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Subject Topic: French credit card when live in UK? Post Reply Post New Topic
Persongillybump
15/9/2014 at 7:15pm
 Location: leeds
 Outfit: mazda bongo and CI Riviera 171 View gillybump's Profile View Profile   Reply to gillybump Reply   Quote gillybump Quote  
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We use a lot of French village Aires when on our summer holidays and have recently come across a problem. We entered the aire via the barrier, taking our parking ticket,and spent a lovely , quiet night there. On leaving I popped my ticket into the machine and it requested payment-however it was French credit/bank cards only....no cash. Luckily there was a kind French gentleman staying who used his card and we paid him cash. I was wondering though if anyone has ever got and used a French credit card whilst living in the UK, and if so how?
Thanks!

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gillybump


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Personnjones
15/9/2014 at 7:37pm
 Location: S Devon
 Outfit: Motorhome View njones's Profile View Profile   Reply to njones Reply   Quote njones Quote  
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I suspect it was a French debit card it was after, can't remember the type but it's the one that's pretty much be discontinued in the UK (not Visa debit or Switch...the other one!).

You'd obviously need a French bank account to get one of these.

I've never heard of only French credit cards being accepted as Visa and MasterCard are universal. There was an issue with unmanned petrol pumps for a bit until the UK had rolled out the chip in all credit cards.


Persongillybump
15/9/2014 at 8:18pm
 Location: leeds
 Outfit: mazda bongo and CI Riviera 171 View gillybump's Profile View Profile   Reply to gillybump Reply   Quote gillybump Quote  
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Thanks for the reply. Think it was a CB card it required (though my brain went into a bit of a meltdown!) It wouldn't accept the mastercard I use with no problem at unmanned French petrol stations, or my regular debit visa card. Have had this before when entering a site and ,again, a lovely elderly French lady paid for three nights on our behalf.

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gillybump


Personnjones
15/9/2014 at 8:33pm
 Location: S Devon
 Outfit: Motorhome View njones's Profile View Profile   Reply to njones Reply   Quote njones Quote  
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Are yes...that's the one I was thinking of. The difference between these and other cards is that they're pre-authorised and don't then need authorisation at point of use. I guess this is why they are the Card of choice at the aire barriers.

Just spoken to a friend who lives in France and they said most are linked to French bank accounts, but it is possible to walk into a French bank and ask for a Carte Cadeau. You then hand over as many euros as you'd like on the card.


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PersonCrach
15/9/2014 at 8:56pm
 Location: France
 Outfit: Hobby 460Ufe View Crach's Profile View Profile   Reply to Crach Reply   Quote Crach Quote  
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You'll need to get a french bank account but I think for that you'll need a french address.


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Personnjones
15/9/2014 at 9:19pm
 Location: S Devon
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Not for the Carte Cadeau apparently, works in much the same way as phone cards used to.


Persongillybump
15/9/2014 at 9:24pm
 Location: leeds
 Outfit: mazda bongo and CI Riviera 171 View gillybump's Profile View Profile   Reply to gillybump Reply   Quote gillybump Quote  
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Ah a prepaid card makes sense, thanks! Don't have a French address though may try going into a bank. It's more for an odd machine as most take euros. Don't mind so much not getting into the aire because we will just move on-it's not getting out! Will have to check the payment machine before we enter!

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Personpeterrabbit1007
16/9/2014 at 10:59am
 Location: Surrey
 Outfit: Discovery 4 Bailey Unicorn IV Valencia View peterrabbit1007's Profile View Profile   Reply to peterrabbit1007 Reply   Quote peterrabbit1007 Quote  
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Quote: Originally posted by Crach on 15/9/2014
You'll need to get a french bank account but I think for that you'll need a french address.


You don't need a French address to open a French bank account, I have an account with Britlineand have a debit card and cheque book. The cheque book is useful if needing to send a deposit if they are not set up for card payments.


Personstephen15
16/9/2014 at 7:23pm
 Location: northern ireland
 Outfit: abbey maverick View stephen15's Profile View Profile   Reply to stephen15 Reply   Quote stephen15 Quote  
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 Strangely enough we had a few problems with our cards this year. We have a post office credit card which we only use in France. It worked fine at all the supermarkets and petrol stations, even at tolls. However at  both campsites it was it was declined. Our backup debit card was also declined and we had to go search for an ATM , ( which accepted our card straight away ).  I put it down to supermarkets and petrol stations reading the chip on the card but the campsites had the older card readers which read the magnetic strip.


Personnjones
16/9/2014 at 8:16pm
 Location: S Devon
 Outfit: Motorhome View njones's Profile View Profile   Reply to njones Reply   Quote njones Quote  
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That's bizarre. Did they accept credit card? The French switched over to the chip system earlier than we did.....which resulted in problems for a while, particularly at unmanned petrol stations when Brits wanted to pay with cards which only had the magnetic strip.

The only place we've had problems in recent years have been Aldi in Germany where, like here, they don't accept credit cards....and didn't accept the type of debit card we had either (Visa debit).


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Personstephen15
16/9/2014 at 8:55pm
 Location: northern ireland
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Credit cards were accepted at both sites but for some reason ours just would'nt  perform.  Yet they worked everywhere else. It was a bit embarassing as you can imagine.


Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!


Personmarkh1
17/9/2014 at 9:35am
 Location: East Lothian
 Outfit: Autocruise Stardream View markh1's Profile View Profile   Reply to markh1 Reply   Quote markh1 Quote  
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You could get a euro credit card from Caxton, you preload it before you go, at a good rate (1.23 today) and then use it when you're away, mine has always worked, and it saves carrying lots of cash and you can use cash machines with no cost, and as its a euro card there's no conversion/commission fees



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