Best Credit Card for France?
 

Does anyone have suggestions on the best credit card to take to France? I know that Capital One was the best not too long ago since it didn't charge as many fees, but is that still the case? Thanks for helping!

smithva - it might assist others if we knew your country of origin. There are posters representing dozens of countries and each country has different banks with different policies. Many countries cannot access the banking system with the same amenities as North Americans. The US and Canadian banking system is sufficiently different as to preclude Canadians from some American banking perquisites.

tC

Yes, I guess that would help! I am from the U.S. and will be traveling to the U.K. and France.

I do believe Capitol One is still the best. I was in Paris in September and used it every day. There were no foreign transaction fees on my card when I returned.

Capital One is still the best for us.

Thanks so much for the responses! I'll stick with Capital One.

Ones that work with chip and pin machines ... not generally available to U.S. cardholders :-(

Chase cardholders associated with British Airways FF plans also pay no transaction fees or foreign exchange fee an you get miles to boot

I only use capitol one.... it's the best deal... just watch their interest rates they can be high.... do a no-fee balance transfer to a lower interest card when you get back.

greg....all US credit cards are supposed to work as long as you are dealing with human beings....the problem sometimes is ignorant clerks who don't know what to do. The terminals all take both chip and pin cards and antiquated magnetic strip cards. You might have trouble, though, at many self service places such as petrol stations and train stations where the machines only take chip and pin cards.

Avalon, when, in the past, I used my Chase British Air FF credit card in a foreign country, a exchange rate surcharge of 3% was levied. So I haven't used it abroad in recent years. You're saying Chase doesn't charge this 3% any more? Or maybe you have a different kind of card?

Mimar - it' a recent change in policy for the BA card issued by Chase. See the post at http://tinyurl.com/2fpftcb

Went to France in '09 and UK in '10 and the only card I had that did NOT have the transaction fee was Capital One. Except my Bank of America debit card, but that was ONLY for ATM withdrawals (Barclays in the UK and BNP in France).

IF, however, you want to use the velib bicycles all over Paris, I heard you have to have a credit card with a particular chip or strip that yours may not have, so if you do want to try those out, find out what you need before you go. I think there's been one or more discussions about the velib rentals on this forum.

I don't understand the qustion in regards to France, specifically, whatever you feel is the best credit card for you (based on why you have it in the first place) works in France the same as any other European country I've been in.

You really ought to ask your credit card companies their terms, to be sure. Now I know Cap One doesn't have one, but others vary a lot.

The question was not addressed specifically in regards to France, since the OP stated he/she would be going to the UK as well, and was specific as to transaction fees.

That said, when you call credit card companies asking about the policy, often you get 12 year olds answering the phone who don't know the difference between a transaction fee (that often runs $1.00 to $4.00 per transaction) vs. an exchange fee (bank rate vs. some higher rate). So you often (not always) get misinformation. But I agree that it's a good idea to at least ask.

MImar, here's a copy of the email from BA I received last week

Dear Ms
We want you to be among the first to hear about the end of foreign transaction fees for British Airways Visa Signature® Cardmembers. There is nothing Cardmembers need to do to enjoy this benefit. This is great news for everyone hoping to save money while travelling abroad.

Each purchase made will continue to earn 1.25 BA Miles for every dollar spent.1 This generous
BA Miles Rewards Program, and an end to foreign transaction fees, make this the perfect card to carry when travelling internationally.

To learn more about all the benefits of the British Airways Visa Signature card visit http://www.chase.com/ba.

Thanks to Seamus and avalon. I must have missed that post. And deleted the email without reading. Well, guess we'll bring the BA card on our next trip abroad.

I might add I like the BA card because BA flies nonstop to London from here (Seattle) and from London you can continue on to practically anywhere in the world. And I like those lay-down-flat seats when I upgrade to business class.

Adding to TeacherCanada's comment, the Capitol 1 card available to Canadians is not as good a deal as in the US. For one thing, non-dollar purchases are translated to US dollars before being charged to the cardholder in Canadian dollars, increasing the cost of the transaction.
On the other hand, the new Cap 1 cards send to Canadians now carry a chip.

I just ordered an Amex Blue card for the chip and pin but they charge a 2.7 % fee. I also ordered a a Cap One visa that has no foreign transaction fee. Next I'll order a lottery ticket that will pay for my whole trip!

Two questions:

1) What do you normally value in a card?
2) How much will you charge in foreign currency in a given year?

For example, if you value miles with a specific carrier, or other perks associated with a card, you may find that the value of this outweighs anything else.

In the second case, consider how much you spend in foreign currency each year. If you travel to Europe once per year and only put $2000 on the card, you have to ask yourself if the hassle of managing a second card is really worth the $50-$60 you save in fees. Personally, I don't think it is worth worrying about unless you charge a lot in foreign currency each year.