14th February 2006

USING CHIP & PIN IN PETROL STATIONS: General advice

From 14th February 2006 many retailers will be moving to PIN verification for card transactions.

For customers who have been issued with a Chip and PIN card normally you will be required to verify your purchase by entering your PIN number. 

If you have not yet been issued with a new style card by your issuer, you will be able to sign for your purchase. 

There may be some retailers who have not yet upgraded to PIN technology, in which case you will be required to sign for your purchase.

Disabled Customers

There are currently no portable chip and PIN terminals suitable and certified for use on petrol forecourts. For the foreseeable future petrol stations will therefore continue to accept signature from disabled drivers regardless of whether you have a chip and PIN card or an old style card.

For customers unable to use PIN, your card issuer may have issued you with a Chip and signature card in which case you will be able to sign for a transaction as at present.

When purchasing petrol a disabled driver should follow the procedure outlined below: 

1. When you arrive at a petrol station during a time when assisted service is advertised as being available to customers, indicate to the member of staff that you require assistance. 

2. T he member of staff will then come out and fill up the car with the required amount of petrol. 

3. The member of staff will then ask for the credit or debit card you wish to pay with and will return to the shop

4. The member of staff will then return with the paper slip for you to sign as you do today. Once the member of staff has carried out the normal security checks to ensure that the card is not stolen they will return the card to you

5. If you have any issues using signature at a petrol station please visit www.chipandpin.co.uk and use the online form to alert them to any experiences you have.

6. Under no circumstances should you ever tell the petrol retailer your PIN.