Do French supermarket fuel pumps not accept UK cards? We were running low one sunday, tried 2 different supermarkets, and 3 different cards (debit and credit). Not one was accepted! Is this usual and WHY?
Luckily we took a wrong exit off a roundabout and found a manned petrol station to fill up!
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This is common throughout France. I don't think it is just supermarkets either, it's all garages. It usually the same if you try to buy petrol at lunchtime.
The big question is WHY? Cards are accepted in cash machines, motorway tollmachines, shops and restaurants, etc, all chip and pin, so why should a petrol pump be any different?
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I am afraid the French petrol pump machines haven't caught up with modern technology and the French pin system is different from UK. For the same reason you may still have to sign in some French shops which haven't paid for the updated machine.
The French have had a chip & pin system for years. When the rest of Europe woke up to chip & pin it seems unfair that the updated system was not compatable with that of the French.
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Strangely enough we only had problems at the newer big supermarkets. Everywhere else took our cards ok.
It does get scarey though on a Sunday night the day before you leave to find the machine won't take your card!!
We had to cross our fingers and hope the diesel would last while we hubted around for a cashpoint machine.
Blatchatter's right. The French system is the original one. They quite rightly wondered why they should have to change their system when it quite plainly works for them. They've gradually upgraded their chip n pin machines on the supermarket front, but it's a far more costly exercise on the petrol pumps. It's due to be phased in at some point over the next few years.
In the days before we had our French bank accounts we used to politely ask a local if he/she'd use their cards for use if we gave them the cash. In the main the French were quite happy to do this with a smile on their faces.
had similar problems at several of the major supermarkets.we usually look for a supermarket that has a cash lane at its filling station.Intermarche usually O.K
We have had a very nice frenchman come to our rescue one early Sunday morning when the pump wouldnt take our card, there was nothing open for miles and we were running on fumes. We know now to keep the tank topped up when the petrol stations are open.
Carol
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Thanks for the explanation. As you say, the French seemed to be years ahead of us, with card reading machines when we were still signing those paper slips. You just assume things like that will work, so don't worry about it till too late!
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Topic: French supermarket petrol
