Credit card security - HGV drivers & others

martin1018

My neighbour is a HGV driver and consequently spends a vast amount of money each week on diesel.
Due to the general lawlessness in this country when it comes to filling vehicles with fuel, most fuel retailers insist on HGV drivers handing over their payment cards before being allowed to draw fuel. When you consider his tank will take about £350 worth of fuel at current prices, and there are tanks much larger, it is understandable that the retailer wants some kind of security. That is fine when the retailers are law abiding themselves. However there are those who are not, and my neighbour has had the misfortune to fall foul of one of these. He uses a Shell card which does not have a PIN facility, and the card was 'cloned' when left with the staff at a garage which he believes he has identified - I won't name it, but is located on the eastbound A14 between Huntingdon and Cambridge - but there are bound to be many others!!!
The payment routine is complicated due to third parties but suffice to say he gets statements some 8-10 weeks in arrears. Having just had the statement to mid-January there are 4 additional transactions totalling about £500, 2 small ones which I think were testing the card, and two much larger ones, just prior to the end of the satement period. He has now obviously had the card cancelled and investigations commenced, however is waiting to see what fraudulent transactions have been made between mid-Jan and mid-march. I think it will run into £000's.
His tachos and delivery slips put him in totally different places to the fuel 'purchases' and the two big ones were so close together the fuel wouldn't physically have fitted in the vehicle. Hopefully that will be sufficient to prove he is not responsible for the transactions.

Anyway - thank-you if you're still with me - I have been trying to think of a way to protect the card from unauthorised use whilst still handing it over to staff to ensure that he can fill up.

I had hoped for a lockable transparent case but can't source one as yet. My alternative is to use an ID card holder which is the same size as a credit card (the type often worn on a lanyard round the neck) which holds the card securely, drill a small hole through both card (obviously in an area which does not affect the magnetic strip or embossed information) and holder, and use a small padlock like those used for luggage, to keep the card in the holder untill it is unlocked when payment is made. Any attempt to remove the card would then be obvious and questions asked.

Anybody see any problems with that, or has anyone got any other suggestions or current ways round the issue? Saying don't hand the card over is a non-starter as that would just mean not refueling!

Any help would be appreciated - here's an ideal chance for an inventor to come up with a solution which I'm sure would be taken up by many HGV drivers.

Flynn_2

Card boxes like that are about. Went to a restaurant recently where they wanted to take my card and lock it in a custom-made plastic box for which they would give me the key.

Daft idea because there was no way of knowing if they had a second key. Afraid they were told if they wanted my custom they would have to trust me to pay just as their competitors did and I'd trust them not to food-poison me.

For your purposes it would work if you owned the box. Suppose you could use anything sealable, even just an envelope or a kids lockable money-box if they see the card go in - or don't use those garages. £350 might be 10 times the average sale but I assume they make 10 time the profit on the transaction.

bert&ernie

Why cant the merchant pre-auth the card? There is really no reason why a merchant should expect you to hand over the card. In my view, the card schemes should get tough over this and actively prohibit this practice.

rocking_horse

They dont normally scan the card before filling so I give them a in date but cancelled card that has also been gone over with magnets. I then produce the real card when I pay.

bigstevex

Should be able to pre authorise, its like when you buy an expensive item on the internet, they take the money and then when the items ready to send they actually charge it to the card, or something like that

bert&ernie

Exactly, there's really no need for the Heath Robinson devices that you see in some restaurants and bars - non of which provide anything more than the illusion of security anyway. All they need to do is pre-auth whatever value they believe is at risk. This is what a hotel does - you don't expect to leave your card behind the counter when you check into the holiday inn, travelodge or whatever.

CannyJock

Yup, pre-authorisation is the way forward.

If not, a simple envelope would do. Go into garage, show them card, put it in envelope, seal it, write a X across the seal on the back. Tell them not to open it until you're back. Fuel up. Go back and take the card out yourself.

Sounds a bit elaborate, but if it prevents hassle and only costs the price of a pack of envelopes then so much the better.