USA - 7 Eleven ZIP code Prompt

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I am UK based #fullmonzo.

So when in the United States, 7-Eleven stores (Petrol stations) prompt for a valid “zip code” when using chip and pin or mag stripe. Zip codes are digits only. The man at the desk suggested using the numbers of my postcode and pad out with zeros. It always came back with ‘invalid zip’. Now I don’t think the transaction was every referred back to Monzo so I think any “valid” US zip code would work.

I pulled out the reserve Halifax Clarity Card and as soon as the man at the desk saw this he said “don’t bother trying that”. I don’t know if he ever got any success with the pad-zeros idea.

In the end I had to pay cash (!!).

Didn’t have a single problem with the card anywhere else in the US.

I raised on the Monzo chat and got the below answer - which appears to be lots of English words strung together…:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Anyone else faced and solved the problem i.e. Monzo chip and pin at 7-Eleven stores buying Petrol?

​I’m so sorry for the delay in getting back to you. That’s a great question. The best thing to do in these types of situations is to process the transaction with the tellers, due to difference in the UK postal codes and US zip codes. I realise it’s a bit inconvenient, but, working with the teller should require chip and pin normally.

Hope this helps.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

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Hi, usually 99999 works for international cards ,

12345 and 00000 have also been suggested if that fails so I guess it is up to the merchant’s systems

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Ask the guy in the store for their zip code there, maybe? Or try 90210 or 20500, they’re the two famous ones that always stick in my mind!

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Not seeing the problem if that’s the case. What valid zip codes have you tried that don’t work?

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Didn’t try any. This was an afterthought. Why didn’t the experienced guy-at-the-counter suggest this rather than his zero-pad idea? If I got past valid zip check, then would it fail at the next hurdle i.e. if the terminal asks Monzo to validate then ZIP <> Postcode.

Has anyone got any experience of it actually working?

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I’m now 4258 miles away! I’m asking for the next trip!

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I seem to remember somebody suggesting the option of ‘credit’ rather than ‘debit’ in this situation, but I had a similar problem with a Shell ( I think) in the Florida Keys in May. No matter what I tried: credit, debit, 000000, 12345, 99999, a genuine FL zip code etc it would not authorise the payment. In the end went to Walmart - put 00000 in and it worked fine. So I suspect this might be more a merchant issue than Monzo.

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I’ve had it work when using 99999, Monzo won’t decline the transaction based on that.

Also as Dan said ask them to click credit rather than debit also sometimes fixes things.

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In the past I have used 90210…Beverley Hills :slight_smile:

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And this defo worked in 7-Eleven stores? With a Monzo card?

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You actually had this work for a Monzo card? In a 7-Eleven store?

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Yeah - it must be merchant. I saw no “decline” transaction in my Monzo history…

As I see no one here with 7-Eleven success it seems we just need to avoid Shell and 7-Eleven or carry cash… #solution

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I’ve never tried buying fuel at a 7-eleven, but my OH loves getting a giant gulp and I’ve never had to put a zip code in for that. I often find myself bemused and confused at how Americans work their finances.

I think I need a ‘Spending Money in America for Dummies’ guide.

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I’m astonished that someone is paid a salary to give a support answer like that.

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This was after an ‘escalation’ too! Second line! :laughing:.

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It reads a bit like someone trying to convert their writing from their own voice to ‘Monzo voice’ and not really bringing the two together.

Also I think the COp may not be a UK native - “teller” (no-one says that here), “UK postal codes” (instead of ‘postcodes’).

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Not sure. He probably hasn’t seen a Monzo card working before. Minimum wage workers aren’t always experts or even if they have more experience than some people :woman_shrugging:

Anyway, if it’s helpful to you, I’ve always used valid ones for cardholder-not-present transactions so it would be second nature to use the same if told that’s what works :slight_smile: