Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of delays in the release to customer accounts of funds reserved during petrol forecourt pay at pump transactions.

Industry-led changes have resulted in the implementation of new systems intended to protect both consumers and petrol retailers. Under the new system, payment terminals at the pump verify with the customer’s bank that the funds to pay for petrol are available before they begin filling their tank. Once the customer has finished filling up their vehicle, the actual value of petrol the customer has purchased will be communicated to the customer’s bank and their balance should update instantly to the amount of petrol purchased.