Same thing would apply to your debit card. Assuming you do have one to compliment your bank account.For the bike? How big is the tank for heavens sake? OK - seen the reason mentioned! Not having a credit card I don't get these problems. We don't qualify for one.![]()
In France, it is more than common and is a norm to have 24/7 unmanned fuel stations even in the supermarkets. Therefore as a foreign card holder (happy to be corrected) the fuel station will preauthorise anything g from €120.00 up-to €200.00 despite you only filling up with 20L of fuel costing maybe €35.00 in total, but your bank balance will be down from let say €250.00 euros in total, to just €50.00 for anything up-to 48h and possibly in some instances longer. This will result in you having to use an alternative payment card for the next fuel stop or if you have cash, ask a local to fill it up for you in exchange for said cash, as French fuel stations do not take cash, unless there is a bod sat inside a tea hut upon exiting the station, which is in my experience quite rare to see anyone inside, so much so that on my recent trip, said tea hut had a (assuming here) brick put through its window, suggesting that the tea hut, (the hole covered up with what looks like a very old cardboard box) hasn’t been used for a long time.
Same thing with preauthorisation happens here in the UK if you chose to pay at the pump, it is just that over here the account does get balanced out by latest the following morning.
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Especially when I’m camping. 










