Why no ‘pay at the pump’ in UK?

[Enrichetta]

Why don’t we have pay at the pump technology like they have in other countries, for instance the US…

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jul/21/petrol-theft-crisis-uk

it seems an obvious solution to what has clearly become a real,problem.

We’ve had pay at the pump since the early 1980s

I pay at the pump every time I get fuel!

I prefer to go into the shop, I don't like pay at pump.

We do. I live in the Highlands. Even the Isle of Skye has pay at the pump. Not at all of it's garages, but certainly at a few of them.

They should all be pay at the pup. We do have them and this would eliminate thieving. A mate works in Sainsbury's, gypsy's never pay but somehow don't get prosecuted. How so?

Depends which garage you go to. There are some in west London where you pay before you fill up. So you only fill up to the value of what you have paid for.

At Costco, you have to enter your payment card before you can fill up.

It’s appalling for this garage, but why does the owner not install a prepayment system?

Not lived in the UK for over 25 yrs but it was certainly available then -what planet are YOU on?!

I live on north coast of Scotland , most of garages up here have pay at pump even the smaller ones

Why do you say UK hasnt got pay at pump? When we have. What do you mean exactly? are you thinking more in line as someone fills your car and you pay them and dont have to get out of car 🤔

We are in the Midlands, almost all our filling stations are now pay at the pump, even if there is a manned shop.
However, I loved the small garage near here when they still pumped it for you! You didn’t even get out of your vehicle, but had a friendly chat through your window! It’s been gone about ten years now though.

We don't have it very much where I live. Tesco in the nearest town gives you an option, some pumps have it. I think it is because they want you to use the shop.

Some stations in USA, especially in poor neighbourhoods, still have "pay before you pump" as the default.

This is so weird OP - I've been driving 20yrs and we've had Pay at Pump at petrol stations most of that time where I am in East Anglia. Now every petrol station around me has Pay at Pump (even the few independents), and a few are solely Pay at Pump and no kiosk/unmanned (Tesco).

Don't worry op, I didn't know they were as mainstream as people on this thread are saying. I'm not british and we haven't had the option to pay to a human for 20 years. All pumps are pay at the pumps. When me an my (britis) bf drive in the UK all the local garages are ones where you have to pay to a human and when we go visit my family he initially always offers to go and pay at the non-existent building to the the non-existing humans.

Costco is only pay at the pump.

Most if not all have it near me in the wilderness of the north!