pumpkin

I've learned from many of you about purchasing TGV tickets on the French site and saying your country is France. However, if you print out your tickets, and they check your credit card ( I think that is what I understood) does it matter that your credit card is a US credit card?
Thanks for your help,
Jean

PalenQ

Most people recommend putting your country as the U.K. but a ticket is a ticket as long as credit card matches it I think. there is no rule saying that only French can buy those ducats.

StCirq

I always use the French site and I always use a U.S. cc. I don't know what you mean by "they check your credit card." Once you've printed out the tickets, no one checks your credit card. The controlleur on the train just checks your ticket against your ID. The SNCF website doesn't "check your credit card" either, except to make sure it's valid for the purchase.

At any rate, no, no one cares a bit about the origin of your credit card.

Christina

I don't put in any country as I use the voyages-sncf.com website, not the one you are using. It doesn't ask you what your country is, it only asks you where you will pick up the tickets. I suspect you aren't using that website, you are using the TGV one.

I presume you mean that the purchase will go through your credit card and they have computer checks on the number when it is charged, which they do. IN fact, they block some countries (or so I've heard). At least I know they have at some time (such as Australia). SO they do know where your card is from.

I don't know what you mean about putting your country in as France, where are you putting that. However, it is not illegal to have a CC from a country other than your residence, in any case. So you are allowed to charge things to CCs from countries other than France, if that's what you are asking.

PalenQ

StCirq - I was indeed mixing it up with Italy where I believe they may have to match credit cards or perhaps to retrieve a ticket you have to use the same credit card.

StCirq

If you are actually going to a French ticket window to pick up a ticket you have ordered on line, yes, you must present the same credit card you used online. But as far as I know it can be a credit card from anywhere. I always use my Amex and have never had a problem.

TPAYT

bookmarking

ira

Hi P,

>does it matter that your credit card is a US credit card?

NO. Bring the same CC with you, however. It is needed for verification.

Enjoy your visit.

greg

The primary reason for using France as your country(that is not U.S.) is to prevent being redirected to the Raileurope URL where you will not be offered any discount and get hit with fees.

Using a U.S. credit card does not undo this redirection prevention process. However, using a U.S. credit card has restrictions such as per transaction limit http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...edit-cards.cfm.

MaineGG

pumpkin - Are you looking at purchasing a TGV ticket? If so, you might find it easier to navigate the tgv-europe site in English:

http://www.tgv-europe.com/en/?DISTRIBUTED_COUNTRY=GB

After you fill in the departure/arrival stations, etc., and click on 'search,' a box will pop up asking if you want to be transferred to the UK Rail Europe site (no), or stay with the TGV-Europe site (yes). From that point, everything will be in English.

For more information about using a U.S. credit card to purchase online, see the link in greg's post above.

If you purchase a TGV ticket online, you should be able to choose the E-Ticket option and print your ticket. That will be all you need to board the train.

Sarastro

If you need to actually pickup tickets that were ordered on line, then the verification process includes a crosscheck of the credit card used in the online transaction with the credit card presented at the service window when requesting the tickets. If the numbers on the credit card you present to the agent do not match the numbers of the credit card used for the on line purchase, no tickets will be issued.

The only thing checked is the number of the credit card and the holder's name. Nothing else matters: country where the cc was issued or even whether or not the cc is still valid. This crosscheck is only used to identify the purchaser.

If your tickets have been printed, there is no need to verify anything.

pumpkin

Thank you, one and all!
Jean

pumpkin

Well, got through the entire thing with a great PREM price,and it could not confirm my AE card. said it needed the 4 digit security # on the front of the card, although there is a 3 digist on the back. Also, they don't ask the name on the card,and I have a middle initial on the card,but did not use that for entering my name. Do you think that matters?
Help!

StuDudley

>>Do you think that matters?
Help!>>

Did you print your ticket successfully??? If so - that's all you need to do. We took the TGV last Saturday, and nobody checked our CC or any kind of identification (we printed our tickets at home). Responders on your other post said to use the 4 digits on the front of your AE card - not the 3 digits on the back.

Stu Dudley

Peter_the_Gr8

I am within 90 days of my trip starting tomorrow. This information is fantastic!

Christina

SNCF actually knows what it is talking about as to where the security code is on an AMEX card. I'm surprised you've never used it before online or you would also know where it is. It is on the front and it 4 digits, they are correct.

Freda_Seddon

I just booked on the French SNCF site, the English one was wonky- so I used high school french and babelfish to do it. Rail Europe will hit you with booking fee- even if you print your own tickets. Also, fewer cheap seats. I saved over $20Cdn.

daveesl

While this is an old thread, be aware that on the Eurostar from Paris to London in February 2012 they did check the credit card against the one that I used to buy the ticket online. My problem was that my bank had sent me new cards after I purchased the tickets and the numbers no longer matched. Same bank, same account, different numbers. I went through hell for over an hour getting the tickets changed at the station. They were not going to allow us on the train. So be aware of that. The agents were refusing to check the new card against the old card account, it finally took one of the office people upstairs to get it sorted out.

dave

Christina

I have always been afraid of that when I need to get a new CC due to potential fraud (which has happened to me twice in the last year), if I have airline tickets charged to it or something. Luckily, I've never had a problem.

Were they checking your CC because you were trying to pick up the tickets at the ticket booth in the station? Because they do check your CC for that, I know, they have done that a long time. The reference is to checking your CC if you have a preprinted ticket for boarding and are just sitting in your seat when the conductor goes by.

So how did this happen, Dave, for future reference? From your comments, it certainly sounds like it didn't happen on the train.

Sarastro

<i>The agents were refusing to check the new card against the old card account,</i>

The agent has no way to check a new card against the old. You are a foreigner presenting a credit card issued by a foreign bank. The verification process is quite simple; present to the agent, for his inspection, the exact same card as was used for the on line transaction. Doing anything else accomplishes nothing other than complicating the process and subjects you to being denied the tickets for which you have already paid.