I don't know if anyone else has had the same problem but 2 weeks ago whilst travelling South through France I had trouble with credit/debt card payments. Bank cash machines were fine and petrol stations on the autoroutes were fine but many autoroutes have automated pumps. These are not staffed and you swipe you card to pre authorise your payment, the same system as Tesco's etc. On every occasion my card was denied. A First Direct Visa, a First Direct Maestro and a CAM (Spanish Bank) Mastercard, all denied. All with chip and pin technology and all well within my credit limit.
I also had this problem again at a smaller supermarket chain where I eventually just left the trolley at the checkout!
I intend to tackle my banks about this but just warn people, always have some Euros to hand so that you don't find yourself without petrol or food!
Has anyone else had this problem??
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yes just come back from france.my wife has hsbc maestro.well in credit,atm ok but a lot of shops not accepted. asked bank said should work every where. then told some of europe operate different system to uk.why arent we all the same. europe gets it right again.
HSBC do not use Maestro now, our new cards are Visa debit-the chap in the bank told me they were changing because it is more widely used.We were sent a letter telling us that new cards would be issued.
We had no problems in France in June.
Our Abbey (Santander!) account cards are also now Visa debit.
I did not use any of the automatic fuel stations as we have had problems in the past.
Supermarkets and autoroute tolls were fine.I seem to recall that the Post Office Mastercard did work in the unmanned fuel station, last year.
France had a different chip and pin technology to ours and many of the automated petrol pumps will only accept the French chip and pin. These are gradually being phased out with more and more UKCS members reporting petrol stations that will now accept our chip and pin, mainly around the ports and popular tourist areas. I think the problem is only with automated petrol pumps. We have used different types of cards in peage machines and ATM's with no problems.
Carol
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This is not a new problem for me. We have never managed to use the pay at the pump machines and have spent quite a while at checkouts while they try to work out why the machine wont accept our card. In one case they had to get the old fashioned visa machine with the paper so that we could pay.
We always take 2 cards in-case one doesn't work or gets lost (then found as soon as we had cancelled it) and there is no rhyme or reason to which one works where.
------------- pork
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Nationwide card has always been accepted for tolls, manned or automatic, and in manned petrol station booths, but I have to admit we haven't tried the automated ones.
Last year and this year we used our Saga Platinum (Visa) Credit Card in the Automated (Supermarket) Petrol Stations (and not in tourist areas) worked fine. Like the Nationwide card you don't pay any commission.
Post last edited on 27/07/2009 20:57:45
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We've used our Nationwide debit and credit cards everywhere, and it's never not worked. We use the debit card in automated pumps, in shops, and in restaurants, and just pay as if we were at home. Occasionally we use the credit card for larger purchases, such as our last 'wine and goodies' shop on the way home.
never use the automated fuel pumps, and so ensure we have enough fuel to get from Friday evening to monday morning.
occasionally have problems with french chip and pin, but it's a mismatch of technology and not much the banks here can do about it - sometimes it's ok sometimes it's not
c'est la vie, n'est-ce pas
Rayduff has it right - sometimed you will be OK sometimes not.
The facts are simple.
French chip and pin was initially a different technology, therefore as long as some card readers of the old type exist - eg 24 hour petrol pump, small rural supermarket etc, you may find your UK card (of whichever brand) does not work. Sometimes you can still use the swipe instead, sometimes nothing will work. In my experience, after hours petrol stations are still the least likley machines to accept UK cards, but you can just move on (hopefully!). In the case of supermarket, I have in the past had to pay by cash instead. In one case, I had no alternative cash so simply apologised, left my full trolley at the checkout and left!
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Topic: Using Credit/Debit Cards in France
