Pay-at-pump systems have always required some kind of pre-authorisation (that’s why you enter your PIN before you pump), but previously it was only a £1 transaction taken by your card issuer to make sure that your card was valid, and then the payment was returned to you 1 to 3 days later.

As you’d expect, this led some customers to fill their tanks and then have their card declined when they didn’t have the necessary funds available. Except for vehicles with rather large petrol tanks, a £99 pre-authorisation charge should prevent that from happening.

However, due to new rules implemented by card issuers such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda must now request authorisation from your card issuer for up to £99.

Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's, will initially trial the change at some of their forecourts and if it is successful, it is believed the changes will be rolled out across the UK later this year.

There had been some confusion as to whether the way the new system will work would see Tesco and Sainsbury’s taking £99 out of your account before you are allowed to fill your fuel tank.

According to Tesco’s, as soon as you have finished filling up, the final transaction amount is sent to your card issuer, and the remainder of any unused funds up to the maximum filling amount should be released back to your available balance. Essentially, you should only be charged for the value of the fuel that you’ve actually purchased.

The key thing is that the money is not taken from your account, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda will check with your card issuer whether up to £99 is available in your account. The actual amount which is taken, and what should appear on your bank statement is the amount you fill up with.

Update from Visa

A spokesperson for Visa confirmed this week that the "ringfenced" amount should in fact be released instantly.

They said: "The way you pay for fuel at self-service pumps has been changing.

"When you insert or tap your card at a self-service pump, your bank will now temporarily reserve an amount from your available balance while you fill up.

"This could be up to £100 (a standard tank of petrol).

"Once you’ve finished filling up, this will be updated and you’ll only be charged for the amount of petrol you bought.

"This should happen almost instantly but occasionally it may take a little longer. If this is the case, please contact your bank."

Visa has said that the pre-check or hold should be on someone's account for a few minutes at the most.

What Mastercard has to say

James Thorpe, the VP for Communications, said: "We are working together with banks and petrol stations to improve the way payments are made at ‘Pay At Pump’ sites.

"The new process is designed to ensure more people’s cards can be used at the pump.

"When you pay at pump using your card, a temporary hold of up to £100 is applied to your account prior to pumping the fuel.

"You may see this initially on your banking App, but immediately after the fuel is dispensed the precise sum is withdrawn from your account, and any remainder of the held funds are released for use.

"Should cardholders experience any issues or have any questions regarding this new process they should contact their bank."

Mastercard also says the new system is already used across many European countries.

What if I don’t have £99 in my account?

If you don’t have £99 available in your account, the card provider will inform the supermarket how much funds are available and you should be allowed to fill up to that particular amount.

It’s worth noting that there might be a small number of occasions where your card provider doesn’t update your balance in real-time. If you have any concerns it’s best to liaise directly with your bank for further details.

The new £99 authorisation hold will eventually make its way to all pay-at-pump machines in the UK, but not all of the supermarkets and major petrol stations are in a major rush to roll out the update.

For more information please see VISA Pay at Pump or Mastercard Pay at Pump.