In message
, at
05:48:39 on Thu, 3 Jul 2008, Paul Oter
remarked:
In the US, many vending machines ask for the cardholder's ZIP code as a
security measure. *However, the machines are generally intelligent enough
to skip that step for non-US-based cards.

That's not my experience at gas stations in California. I've always
been asked for a zip code whenever I've tried to pay at the pump,
despite having a UK card.

It's a real pain having to leave my card with the cashier (or pre-pay
a fixed amount) before I can fill up.

There are plenty of gas stations in the USA where all customers have to
do that. And not recently, either - I was caught out like that in Las
Vegas 20 years ago.
--
Roland Perry