Convenience Store News: It's becoming increasingly common to use plastic at the pump: 70 percent of gas purchases were paid for with a credit or debit card in the first six months of 2005, compared with 54 percent last year, the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) reported.
As gas prices soar, more people are charging purchases to credit cards, even as many are having difficulty paying off card debt, according to the report.
Increasing gasoline theft is another reason for rising credit card use at the pump, as more retailers are requiring customers to prepay for fuel. More of these purchases are being charged to plastic, because drivers are reluctant to pay cash and then go back into the store to collect any change.
