying by cash, walk in, pay, get out, pump and go. Yes, if fill to the brim, just pay more, then fill to brim and go back to get the difference.

I think if they want to prevent prepay, build a smart station. Space the pump reasonably apart. Have those rising bollard around the space of a car plus allowance of course. Then once the pump start, the bollards rises until it is paid at the said pump. No more pump and run unless someone wish to destroy their car simples, now that is an idea worth thinking!!

Chriscl1

Asda in Llandudno is all self pay. Pop your card into the pump, enter your pin,fill up, replace hose and it prints your receipt. I'm all for it, it's quicker than standing in the que while some dithering auld fecker holds the whole place up especially if you've a que of people all paying with cards anyway!