Some local gas stations are now charging more per gallon if you pay with your credit card. And, Kern officials are checking to see if the station price signs follow all the laws.

Eyewitness News discovered the county's Weights and Measures department is making sure customers will know what they'll really pay, before they pull in to the station.

The price for regular was listed as $4.49 a gallon on the big sign up high -- out in front of the Shell station at Weedpatch and Highway 58 on Friday. But, drivers need to notice a much smaller sign on the ground. It says the price is $4.49 for cash, but $4.59 for credit.

Driver Mike Flogerzi just swiped his credit card at a pump, and he didn't realize he was paying the higher price. "No --I didn't," he admitted. Will he be watching from now on? "Yes, I will."

Arvin resident Maria Leyva was also filling up, and didn't realize the price difference -- or the smaller signs with the two categories of prices.

"I didn't even notice the little sign," said Leyva. "Thanks for pointing that out."

From the county's Weights and Measures Department, Manuel Villicana says -- they are keeping an eye on the situation.

"Right now we're going out and looking at the signs so they're in compliance, and they're providing the correct information to the consumer," says Villicana.

He says stations must have "mandatory price" signs. Those can be smaller signs, but they have to meet legal requirements.

"They have to post both the credit prices and the cash price. And it has to be visible to the consumer at all hours of operation -- business hours -- which means it has to be visible at night as well as during the day."

At the Shell station, the two different prices are also on the pump -- but you have to look carefully for them. Leyva had turned on the pump without spotting the two prices before she starting filling up.

On some of the big signs, the word "cash" can be seen. But, it may not be all that prominent.

Villicana says the stations are going to the two-tier prices, because the stations pay more to let customers use credit cards. Typically, stations may have to pay the bank 3-percent of the price per gallon as a "processing fee." And so they're charging more for the gas paid for with plastic.

Technically, stations can not charge more for use of a credit card. So, they list the credit card price as the regular price -- and list the cash price as a "discount." Though it is usually that lower "discount" price that ends up on their big price signs.

Eyewitness News also checked on the law for using a "debit card" at gas stations. From Weights and Measures, Villicana says stations must charge their "cash" price for debit card purchases.

But, he advises drivers to check the price they see on the actual pump. Villicana says some pumps might default to the "credit" price, and that's not legal.

Debit card users must pay only the cash price, but they can be charged a surcharge. At some stations, that' a fee of about 45-cents. Villicana says some of these stations have a total sale limit -- in some cases $35.

If drivers want more gas, and then use their debit card twice -- for instance -- they may get charged that surcharge twice. But, Villicana says the station must let the customer know about that.

Not all stations are charging two different prices. Eyewitness News found a Mobil at Oswell and Niles that is charging the same for cash and credit. Up the street, the Chevron was also charging the same for cash or credit purchases.

But, the Mobil at Bernard and Oswell had the two different prices. At that station, Eyewitness News asked driver Santiago Soto if he had spotted the price difference.

"No -- I haven't," said Soto. So, will he watch for those small "mandatory price" signs? "Yes, definitely."