It’s how it used to work in most of the US. Every once in awhile, you’d be in a rough area and have to pay ahead of time but it was rare. When they switched to credit/debit cards, it generally became “Pay inside if you can’t use a card.”

It wasn’t much of a problem even when crime peaked in the U.S. (late 80’s and 90’s) and you could theoretically get away with it. Gas stations have always had security cameras.