Author Topic: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?  (Read 13137 times)

yodelo

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Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« on: March 20, 2017, 07:03:48 AM »
I notice that gas stations only put a $1 charge on my vanilla visa gift card when I pay for gas. If that's the case, if my gift card only has $1 remaining, could I fill up my tank, and then throw away the gift card? They would never find out it was me right?

MOD NOTE: Thread locked. This community DOES NOT support stealing and engaging in activities that hurt others as a way of getting ahead or saving yourself money.
« Last Edit: March 20, 2017, 10:04:54 AM by swick »

NESailor

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2017, 07:08:57 AM »
Haha, I guess you could but I'm not sure that the hold they place on the card at the time of the swipe is really just $1 dollar.  It may bounce.

I thought this was some sort of a rewards question.  I live in NY and one of the supermarkets does the - "spend $100 get $0.10/gallon off" deal.  Since I do most of my shopping there I get at least $1.00/gallon off monthly and with special promotions and coupons it's often more.  The gas stations let you bring the price of gas down to $0.10 per gallon (20 gal max) so I end up paying about $1.80 for a full tank in my Civic + a 5 gallon gas can.  In fact, I just did that yesterday.

Before people jump at me for spending $1000 on food monthly - not quite.  I buy gift cards for other places at the grocery store for extra points.  Lowe's for home improvements and Amazon for everything else ;)

HipGnosis

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2017, 07:16:07 AM »
I can't understand what's happening, but...
If I happened upon a way to get gas for $1 - even just one gallon, I surely would NOT throw it away!

rantk81

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2017, 07:24:09 AM »
It sounds like theft to me...

yodelo

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2017, 07:39:02 AM »
I can't understand what's happening, but...
If I happened upon a way to get gas for $1 - even just one gallon, I surely would NOT throw it away!

Maybe I'm not being super clear, but this is what i'm thinking:
1. Go to gas pump and pay with a vanilla visa gift card with $1 left on it
2. The gas pump immediately charges me $1 as a holding fee
3. I fill up my tank with gas
4. Throw away the gift card
5. The gas station charges the remaining amount (~$25) to my gift card later but is unable to do so, since it doesn't have any fees. Since it's a gift card, they have no way of tracking it to me right?

Metric Mouse

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2017, 07:44:23 AM »
I can't understand what's happening, but...
If I happened upon a way to get gas for $1 - even just one gallon, I surely would NOT throw it away!

Maybe I'm not being super clear, but this is what i'm thinking:
1. Go to gas pump and pay with a vanilla visa gift card with $1 left on it
2. The gas pump immediately charges me $1 as a holding fee
3. I fill up my tank with gas
4. Throw away the gift card
5. The gas station charges the remaining amount (~$25) to my gift card later but is unable to do so, since it doesn't have any fees. Since it's a gift card, they have no way of tracking it to me right?
I could see this working. Does the gas station have cameras?

beastykato

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2017, 07:48:50 AM »
Hahah this is awesome.  I would totally do it, but I suspect you'll be on the local news after a few months. 

Iplawyer

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2017, 07:52:54 AM »
Hahah this is awesome.  I would totally do it, but I suspect you'll be on the local news after a few months.

You think stealing is awesome?  I thought this site was about legitimately being frugal.  I did not think it was about underhanded ways to rip businesses or people off.

Dicey

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2017, 07:55:33 AM »
It sounds like theft to me...
^This^ Also, pretty sure it violates the Mustachian Code of Honor. There are more effective ways of getting to FIRE. See below:

I thought this was some sort of a rewards question.  I live in NY and one of the supermarkets does the - "spend $100 get $0.10/gallon off" deal.  Since I do most of my shopping there I get at least $1.00/gallon off monthly and with special promotions and coupons it's often more.  The gas stations let you bring the price of gas down to $0.10 per gallon (20 gal max) so I end up paying about $1.80 for a full tank in my Civic + a 5 gallon gas can.  In fact, I just did that yesterday.
^Nice!^
Hahah this is awesome.  I would totally do it, but I suspect you'll be on the local news after a few months. 
As someone who has figured out how to get free lodging?

yodelo

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2017, 07:59:01 AM »
I can't understand what's happening, but...
If I happened upon a way to get gas for $1 - even just one gallon, I surely would NOT throw it away!

Maybe I'm not being super clear, but this is what i'm thinking:
1. Go to gas pump and pay with a vanilla visa gift card with $1 left on it
2. The gas pump immediately charges me $1 as a holding fee
3. I fill up my tank with gas
4. Throw away the gift card
5. The gas station charges the remaining amount (~$25) to my gift card later but is unable to do so, since it doesn't have any fees. Since it's a gift card, they have no way of tracking it to me right?
I could see this working. Does the gas station have cameras?


Oh true. They probably have cameras and can just look at my license plate. LOL

MommyCake

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2017, 08:02:05 AM »
I'm pretty sure when you put the gift card in, the machine reads the remaining balance. 

marielle

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2017, 08:18:48 AM »
It doesn't seem much different from filling up and driving away without paying. I guess the question is whether you'd be caught or not...

ketchup

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2017, 08:19:20 AM »
Life hack:  If you're brandishing a weapon, you usually won't be charged anything at all for your groceries!

HipGnosis

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2017, 08:51:17 AM »
I'm pretty sure when you put the gift card in, the machine reads the remaining balance.
The balance isn't on the card, so the card reader can't read it.
The machine is making a $1 charge - which confirms that the card is valid.
Other machines will charge the card $50 - $125 as a 'hold' (or block).
Once the gassing is completed, the amount pumped is charged to the card - either the $1 is credited back or taken out of the final charge.
It can take weeks for holds to be released - I found out about these when I was travelling and getting gas 2-3 times a day.  The holds took my credit card to the credit limit before my trip was through.

Paul der Krake

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2017, 08:54:10 AM »
Please x-post to /r/PFjerk.

slugline

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #15 on: March 20, 2017, 09:05:33 AM »
Well, when gas pumps start refusing gift cards in the future, I'll know why. . . .

Just Joe

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #16 on: March 20, 2017, 09:09:26 AM »
That lawyer you'll need will cost much more than the $25 you might save. Your employer might just can you on the spot too for being dishonest after they find out about your arrest. That costs more than $25 too.

Good luck with your project. 

Retire-Canada

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #17 on: March 20, 2017, 09:16:49 AM »
I notice that gas stations only put a $1 charge on my vanilla visa gift card when I pay for gas. If that's the case, if my gift card only has $1 remaining, could I fill up my tank, and then throw away the gift card? They would never find out it was me right?

Totally. Nobody has ever been caught stealing gas before! ;)

honeybbq

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #18 on: March 20, 2017, 09:20:38 AM »
Let us know how posh the pokey is in your county.

NoStacheOhio

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Re: Is it possible to fill up your car for $1?
« Reply #19 on: March 20, 2017, 09:58:32 AM »
Well, when gas pumps start refusing gift cards in the future, I'll know why. . . .

I've never been able to use a prepaid card for gas (with the exception of gas station gift cards, of course).

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!