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Marathon Tap to Pay

November 14, 2025 08:13PM
I am a bit confused by the guidelines and the actual report for this one. If the pump DOES NOT have tap to pay we are to take a picture of the pump. The guidelines do not state if we should go ahead and purchase gas by swiping our card. However, the report asks how you purchased gas. Has anyone done any of these? Do we get gas if there is no tap to pay?
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More About Payment
November 14, 2025 09:43PM
Well, you could email that question to the general help address but I can save you some time. The answer will be exactly this: "Thank you for reaching out. The Shopper Guidelines are linked at the top of the shop."

Helpful, right?

Another email, later received from a vice president of something said they've updated the guidelines to clarify this (presumably because we're too dumb to solve their puzzles) and: "Tap to Pay is required for Marathon shops; however, if Tap to Pay is not available at the pump – whether it’s just not there or it’s there but not working – you should still purchase fuel at the pump by swiping/inserting your card. Only if you can’t make a purchase at the pump AT ALL should you forego the fuel purchase altogether."


Who knows, they might have changed their minds again, so don't take my (or their) word for it.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/2025 09:26PM by sestrahelena.
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November 14, 2025 10:28PM
I did send a message to them but know the answer is going to be stupid and irrelevant. But thank you so much for the answer. I have about 15 scheduled for this weekend and did not want to either buy unneeded gas and not get reimbursed or not buy and get denied any payment at all.
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November 14, 2025 11:51PM
The original instructions said "You will have to
purchase $2 of gas and use TAP-TO-PAY at the pump. Using any other payment method will
result in a failed mystery shop."

It was not only absolute and threatening but so odd that I sought clarification before shopping and when being only referred back to those words by the "help desk," I took that second sentence exactly as it was written.

How do they get away with screwing up the client's requirements so badly that they instruct us to do exactly the opposite? SMH
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November 19, 2025 03:11PM
Is anyone doing the Marathons purchasing gas if they don't have the tap to pay? The guidelines are confusing. I emailed the general help about 3 weeks ago and they said if they don't have tap to pay, take a photo of the pump and don't buy gas.
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November 19, 2025 05:22PM
I guess that's the interpretation of the week. Until the editors want to know why you didn't get gas. It's a roll of the dice as to what they want. Me, I'm not a gambler.
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November 19, 2025 06:10PM
Yes I am.
All my no tap locations I've paid at the pump. All have been approved.

One location the ICR was down at all pumps. I did not get fuel, only in store purchase. It was approved
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November 20, 2025 01:30AM
I personally, regardless of the guidelines would buy the gas at the pump, a gallon of gas isn't going to hurt. Take the picture of the pump in case there is a question in the report about it. And a screen shot of the place in the guidelines where it doesn't say what to do if you can't use the tap to pay. CYA, especially with this particular MSC, always.
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January 07, 2026 11:00PM
Well, well. It's no longer self assign unless your shopper rating is 10! Since we rarely get accurate instructions which lead to returned reports or rejection, that might not be too many of us.

AND you have to be 99 years or MORE!

What a bunch of idiots!
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January 07, 2026 11:09PM
I don't think any of us will qualify. I certainly hope that when I am 99 I am not doing any gas station audits. But with our economy you never know.

If you meet the following qualifications, you can immediately SELF ASSIGN shops to yourself:
* Your Shopper Rating must be at least 10
* Your age must be 99 years or More
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January 08, 2026 01:03AM
They seemed to have mysteriously and silently fixed those requirements. The fee shows $12. The reimbursement is only $2. But the guidelines say they reimburse $2 for gas and $2 in-store. I'm not so good at math. Remind me - is it 2+2=4? Or no? Here we go again....
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January 08, 2026 04:24AM
There are 3 different Marathon shops, one with zero reimbursement, it's an attribute shop. The regular shop with just the inside purchase with a $2 reimbursement. Then there is the newest version where they want you to use the tap to pay at the pump with a $4 total reimbursement. They are all different shops.
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January 08, 2026 05:10AM
I did a dozen or more of those shops and I live in a rural area. 90% or more were not tap to pay but I inserted card and was not dinged for it. There was one very rural store that the pumps were so old you couldn’t pay at the pump but you pump before you pay. I got $5 anyway and paid inside and was not reimbursed for that fuel, was dinged, and told that I needed to submit the correct receipts. I got 9/10 on that one, all the rest was 10/10.
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