The Barclays customer said they had been forced into an un-arranged overdraft
A Barclays customer was baffled after seemingly being slapped with a £120 bill at Tesco, despite only spending £16. The confused shopper reached out to the bank on social media after noticing a pending transaction of £120 at the supermarket on their statement, insisting they had spent far less. The customer said: “I spent £16 on fuel which has gone out but the £120 has not been returned.
“This has now sent me into an un-arranged overdraft, can’t get hold of anyone to speak to.” In response, Barclays explained the rules that apply when filling up at a Tesco petrol station.
The group said: “Tesco pay at the pump system requires a temporary pre-authorisation for up to £120, but you will only be charged the final amount for the fuel you purchase after you finish filling up. So they will deduct the £16 and credit you with the outstanding amount from the pending transaction.”
Tesco’s website offers guidance for those who find their bank statement incorrectly shows a charge of £120 at the pump. The advice reads: “There may be a small number of occasions where your card issuer doesn’t update your balance in real time.
“We’ll only ever charge you for the value of the fuel you’ve purchased, but if you do have concerns, please talk to your bank for further details.” It’s worth noting that there is a maximum limit of £120 when paying at the pump at Tesco.
However, there is no spending limit if you choose to pay at the kiosk. If your account balance is below £120, the fuel pump screen will display the amount you’re able to fill up to.
Certain card issuers may not allow partial authorisations below £120, in which case you will need to use a different card. Any chip and pin card can be used for payment at the pump, except for Visa Electron.
You can also pay using a fuel card, including fuelGenie, UK Fuels, Keyfuels (only the purple card) and Allstar. Contactless payments are not accepted at the pump.
However, if you opt to pay using contactless at the kiosk, the limit is up to £100.
