I have heard of this. It is to entertain you while you pump gas. My gas station has a screen with the news and ads, of course, for you to watch so you don't get bored while pumping gas. It is working on the theory that we have to be connected at all times.

That was curious. I hope it was on line gaming and you paid to play that history game.

Can't help as our pumps only have on slot for cr cd.

Having to give your social security number to pump gas is bizarre. I would have left at that point.

I never use a debit card at a gas station (and few other places) because of the chance of skimming and having someone empty my account. Better protections for credit card fraud, or at least quicker resolution, so you don't have to be without your $$ while it's all sorted out.
credit vs debit protection

One word: cash

@maire_cate think it's his pin number, not SS number. Agree, never use a debit card. Here in Florida, our Publix Grocery stores, will periodically have $10 off a $50 gas card when you spend a certain amount.

Bev - that makes more sense.

I don't use debit, just MasterCard, and very seldom at that. The only place I use my credit card is Costco. I'm a cash gal.

Yes, quizzes, playing music is to keep you entertained, for the 5 minutes that we're pumping gas.

I'm happy that I live in Oregon where self serve has is illegal.

However, I was in California for a few days last week and decided to buy a few gallons before heading home. It always takes me forever to remember how to pump my own gas!

I hope that silliness of jumping through hoops to get gas doesn't come here. I just put my card in the slot, it asks me to punch in my zip code, it approves, I pump. Plus I've never been charged extra for using a credit card for gas, in fact my card gives me a 5% rebate for every gallon pumped. No fan of debit cards either, would rather write out 1 check for all charges each month when I review my bill before paying......yeah, that's more info than requested.

Terriks - I'll join you in the "No Self Pump" line. I think Oregon and New Jersey are the only 2 states that do not allow self serve gas pumps. In NJ diesel fuel is under a different law and it's up to the gas station if you're allowed to pump it yourself. In those cases the diesel is usually on a separate island.

I have never seen that, but I do hate the ads and entertainment playing while I am trying to pump my gas.

I use Stop and Shop has rewards. There a time when putting the reward card And than the credit card a but convoluted. It has since been changed and is user friendly.

I would not think a slot on an actual pump was part of a scheme. I just don't get why anyone gas would care to a quiz unless they paired it maybe getting a discount on gas if you win.

I use a debit card. We have had compromised situations with both credit debit. We are on top of all ourvcards and no issues were recytified quickly.

I’ve never heard of a quiz before. Why would you have to insert your card? Crazy.

For the past year I have been going to a station that pumps for you for the same price as pumping yourself. Now their price went up astronomically, so I am back to pumping it myself.

I hate those darn screens. Sometimes I can’t read what they are saying because of sun glare. At least they come with a mute so I dont have to listen to all the screaming nonsense.

I have to enter my zip code when I use my credit card. I miss the olden days when the attendant pumped the gas, checked oil and cleaned your windshield.

A few years ago, we had a station where you could put cash into the slot on the pump. I really liked that. It went away after a few years. Some stations have a can recycling opening at the bottom and the 10cent refund per can is credited to your gas purchase. It is not so popular anymore as it slowed down the gas lines.

I try to use touchless when I can; fortunately that’s becoming more commonly available. They don’t even get your cc # with that.

I entered my credit card security number, not my SS number, but when I use it as a credit card, it asks for my zip code.

I do not understand why anyone would need to be entertained while pumping gas. How is that efficient? I did think that maybe I would get a discount if I answered the quiz correctly, but I did not.

I just tap my card, fill and go. And enjoy the rest of the day🙂🚗

Hmm, seems odd but not necessarily nefarious. I don't buy Arco gas.

I too like to just tap a card reader at the pump but that's not available everywhere. Even better for me, the gadget guy, is using a smartphone app. The brands I buy - Chevron, Shell, 76, all have them. A couple of touches on the phone and the pump turns on, I fill up, the charge goes through my PayPal account.

A TV screen out anywhere in public (a gas pump, a waiting room, an airport) is invisible to me, I don't watch what I haven't chosen myself to see.

The problem is Elmer, you hear it. I'm going to see if it can be muted, as Ded suggested.

Lars, we buy our gas at Sam's Club for the price and cash back reward. They've closed their fuel center until the end of October for "updating." Makes me wonder if the new pumps will include the "entertainment" you mentioned.

eld6161 - You mention S&S rewards. By me my impression is that I need to build up points to make expensive gas stations reasonable. In other words, not a deal at all. Is your experience different?

Our pumps do not have a mute for the TV screen. I just tune it out like awful background noise. I look at my surroundings or try to enjoy the weather that day.

"The problem is Elmer, you hear it."

That's not a problem for me at all. Maybe it's my personality but I decide what I listen to, watch, or pay attention to. If something is present but it doesn't interest me or I choose not to pay attention to it, it's not there.

I buy my gas on the reservation or tribal lands. It is the cheapest around as certain taxes are not applied at these tribal owned service stations. Plus, some accept the Safeway gas discount as well, so even cheaper than Costco and without any lines. Plus Costco is a 40 minute drive away.

No quizzes, no TV screens :-)

"That's not a problem for me at all. Maybe it's my personality but I decide what I listen to, watch, or pay attention to. If something is present but it doesn't interest me or I choose not to pay attention to it, it's not there."

But it actually is there, regardless of whether you acknowledge it or not -- part of the continually growing noise pollution......That's a problem for everyone (even those not paying attention). Years ago I wrote several letters of complaint about noise pollution when the gas nearest me added audio to their video screens. They disappeared after a few months, but I have no idea why.

I switched to electric 3 years ago and gave up gas stations - I can't imagine ever choosing to drive a gas vehicle again.

"But it actually is there,"

Nope, not that I perceive. If it's tuned out and ignored, it's gone.

Electric cars are the future, I support that. Especially as the so-called renewable power sources, aside from damaging hydroelectric, and feasible ways to store power for low productions times come on line. But to use your language, I can't imagine ever choosing to drive an electric car given their inflexibility and inconvenience with present technology of having to spend so much time to charge them. I can fill up my cars in less than 5 minutes and can do so nearly everywhere I am, that's a convenience I'm not ready to discard. I can drive for as long in a given day as I'm biologically able to continue. Until charge ranges increase to 500+ miles or charging times decrease significantly, I'll stick with what I have.

If all someone does is drive around town and the car returns home where it can be charged overnight, that's a very different use pattern compared to taking trips and having unpredictable needs. For now, an electric car would be fine as a second car but if I had only one, they're not ready for me/I'm not ready for them.

Glad you posted this Lars! It reminded me that I need to get gas before I pick up my granddaughter at preschool today!

As to using cash, I am running into places that won't accept cash anymore. So strange to me, but I can understand their reasoning. I use a card that I pay off every month, although I used to use my debit card.

I buy my gas from my employer on site. So convenient. I just get it during a lull or before I leave in the morning.

Its premium, ethanol free gas and they sell it to us at cost,which ends up being way cheaper than regular E10 at public gas stations. I can't remember the last time I got gas at a regular gas station. Over 10 years at least. Sounds like I'll get quite a shock if I ever do. Why does one need to be entertained for 5 minutes? My first thought was that it was a way to distract people so maybe those who don't fill up but only want to put a certain dollar amount in are not paying attention and will go over,thus making more money for the business. But I can be cynical about things like that and its probably not the case at all....

Foodonastump, you get 10 cents off every $100. You keep adding to this total each week.

Each receipt is good for 30 days. I buy gas 2X a month. I average 40-50cents off per gallon I always beat Costco. DH always goes there for his gas.

The trick is to find the nearest Shell station that is cheapest. Believe it or not, the 3 nearest me, two are 50 cents higher a gallon!

You rack up your points, get your tank down to the lowest you feel comfortable and then head to cheapest shell station.

It absolutely saves me money.

But, if your local Shell is high and you normally don't spend at least $100 a week at the store, then maybe it doesn't work you.

Stop and Shop also does the electronic coupons. I go on my app that week and the coupons I choose are loaded on my rewards card. Sometimes there is a coupon for money off if you X amount.

I get gas at my local Costco and they pump it. The price is lower than most other places and I don't have to hunt around for a better deal - and I don't use much gas. My car is now a year old and I just hit the 5,000 mile mark. DH drives about twice that.

We have both Sam's and Costco a mile from home about a block apart so it's very conveneint for gas. Here in Southern CA the membership fee is worth it just for gas alone.

I will never shop at Costco or Sam's - that would be way more irritating than what I've already been through.

I buy gas at most once every two or three months. When I was working, my commute was 1.3 miles each way, and so I used very little gas. I drive less than 1200 miles a year (probably less than 800), as my brother does most of the driving.

Since I buy gas so seldom, it is not worth my time to drive out of my way for gas.

I buy gas almost exclusively at Costco and there is nothing irritating about it at all. No bells and whistles, no entertainment, just cheaper gas. The one closest to my house is only about 1 or 2 miles from where I enter the freeway, so I always plan my gas purchase around running other errands. They recently added several islands with more pumps, so there is seldom a wait. I try to go when the Costco store isn't open, as there are fewer people during those times. The gas station stays open later and opens earlier. I get a nice check back every year for the gas (and products) I buy using the Costco issued Citicard, which makes the gas even cheaper.

I'm highly irritated by the bank/credit union screens at the drive through playing ads and news, etc. They are practically in your car window and hard to avoid.

The Costco near me is extremely irritating because of the endless lines and endless waiting for anything. Also, in order to park in their lot, you must circle around like a vulture waiting for someone to leave.

As little gas as I buy, I don't mind paying a few cents more for convenience. Costco is extremely inconvenient for me.

I'm not sure what kind of drive through you go to, but I have not used drive through anything since I left Texas. My mother used to use drive through banking, but the only time I used that, I had to stand in line with cars, since I was a pedestrian and was not driving.

Costco gas stations I pass in Northern and Southern California are almost reminiscent of gas station lines during the 1973 Oil Crisis. As lars mentions, usually jam-packed with too long a wait, with backed up lines often serpentining through the parking lot approaches and even out onto adjacent streets. Every day.

Prices are lower enough to notice (sometimes 30 cents per gallon less than nearby top name brand stations, sometimes even lower) and I guess for those for whom the savings is important, the time spent isn't optional. For us it really doesn't matter and we both avoid getting Costco gas unless we happen to be passing by either very early or very late in the day when little or no wait can be expected. I just paid a tad over $5/gallon in SoCal to fill up at a Shell station. Yeah, it was steep, maybe 20 cents above other places, but it and I were at the same place at the same time, my time was limited and there was no wait!

"I buy gas almost exclusively at Costco and there is nothing irritating about it at all."

Same with us at Sam's. It's so close to home and very convenient. I usually go around 10 am for gas on weekdays to avoid lines. Then I can run into Sam's, grab a few things, do a quick self checkout and be on my way. Well worth the convenience.

We belong to both Costco and Sam's. We had a membership through DH's business for years with Costco that was about 6 miles from home. Then they built a Sam's Club a mile from our house, and it was just more convenient. Next thing we knew they were putting in a Costco right down the street from Sam's. I just find myself at Sam's more often. Lots of other frequent stops close by, too..

I wouldn't wait in line to save a few cents either. Luckily, unless you're trying to buy gas before a holiday weekend or similar (which I never would), there are not any long lines at my local Costco, esp if you plan your visit in lower demand times.

Lars, how did you do banking during the covid shut down? Around here, all the bank lobbies were closed and the only option was drive through. I do online and use cash machines, but when I needed a large amount of cash or bills not available through the cash machines, I had to use drive up. Maybe lobbies didn't close everywhere. Our drive throughs usually prohibit walking up without a car, but I noticed they did allow it when the lobbies were closed.

It's been several years since I bought ARCO, it used to be my closest gas station and used it all the time. There has always been the $.35 charge for debit cards, they used to only take cash and debit, I understand they are starting to take cards.

I now live very close to two Costcos and buy their gas. I shop there usually twice a week (buy lots of produce), if ithe station is crowded I avoid it, but as said they usualy are empty early morning before the store opens.

My DH drives an electric car, Tesla S, he loves it, me not so much, but really I like driving SUV's, his is a sedan. Having one ICE and one E works well for us, I do drive the Tesla if I want to use the HOV lane during rush hour. When we travel we take my Audi because we usually take our bikes.

Lukki, now that you mention it, I did feel a bit like I was going to be on Candid Camera! I did almost laugh when I reread my original post, although I did not think it was funny when I was writing it and certainly not when it was happening to me.

Olychick, my bank has a branch inside the Ralphs market in Westchester, and so I do my banking there. The branch that I go to in Marina Del Rey does not have drive through. I do not think I have seen any drive through banks in Los Angeles. It's bad enough when Randy's Donuts near my house has traffic backed up to go to its drive through.

My car is very much a compact and I bought it to use as a commuter car for the 1-1/3 miles I had to drive to and from work. It gets very good mileage, and I'm still comfortable taking it on a road trip as far as Palm Springs, San Diego, or Paso Robles. I haven't driven it as far as San Francisco or Sacramento, and I'm not sure I would want to, but it would certainly be easier to park if I did. I don't feel bad about using gasoline, since I use so little.