So why does this happen? Before you pump there is no way to know how much the total purchase will be. You may not be able to put $150 worth of gas or diesel into your vehicle but some can take a lot more than that.
The preauthorization charge is to make sure the money will be there for the actual purchase amount and it all comes out square in the final verification process.
To avoid the charges you can always go inside and tell the cashier how much you want to buy and they will authorize the pump for your prepay amount. Inconvenient yes but if you want to make sure it doesn't happen that is your option.
The reports of this happening go back many years but they have skyrocketed in the last week.
photo: getty images