If you use your debit card to pay for petrol, it is a norm for banks to withhold RM200 of your account balance for a couple of days. This can be annoying especially if you don’t have much money left in the bank.
If you’re a Maybank debit card holder, it appears that there’s no longer a RM200 pre-authorisation hold for 48 hours if you pump at Petronas. According to Maybank, what you pump is what you pay and they will automatically release the RM200 once you’re done refuelling.
We saw this notice via their EDM which was sent today. When we checked online, it appears that the immediate release for pre-authorisation hold at Petronas was introduced since 16th July 2018. There was also a posting about it on their Facebook page on 29th January 2019. Take note that Maybank debit cards will still hold your RM200 balance if you refuel at non-Petronas stations.
If you want a more convenient way to refuel, you can also use the Setel app. It’s an eWallet which allows you to pay for fuel at Petronas using your smartphone. You can top up using a debit or credit card or via online banking. For card payments, they currently support Mastercard and Visa only, and there’s also the option to enable auto top-up.
When you arrive at the Petronas station, all you’ll need to do is to select the pump number on the app and select the amount you wish to pump. You can choose your prefered amount or select the full tank option. The app also allows you to earn Mesra points with every transaction and you’ll also get a digital receipt that’s sent to your email address. At the moment, Setel supports 273 Petronas stations throughout the Klang Valley.
