Barrhead motorists have been left fuming by a controversial charge which is said to be driving some people into debt when filling up with petrol.

The £99 payment for a ‘pre-authorisation check’ is taken when drivers use a credit or debit card to buy fuel.

It is supposed to be automatically refunded once the petrol has been paid for but one NHS worker told how he was still waiting for it to reach his bank account five days later.

The 51-year-old motorist, who filled up his car at the town’s Asda petrol station, said: “I was told the sum would be refunded right away but this hadn’t happened.

“The £99 authorisation charge applies even if the customer is only purchasing £10 of fuel.

“When I contacted Asda’s customer services, they stated that Mastercard and Visa have imposed this charge.

“In this time of soaring inflation, having £99 frozen for up to five days from someone’s bank account is totally outrageous. It could mean a vulnerable person on a low income is left without enough money to feed their family or pay for gas or electricity.

“Alternatively, you could end up defaulting on an important direct debit payment because there isn’t enough money left in your account, even though the money was originally there and has not been spent.”

Drivers who want to use ‘pay at the pump’ services at petrol stations such as the one at Asda in Barrhead must enter their card and PIN before being able to fill up.

The pre-authorisation check ring-fences a specific amount of cash to ensure the customer has enough funds to pay for the petrol.

The customer is then charged the true cost, depending on how much petrol they bought, and the rest of the money should be released to their account immediately.

Although the cash doesn’t leave the cardholder’s account, they can’t spend it until it has been released.

A spokesperson for Asda said: “None of the supermarkets are making the change off our own backs.

“If customers prefer not to use this new process, they are able to use the traditional pumps and pay at our kiosks.

“Funds should show back in the driver’s account immediately following the check and any driver who thinks their bank is holding onto funds should contact their bank in the first instance.”