Using Canadian Zip codes at US gas Pumps

[friesman]

when travelling in the US paying at the pump can be a pain for Canadians as our Zip codes aren't always accepted at the pump so we have to go in and prepay or leave my card with the counter staff (not something I want to do) while I fill. So Master Card has this posted on their website that tells you how to convert your Canadian code into something the gas pumps will recognize when you go to pay at the pump.

 

http://www.mastercard.ca/education/travel-tips/US-gas-code.html

[darthandy]

Actually, I recently noticed that some of the gas pumps in NY and PA now have a small sticker on the pump explaining how to do this, but thanks for posting for those who don't know.

 

Andy

[thecount]

Wonder if VISA follows the same formula for Cdn cards in the US?

[tomephil]

Wonder if VISA follows the same formula for Cdn cards in the US?

 

Good question Count, does anyone know of a Visa fix for this?

[Condor]

My daughter works as a cashier in a truck stop/station in Sault St Marie, Michigan, and they pump a lot of gas for those north of the boarder. We just talked about it last week. The Canadians get madder than 'H' because the pumps won't take their cards. She said it has something to do with their 'scan' chip that's put in them, and the pumps not reading it. Changing the card sounds like the only answer, as pumps in the US work off the magnetic strip. Or...suck it up and prepay....

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

Thanks Brian, it pisses me to know end...... the only thing I dislike about traveling in the USA is having to go through the crap of getting gas.

There is no reason for doing this other than big brother tracking you.

[friesman]

According to a former member here, Lou "Blueslover" indicates that it works well with most major credit cards.

[camos]

My daughter works as a cashier in a truck stop/station in Sault St Marie, Michigan, and they pump a lot of gas for those north of the boarder. We just talked about it last week. The Canadians get madder than 'H' because the pumps won't take their cards. She said it has something to do with their 'scan' chip that's put in them, and the pumps not reading it. Changing the card sounds like the only answer, as pumps in the US work off the magnetic strip. Or...suck it up and prepay....

For pumps that don't have a Zip Code requirement, the Canadian chip cards work just fine. If I recall correctly during my Venture West week in Washington and Oregon, somewhere around 40% of the pumps required the zip to be entered so a small majority did not.

 

Personally, I think the zip code thing was a failed attempt to make CC purchases more secure. With the advent of the chip CC the zip is not needed. Stations with old technology pumps will be stuck with the annoying zips until they upgrade the pumps which is not likely to happen any time soon.

 

Oh yes, forgot to mention: Taking the three numbers out of the Canadian Postal Code and adding 2 zeros does not always produce a valid US zip. If the first zero, zero does not work then try zero, one or zero, two etc until there is acceptance.

Edited July 20, 2014 by camos
more info

[bmiller]

Thanks for all the tips! I am getting anxious to head out to Guntersville and know these suggestions will be useful.

[XV1100SE]

...Taking the three numbers out of the Canadian Postal Code and adding 2 zeros does not always produce a valid US zip. If the first zero, zero does not work then try zero, one or zero, two etc until there is acceptance.

 

You could do something like going to mapquest or maps.google and for location use this process to find out if your postal code would work. I went tu usps.com and tried a couple combinations. My postal code is N2E4A6 but 24600 wouldn't work. 24601 DID work.

[darthandy]

My Mastercard is a chip card and so far has worked in all the pumps that I tried in the U.S. recently. But then I didn't go very far south so it could be a different story in some places.

 

Andy