gas station gift cards

[broadway]

I once bought a Shell gift card, and the attendant (I am in NJ) seemed to have trouble knowing how to authorize it for use.

Is there something that I should be doing differently?

 

[Sunset]

Yep, don't buy them.

I have 4 cards like that, what a pain, I don't need gas when I driving past the shell, so the card goes unused.
I normally get gas at Sam's where it's cheaper.

 

[REWahoo]

Two things you should never buy at a gas station: hot dogs and gift cards.

 

[Taxman59]

Two things you should never buy at a gas station: hot dogs and gift cards.

Add sushi to the list of things to avoid!

 

[MRG]

Add sushi to the list of things to avoid!

Gizzards too.

 

[Ian S]

The only gas station gift cards I'll buy are ARCO and I buy them at Fry's Food (Kroger) where I get 2x (sometimes 4x) gas points for purchasing gift cards. Most ARCO stations don't take credit cards so they are useful when there are no Fry's gas stations around. Fry's does a booming business in gift cards so all the cashiers know how to authorize them and give you a special receipt showing that.

 

[Aerides]

I wouldn't buy them at the gas station, but most big stores, grocery stores in particular, have a huge aisle-end stand of gift cards for most everything, including all the gas, etc.

I use Mobil ones all the time (those of us in the SE know the deal at Publix - $50 gas GC for $40 when buying groceries, no fees).

Never have a problem but I always just pay at the pump.