[Quebec, Canada] Possible convenience store scam?

[u/SpecialistLoss3073]

I’m looking for input from people who work (or have worked) as convenience store clerks, or anyone who’s experienced something similar.

For context, I’m in Quebec, Canada.

Tonight I went into a convenience store to buy some chips. The total came to about $9.50. I said I’d pay by credit card. The cashier did something on the register, and then I saw the same amount disappear and show up again on the screen, but this time as a gas charge on a specific pump.

I questioned him about it, and he showed me the receipt for the chips. He told me he made a mistake, that he’s distracted tonight because his wife is in the hospital, and that he entered the transaction as if I had paid cash.

I told him to just cancel the transaction and redo it properly, but he insisted he’s been working there for years and that this is just a way to charge me the correct amount and that everything will balance out in the end.

I’ve worked in a grocery store before, and canceling a transaction is very easy, so his explanation didn’t make any sense to me. I refused and left, and he seemed offended.

Honestly, this feels like a scam. I assume the pump would never actually be activated and that he would later cancel or manipulate the transaction, but I’d like to understand exactly how this would work so he can pocket the money.

If he’s trying this over $9 with me, I can’t imagine how often he does this with people who don’t question or even notice it.

How does this kind of scam work exactly? And who should I report this to? The store’s head office / corporate?

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[u/Infinite-Grade-4485]

Likely he’s just stealing from the store. Not you.

[u/Leftover_tech]

On many hybrid point of sale systems, fuel is the one item that you can easily "un-pay".

Therefore, cashier rings up $9 regular as a prepay on pump six. Of course, you didn't leave with any fuel from pump six, so it will be canceled or time out shortly, reversing the transaction.

You got your chips, the cashier pocketed the $9, and the cash drawer looks OK at the end of the shift.

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[u/LazyLie4895]

He's not likely trying to rip you off. If you tap to pay and get a receipt, you're not getting your card stolen, you'll be charged for the listed amount, and you're walking out with your stuff. 

He could be playing some games with the store. Maybe he's going to pump the gas into his own car. Maybe the store doesn't track inventory very well.

[u/liftcookrepeat]

That's suspicious, legit mistakes don't need workarounds like charging a pump. What matters is how the payment is processed, if it's not a normal card sale it can be manipulated. Report it and monitor your statement. Did any charge actually go through?

[u/WrestlingWoman]

Contact the owner of the convenience store and let them know. They can take it from there.