No petrol

You don’t have to PHYSICALLY have the card. Her DH could have given her the details over the phone.

OP says 'he doesn't usually take my wallet' (or similar) i.e she has her own, but her husband accidentally took it.

I rarely take my purse (with all my cards in) these days.
Depending on where I am my phone will be in my back pocket, inside coat pocket or in my bag.
I need my thumb print to pay.
My purse is quite big and is never in my pocket, and opening it and removing the card to pay Contactless is definitely more time. But it's seconds difference.

Now thay would be faster than a card, but I'm an android user and I don't have a smartwatch.

My phone is usually in my pocket or in the phone pocket of my bag which (for me) is easier to locate instantly by touch than my purse. So I suppose the convenience of card v. phone is a personal thing. I still think my phone is more secure though (and I often don’t take my handbag out with me if just going for a walk or popping to the local shops).

Either way my husband wouldn’t dream of walking off with my cards or my phone (all joint anyway).

This is the 3rd time I've said this - on my iPhone (assume android will be similar) you either need to scan the actual card or enter the long card number etc. OP didn't have any cards, so can't 'just add a card'.

You filled up and drove off without paying? You're bloody lucky they didn't call the police.

Apple Watch double tap side button = done. I had to actually look for my card the other day as I never use it

You put petrol on your car knowing you cannot pay for it??? That is really really shocking

I would probably risk it. Quite snowy here which might put me off. I've often done 5/6 miles with my car showing 0 miles left to the petrol centre and not run out so out would have gone further. I think most cars are less accurate when there is only a bit of fuel left and are set up to err on the side of caution. Mine can be showing 10 miles left when I park at home and then go straight to 0 when I start the ignition the next day. Just to stress me out!

I liked my old, dilapidated beast better. I could do at least 20 miles after the light started flashing. I was in competition with myself to see how many miles I could get out of a tank. The poor thing was a ton can on wheels and it couldn't drive up hills but I always knew where I stood on petrol.

Indeed. Honestly he wouldn't have melted having to make his own fucking way home. The fact you risked getting stuck in a broken down car with your child and filling up the car despite having no way of paying is just mind-blowing.

You urgently need Apple Pay on your phone. Why do you share a wallet? Are you not allowed one each? You are two separate individuals you know!

Phone payment - pick up phone, pass it in front if my face, tap it, done. Card payment - get purse out of bag, open purse, find card I want to use, tap it, then sometimes it says insert and enter pin
Presumably if you just pick up your phone, it doesn't live in your bag? Mine does, and as I almost always use the same card to pay for everything, which is always kept in the same slot in my purse (so no time spent finding it), phone and card take pretty much the same time for me

I may be making something out of nothing here as I've been subject to financial abuse and controlling behaviour from the ex husband... but.... I'm concerned you refer to 'the wallet' and he took it to get coffee. So he left you all day with no access to money and responsible for child care. What if there was an accident or something urgent. Please look at self reliance and take care not to be in this position again. You deserve better xx

Yes people do really still get their cards out to pay for things. I do, DP does, my friends do. I personally don't like trying to dig my phone out of my bag at the till, then trying to get it back in the phone pocket after paying, I always feel at risk of dropping it. I'd much rather just get out my purse and use a card, neither of which will break if I drop them.

So, why did you not juts add a card to your phones wallet?

You did not need to do it once. You are a doormat.

Aw bless you!

I hope he's got an ear bashing!

It's a 15 minute drive only, so he can walk can't he. No problem with that. It may focus his mind on the petrol situ in future.

I'd be rethinking your car usage all round, driving to a very near school and collecting DH, can he walk or get a bus?

She phones her husband, who reads out the card details to her.

You need to have the card or know the long number (and other details) to add it. If she had the card....well.....

Using my phone is quicker than using my card. Phone payment - pick up phone, pass it in front if my face, tap it, done. Card payment - get purse out of bag, open purse, find card I want to use, tap it, then sometimes it says insert and enter pin. Also my phone is more secure. Anyone can tap my card. Someone could even “shoulder surf” and get my pin. BUT you need my face to use my phone for payment!

Anyway that doesn’t help OP in this situation. She definitely shouldn’t be picking up the idiot partner who left her with no fuel AND no access to money.