A Dundee man was unable to buy groceries after a £99 hold was placed on his account for a £25 fuel transaction.
Neil Mooney used the pumps at Asda Dundee West Superstore on Monday.
Since paying by a Barclays Visa debit card at the pay-at-pump station the £99 hold has remained in the 60-year-old’s pending transactions – leaving him without any money.
Temporary holds have been rolled out in recent years by Mastercard and Visa to prevent shoppers falling into unarranged overdrafts.
Neil said he has since been left relying on friends and family for financial support.
Man tells of ‘torture’ after £99 holding fee at Asda fuel pump
He said: “The hold has temporarily left me overdrawn on my account – despite the fact I should have cash left.
“These are meant to be temporary but since 7am (on Monday) I’ve been left with no money.
“I checked online to see if this was an isolated incident but there are others who have had the same issue.
“Surely this can’t be legal.
“If it is then it’s morally wrong.
“It has been torture, checking my account to see if the cash has gone back in.
“If it wasn’t for friends and family locally supporting me what would I have done?”
Dundee United fan calls for change of policy
The Dundee United fan said a lack of assistance from Asda or Barclays since the issue on his account has been equally frustrating.
He added: “I’ve always preferred carrying cash and there would have been no issue paying the £25 as per the actual transaction.
“The actual payment came off my account late Tuesday afternoon.
“I’ve made various calls to Asda and they can’t do anything.
“All I’ve been told is this could take up to 10 days to clear.
“I’d honestly urge for a change to this policy, there has surely got to be an easier way?”
Visa says ‘funds-check will never be taken from your account’
Asda said that because fuel transactions are processed by the payment provider they were unable to comment.
A Visa statement said: “When you insert or tap your card at a self-service pump, your bank will now temporarily reserve an amount from your available balance while you fill up.
“This could be up to £120* (a standard tank of petrol).
“Once you’ve finished filling up, this will be updated, and you’ll only be charged for the amount of petrol you bought.
“The funds-check will never be taken from your account.
“If your account balance is below £120, for example £20, this would be communicated back to the fuel pump by your bank enabling that amount of fuel to be dispensed.
“This means the pump will automatically cut out once you have reached the approved amount (or before if you choose to dispense less).
“This is called ‘partial authorisation’ and ensures you can get the fuel you need.
“This should happen almost instantly but occasionally it may take a little longer.
“Consumers should contact their bank if this is not the case.”
Barclays has been contacted for comment.
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