On 3 January 2024, PerthNow reported that Costco fuel customers, including customers at Casuarina and Perth Airport in Western Australia, said they had been charged both the amount pre-authorised at the pump and the cost of the fuel they bought. Costco’s spokesperson said the payment issue had been fixed and the company was working with financial institutions to reverse affected payments. The report did not establish how many customers were affected or confirm that every customer was repaid.
What Costco customers said happened
PerthNow reported complaints from customers around Australia who said the pump’s pre-authorised amount appeared as a charge in addition to the completed fuel purchase. A WA customer quoted in the report asked why their account had gone negative after being charged twice. That comment reflects a customer’s account, not an independently verified transaction record.
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The report described a $75 authorisation followed by a $50 fuel purchase as an example: under the process it outlined, the customer would be charged $50 and the unused $75 authorisation would be released. Customers said the glitch instead caused both amounts to be charged. This explains the reported January 2024 incident; it is not a statement of Costco’s current payment process. PerthNow’s report, published 3 January 2024, did not independently quantify all affected customers.
Why a pre-authorisation can look like a second charge
A pre-authorisation temporarily sets aside an amount so a payment can be approved before the final transaction total is known. In the process PerthNow described, the final fuel amount was charged and the unused portion of the authorisation was released. If both amounts appear as charges, a customer may see a higher deduction than the cost of the fuel alone. The report attributed that outcome to the payment glitch customers described.
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The distinction between a pending authorisation and a posted transaction matters when reviewing an account, but PerthNow did not provide bank-specific processing times or a guarantee for when an authorisation or reversal would appear. Its example should not be treated as a universal description of how every bank displays or processes fuel payments.
What Costco said about the incident
PerthNow quoted a Costco spokesperson apologising to customers affected by the “temporary glitch.” The spokesperson said: “The issue has been fixed, and we are working closely with financial institutions to reverse the impacted payments as quickly as possible.” This was Costco’s statement at the time of the January 2024 report.
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- Gift Cards are shipped active and ready for use.
- This card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Funds do not expire. If available funds remain on your card after the valid thru date has passed, please call customer service for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout. No fees after purchase.
- To access your card information safely, type the complete website address shown on your Gift Card (MyGift.GiftCardMall.com) directly into your browser's address bar. Don't use search engines or shortened versions of the website address, as these may lead you to fake or fraudulent sites. Do not provide any Gift Card details (example: Card Number) to someone you do not know or trust. If you believe you've reached an illegitimate website, contact cardholder service at 1-888-524-1283. Be cautious of phishing sites, there are a variety of scams in which fraudsters try to trick others into paying with gift cards.
- To report your Lost or Stolen Physical Visa Card, call Customer Service 24/7 at 1 (888) 524-1283 to cancel your Gift Card as soon as you can. You will be asked to provide the Gift Card number and other identifying information.
- Use your Visa Gift Card in the U.S. everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted, including online.
The article did not give a verified final refund count or establish that each affected customer received reimbursement. It also did not establish whether the problem recurred after the incident.
What the Casuarina notice said
PerthNow reported that a notice on Casuarina fuel bowsers warned of a payment-processing issue and said only credit card payments could be accepted at that time. The notice cautioned that other payment methods might result in extra charges. The article also said customers who contacted Costco were told it was a nationwide problem affecting prepaid systems. These were reports about the situation in January 2024, not current payment instructions.
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What is known about the locations now
A WA Consumer Protection fuel-price release dated 8 September 2026 lists Costco Casuarina and Perth Airport as membership-based fuel sites and directs readers to FuelWatch for current local prices. It does not discuss payment processing, verify a refund outcome from 2024, or say whether the reported issue happened again. The release is useful only for that later location context; its dated price examples should not be read as current prices.
ACAPMAg republished the PerthNow story on 4 January 2024 and credited it as a full extract. It is a syndication of the same report, not independent confirmation of the incident. ACAPMAg’s republication therefore does not add a separate refund count or recurrence finding.
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- Gift Cards are shipped active and ready for use.
- This card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Funds do not expire. If available funds remain on your card after the valid thru date has passed, please call customer service for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout. No fees after purchase.
- To access your card information safely, type the complete website address shown on your Gift Card (MyGift.GiftCardMall.com) directly into your browser's address bar. Don't use search engines or shortened versions of the website address, as these may lead you to fake or fraudulent sites. Do not provide any Gift Card details (example: Card Number) to someone you do not know or trust. If you believe you've reached an illegitimate website, contact cardholder service at 1-888-524-1283. Be cautious of phishing sites, there are a variety of scams in which fraudsters try to trick others into paying with gift cards.
- To report your Lost or Stolen Physical Visa Card, call Customer Service 24/7 at 1 (888) 524-1283 to cancel your Gift Card as soon as you can. You will be asked to provide the Gift Card number and other identifying information.
- Use your Visa Gift Card in the U.S. everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted, including online.
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