Anyone ever been in an accident in Bonaire w/o their insurance?

[KeithG]

Again just your assumptions, number one, you don't know what the contract says for one thing, number two pre-authorizations are just a method to make the process simpler for the merchant and nothing more, they aren't a limitation on what can be charged.

Actually pre-auth does impose a limit. The merchant can not exceed the pre-auth amount since they have only been authorized to charge that amount. They may charge less, not more.

Pre-auth is very common in online sales. You buy something online, the merchant does a preauth (for the exact amount) which guarantees they will be paid, then when the merchant actually fulfills the order by shipping it from their warehouse, they complete the transaction and get paid. As the buyer, your credit card limit is reduced immediately after the pre-auth is verified (before the merchant gets paid), but you are not charged until the merchant completes the transaction.

The most common example of pre-auth is a gas pump asking you how much gas you want to pump when you jam your credit card into it. You can then pump any amount of gas that costs less than or equal to the pre-auth amount.

 

[tursiops]

The most common example of pre-auth is a gas pump asking you how much gas you want to pump when you jam your credit card into it. You can then pump any amount of gas that costs less than or equal to the pre-auth amount.

?? I've been pumping gas for 60 years, and using CCs to do it ever since they came out.
I've NEVER been asked in advance how much gas I wanted before I started pumping!

 

[mmmbelows]

Actually pre-auth does impose a limit. The merchant can not exceed the pre-auth amount since they have only been authorized to charge that amount. They may charge less, not more.

Pre-auth is very common in online sales. You buy something online, the merchant does a preauth (for the exact amount) which guarantees they will be paid, then when the merchant actually fulfills the order by shipping it from their warehouse, they complete the transaction and get paid. As the buyer, your credit card limit is reduced immediately after the pre-auth is verified (before the merchant gets paid), but you are not charged until the merchant completes the transaction.

The most common example of pre-auth is a gas pump asking you how much gas you want to pump when you jam your credit card into it. You can then pump any amount of gas that costs less than or equal to the pre-auth amount.

That doesn't stop a merchant from making an additional charge to a card with a previous agreement by the customer to allow it, which is what the rental contracts say.

The pre-authorized hard copy slip that rental car companies sometimes use is their means of making their life easier to collect from a customer, because if the customer tries to dispute the charge the merchant will be asked for proof the charges are valid, having a pre-signed pre-authorization slip makes it a slam dunk for the merchant.

 

[KeithG]

?? I've been pumping gas for 60 years, and using CCs to do it ever since they came out.
I've NEVER been asked in advance how much gas I wanted before I started pumping!

If the pump does not ask you for your maximum amount, then it automatically does a preauth for $100 or $125 (or higher) before you start pumping without asking you how much you want to pump. In Canada the gas company is polite enough to ask how much to preauth.

When travelling in the states, my Canadian credit card declines the automatic preauth. I have to go inside and do a manual preauth before I can start to pump.

By doing this the gas company has confirmed before you start pumping that it will get paid.

 

[tursiops]

In Canada the gas company is polite enough to ask how much to preauth.

LOL

 

[DustyC]

If the pump does not ask you for your maximum amount, then it automatically does a preauth for $100 or $125 (or higher) before you start pumping without asking you how much you want to pump. In Canada the gas company is polite enough to ask how much to preauth.

When travelling in the states, my Canadian credit card declines the automatic preauth. I have to go inside and do a manual preauth before I can start to pump.

By doing this the gas company has confirmed before you start pumping that it will get paid.

$1, at every place I've ever fueled.

 

[Bill Parker]

Both drivers are at fault.

 

[wgw04024]

Interested how this turns out. I got insurance both times I went. The entire rental wasn't very expensive as a whole in any case. I'm a bit surprised of your remark that you saw the car, and simply assumed he was going the speed limit. Bonaire is pretty laid back, with very little traffic laws from what I could tell. I really didn't pay attention to the few signs I saw. I just drive what I feel is appropriate. Good luck!

 

[cerich]

?? I've been pumping gas for 60 years, and using CCs to do it ever since they came out.
I've NEVER been asked in advance how much gas I wanted before I started pumping!

congrats to you, until last week my paltry 34 years of pumping gas was the same, however I had a pump ask me how much to pre auth for prior to pumping.

 

[kelemvor]

A lot of pumps just do $50 or $75 automatically. You will never know about it unless you don't have enough on your card to cover the preauth. I remember lots of people complaining in my area when gas prices were through the roof and the preauth values were getting larger to accommodate.