Canadian Credit Cards are slowly becoming acceptable at U



Canadian Credit Cards are slowly becoming acceptable at U.S. gas pumps.

For years, many Canadians driving cars to Florida have been frustrated when stopping for gas at a U.S. service station. They could not use their Visa or Mastercard credit cards to start refuelling at the pump. Instead, they had to surrender their card to the gas attendant who would turn on the pump, while holding on to it.

Why? Because the computer software used to turn on gas pumps automatically, requires the zip code of the card's billing address ... and Canadian credit cards do not have zip codes!

Some Florida-bound drivers will tell you it's not a problem, they have a favourite "work-around." Many of these are available on our website at creditcard.html, but none of them work with any consistency. Some are based on the type of card used or the issuing Canadian bank. Others depend upon the gas brand, the regional credit card processing company and even the area service station's petroleum distributor.

A few year's ago, EMV, the umbrella company for Mastercard, Visa and other credit cards, announced a revised implementation date of October 1, 2020 for "chipped" car readers to be installed at all gas pumps. It was to have been by October 1, 2017.

Sadly, the ability for gas companies to meet the original date has proven to be impossible for various logistical reasons.

However the news is not all bad. As of October 1, 2017, gas companies without chip card readers installed on their pumps by October 1, 2017, will be responsible for any payments the credit card companies have to make to their customers, for losses due to fraudulent card use or pump "scanner theft."

Many companies are going ahead to avoid this liability but are having problems sourcing the equipment and software they need; last year's rushed implementation of chipped card readers on all US financial institution ATMs, has created a major shortage of the required readers.

Hopefully by 2020, the frustration of trying to use a Canadian credit card at a U.S. gas pump, will be over!

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Credit: by Dave Hunter, author of Along I-75 and Along Florida’s Expressways.

Additional, if needed:

Dave is a founding member of the Travel Media Association of Canada and a long time member of the Society of American Travel Writers. His travel guide books have won prestigious awards in both Canada and the USA.

Most notably, VISITFLORIDA, the Sunshine State’s official tourism organization recently endorsed Dave’s “Along Florida’s Expressways” as the guide book it uses in all its state Welcome Centers.

Dave and his wife Kathy, have been driving I-75 to Florida since it was built in the 1960s.

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