Quote: Originally posted by chris and rita on 07/8/2006
To use these pumps outside normal working hours you'll need to have a French bank account, and a French debit card (Carte Bleue).
Thanks for that Stu. Do you mean by this that a normal Visa Delta or MasterCard Maestro card ought to work in normal working hours... ? My own view is that the pumps probably won't work at all for any UK-issued card that carries a 'Chip', since the chip format in France is different from that used in the UK. However a Magstripe-only card should work because the track data is the same .. .. ?
Kind Regards
Hi Chris & Rita,
I believe that NO UK issue cards work with these type of pumps. I may be wrong but I believe it's the chip not the magstripe that's the problem.
Stu, agreed - there's a definite difference in the chip format in the UK and in France - we use EMV-compliant chips and they don't. Bizarrely I believe this is purely a French issue. I work for a company that issues credit cards in several European countries and as far as I know France is the exception - haven't tried it personally elsewhere either...
just back from Dordogne
Trying to find Gazole on a sunday was a nightmare! If you are heading off the Autoroutes then keep half a tank as a reserve.
My chip n pin worked in some kiosks and not all (hardly any actually)
and I did eventually mange to get someone to take cash off me to fill my tank on their card (though 2 out of 3 said NON!)
That sounds like a real nightmare....! Glad you sorted it out. Whether your chip n pin works, is probably down to whether the terminal you're at uses offline or online PIN verification - but since it's impossible for you to tell, then it's pretty much a lottery....!. Best bet I reckon is to keep a gallon spare in a can in the boot... peace of mind etc etc.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Price of Diesel in France
