Have you encountered the newest security method, protecting against unauthorized use of your credit card at the fuel pump? At increasing numbers of gas stations, you punch in your billing ZIP code after you swipe your card through the reader. In theory, a thief would have only taken (or duplciated) your credit card, and not gotten anything with your address on it (such as, perhaps, your driver's license).
Dan and I are struggling with this new system. See, our ZIP code changed this past June. Punch in our new ZIP code and the systems reject it as "not valid." Punch in the old one, and it doesn't match the ZIP code on file with the credit card companies. Either way, the purchase is denied for our security — and the hapless clerks have no idea what to do. This led to a Sunday afternoon of gas-station hopping, trying to find gas that was reasonably priced and was being sold by stations without the ZIP code requirement.
I appreciate the attempt at security — I was taken aback the first time my signature wasn't required for a fuel purchase — but can I at least use my own card?
I had the exact same thing happen a few weeks ago but I've only come across one station that has asked me for it. It was the old zip I put in so the next time I went there I used the new one and all was fine. What I hate are the online sites where I enter our new zip code, 34714, and it comes back telling me it's invalid. No it's not! Update your damn database!
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