Tesco has issued a statement on the future of fuel filling after it emerged that motorists will soon be charged a £99 deposit at petrol stations across the UK.
The retail giant has announced plans to replace its £1 pre-authorisation deposit charge at its Pay at Pump facilities to a £99 charge instead.
According to TeesideLive, the changes – which are currently being piloted at several stores across the UK – have been made because the rules have been changed by card companies including Mastercard, Visa, and American Express.
If the trial is successful, it is understood the changes will be rolled out across the UK later this year – not just at Tesco.
The announcement of the plans has seen the supermarket chain inundated with angry messages from customers who had discovered the new deposit system when refuelling their vehicles, and social media has been full of users alerting others to the changes over the past couple of days.
The £1 pre-authorisation deposit charge at Pay at Pump facilities will increase to £99 / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Now, Tesco has had its say.
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“Under these changes, the customer’s bank will pre-authorise £99, with the unused amount released back to their account within the hour,” a Tesco spokesperson confirmed.
“All supermarkets are making these changes following amendments to the rules by Visa and Mastercard [and] we’re definitely not taking a deposit.
“An amount up to £99 is ringfenced in the customers’ account, with the unused sum released immediately.”
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Here’s everything you need to know.
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What are the changes and why are they being made?
A Tesco spokesperson confirmed: “Under new rules implemented by Mastercard, Visa and American Express, we must now request authorisation from your card issuer for up to £99.
“Once you’ve 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 will be released back to your available balance [so] we’ll only ever charge you for the value of the fuel you’ve actually purchased.”
Tesco also confirmed that the rules have been changed to help cardholders keep control of their budgets in real time.
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Will my statement show a £99 transaction? But what if I don’t have £99 in my account?
Tesco says it will only ever charge drivers for the value of the fuel they have purchased.
The supermarket added that if your account balance is under £99, your card issuer should respond with the lower amount they’ll allow and the fuel pump screen will show the value you can fill up to. However, some card issuers might not allow partial authorisations below £99 and the advice then is to try another card.
You are also advised to talk to your bank if they have concerns over the changes.
The changes will affect motorists with Mastercard, Visa and American Express cards / Credit: Tesco (Twitter – @neskatxa)
What about other supermarkets and Pay at the Pump facilities?
The changes will be brought in to cover all pay at the pump petrol stations as they are being driven by card companies.
According to the Mastercard website: “The way you pay for your fuel at an automated fuel pump in the UK is changing.
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“Your card issuer/bank will temporarily reserve up to £99 of your available balance while you fill up [and] then when you have completed fuelling, you’ll be charged for the correct amount of fuel you have used and the remainder of any reserved funds will be released back to your available balance.”
Featured Image – Freepik
UK News
Co-op Live has been named the number one arena in Europe following its debut year
Despite a rocky opening month or so, Manchester’s Co-op Live made the ultimate instant recovery and has now been named the number one arena not just in the UK but all of Europe.
Manc music venues being best in class? Sounds about right.
Yes, even despite some obstacles, delays and early hiccups, Co-op Live‘s debut year as a live music and indoor entertainment venue has seen it beat out the likes of the long-established and iconic O2 in London to take the top spot.
The inaugural 12 months of the arena have not only seen it welcome all manner of music legends, as well as live sporting events such as the UFC and WWE, but the arena welcomed more visitors than any other venue across the continent during that time.
Names to have graced the industry-leading stage so far include Liam Gallagher, Stevie Nicks and Take That; Peter Kay, Elbow, Sabrina Carpenter, Paul McCartney, and so many more.
Commenting on the successful start, Tim Leiweke (CEO and chairman of the Oak View Groupbehind the venue) said: “Our ambition was to bring the world’s best music arena to one of the world’s greatest music cities and we are thrilled with the reaction from fans and artists alike over this past year.
“Co-op Live’s revolutionary acoustics investment has already attracted some of the world’s biggest artists and events to Manchester, with many more to come. And our sustainability commitment will ensure we remain responsible contributors to Manchester and the planet for years to come.
“We believe that amazing venues can transform cities for the better, and Co-op Live has done just that.”
It’s fair to say we’ve had some truly unforgettable nights in there already – and that’s just in the last month alone. Case and point:
With a continued commitment to achieving ‘Net Zero’ status too, the venue’s carbon reduction technologies, solar panels, heat pumps and rainwater harvesting, not to mention the recently refreshed CityLink walking in partnership with the Climate Pledge, are all things we can be proud of.
Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, went on to add: “We are delighted with the success of Co-op Live’s first year, and to see it taking the top spot off London.
“It shows Manchester is the home of live music in the UK, with Co-op Live bringing so many exclusives from artists like Bruce Springsteen to the city and Oasis playing massive hometown shows this summer – 2025 is going to be one of the biggest ever for our city’s music scene.”
Meanwhile, things are feeling less fortunate at the grassroots end of the spectrum, as the Music Venue Trust is imploring people to get behind a vulnerable Manc music institution.
A total of 25,000 free footballs are up for grabs this month as part of a new scheme from Barclays, who are giving them away to mark a special anniversary.
The British multinational universal bank, which boasts over 850 branches and more than 48 million customers worldwide, has been supporting the beautiful game for a quarter of a century now and has been the primary Premier League sponsor since the 2001/02 season.
Approaching 25 years helping fund and promote English football, they’ve come up with a new initiative to celebrate, simply called the ‘Lost Ball Project‘.
We’ve all seen scenes like these before.
Credit: Barclays (supplied)
Tapping into the national and generational memory of losing a ball to a pond, up a tree, over a fence or on a roof and so on, Barclays are making up for those heartbreaking little losses – one ball at a time.
Lost Ball will see the bank give away 25k footballs across the UK, with Barclays customers able to claim a free ball for themselves or someone else who has lost theirs.
Already up and running, the scheme is off to a flyer and free footies will be available until Thursday, 22 May, so we wouldn’t wait around.
The bank has played an integral role throughout the British football pyramid for decades now, sponsoring to only the Premier League but also the WSL, Barclays Women’s Championship; the Northern Irish Women’s Football Association, Scottish Women’s Championship and the Scottish Women’s League One
They’ve even put together this emotive, albeit a bit tongue-in-cheek video:
As they put it, the mission of the Lost Ball Project is simple: “Let’s keep the nation playing the beautiful game. Because there’s no football without grassroots football.”
In addition to backing established leagues, they have continued to support the country’s footballing community at large, especially in terms of the women’s game.
For instance, the Barclays Girls’ Football School partnership with The FA has seen the number of participating schools rise from 3,000 in 2019 to 20,000 in 2024, helping more than 2.5 million schoolgirls access football.
Important work done from the ground up.
Credit: Supplied
Barclays’ Group Head of Sponsorship, Tom Corbett, said in a statement: “We are immensely proud of our pioneering work and funding to grassroots football over the past 25 years.
Giving away 25,000 balls to replace our customers’ ‘Lost Balls’ means they will never be without the one thing you need to be able to play the game we’ve supported at Barclays for all these years.”
If you bank with the group, you can find out how to claim your free football HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
1st July 2021 
