RonZ

I've recently heard that foreign credit cards are no longer being accepted. True?

ms_go

Good question. We were wondering the same thing. Leaving tomorrow....

jody

I thought someone said they weren't being accepted at the pumps, but if you went inside they would work...of course that's no help at unattended stations. I'd like a definitive answer too.

Alec

I'm not aware of any recent changes. They all accept credit cards (Visa, Mastercard) that don't require authorisation for small amounts. Some debit cards need authorisation for any amount and so they can't be used.

ira

Hi R,

Last Sept we could use our CC for tolls on the autoroutes.

Unmanned gas pumps require the cards with chips.

At manned service stations, we could use our CC.

DeborahAnn

Ira, if a pump is unmanned or unwomanned (just trying to keep in touch with my feminist side today) does that mean you can't pay with cash if you find yourself at such a place? I don't ever remember a problem at the gas stations but I know we had to back out (ugh) of a toll booth because we didn't have the right credit card.

Thanks for your comments, I hope to keep avoiding any unwelcome surprises with credit card usage on our next trip. Deborah

ira

Hi D,

I was going to write "staffed/unstaffed", but the vision of an "unmanned" gas pump overrode it.

You will not be able to buy gas or diesel at many, if not most, fuel stations on Sunday if you don't have a European CC.

nonnafelice

And I guess there's no way for an American to get a card that these machines would accept? We had some tough times, too, on a recent trip to France finding gas stations we could use, especially on the weekend. And no, you can't pay cash, because there's no one to pay.

DeborahAnn

We always try to get gas/diesel whenever we see a supermarche or other while traveling in France. These are more difficult to find if you spend most of your time on the smaller roads which we do.

The large stations, Chevron, BP, whatever their names, will still accept Visa/MasterCard from US banks don't they??

It's been two years since I've driven in France and I don't remember having any problems with our cc not being accepted.

Thanks for any information. Deborah
Thanks for

mpprh

AFAIK nothing has changed yet :

Peage tolls and manned stations : take virtually all cards including petrol cards

Unmanned station : take French cards with chip & pin

Things are changing : I'm able to use my French chip & pin card in some outlets in UK. Have not heard that the UK (or any other) cards are working for French autopay pumps yet.

Peter

Alec

No, UK chip and pin cards can't yet be used at French unmanned pumps, but they can be used at most manned outlets (like supermarket checkout) without having to sign. The transaction takes a little longer (computer connection to UK?) but eventually it asks for your PIN and all is well.
On my latest trip, British c&p worked at SNCF (main line) ticket machines but not at Metro.

gauvins

I have smart Canadian Visa and Mastercard, with PIN.

On my last trip to France my cards were declined on three occasions on the French highway system. On the first two, I made a fuss and eventually an attendant came to my automated toolbooth with a portable authorization device. I was able to use my Canadian card.

On the third occasion I had cash with me and didn't feel like arguing on a speakerphone. I complained to the attendant who gave me the address of the highway operator (COFIROUTE)

Back home I have contacted Visa International. I was read a paragraph of the merchant's agreement stating that a merchant MUST accept a card if the sign is displayed. I have sent an email to both Visa and COFIROUTE and have not heard since. (A similar conversation with Mastercard suggests that a merchant may or may not accept a card at his discretion).

I would also like to add that my cards are usually accepted everywhere, as long as I have informed my card company (Visa or MC) that I am travelling to such or such destination. It should be obvious to everyone that if cards are not accepted on a merchant's whim, the whole system would collapse.

AtlTravelr

Our experience was from this past August & September. I purchased a Travelex chip & pin card (at a marked up price), specifically to handle any problems we might encounter. We were unable to use either the Travelex card or our "regular" cards the 2 or 3 times we tried at a toll station - and ended up feeding in cash.

The Travelex card worked fine at all automatic ticket kiosks (i.e. Paris Metro) and at the gas stations - though they were manned at the time and my husband actually went inside and ran the card through in there. Still don't know why they didn't work at the tolls.

Michael

It is safer to used a manned booth whenever possible.

ParisAmsterdam

Part of the problem is that autoroutes in France are operated by several different companies and each has it's own way of doing things... some will take a foreign card, others won't.

I find it odd I can pay for a car rental or a hotel with my credit card yet cannot use one in a toll booth. Go figure.

Michael

<i>I find it odd I can pay for a car rental or a hotel with my credit card yet cannot use one in a toll booth. Go figure.</i>

I have yet to find a booth with an attendant, hence the same as a car rental agency or a hotel, where my Visa card was rejected. However, last summer my card could not be used in a shop because the new card machine did not have the slot to slide the non-chip credit card. This may be the wave of the future.

cigalechanta

Is Ron back from his trip? If so he'll have the answer.

kerouac

Using my parents', brother's and nephew's American cards over the past few years, I have never had any problem with the automatic toll machines. Let's see -- they were all Visa cards, if I recall, from Chase, Citibank and Bank of America.

At manned toll booths or manned service stations, no problems for chipless cards.

MaineGG

We have a chip/pin US Bank Visa that we tried in September during our drive from Lyon to Annecy to Beaune. It was not accepted in any automatic toll booths. When we left Beaune and headed north to Troyes and Reims, it was accepted. I believe those autoroutes were operated by a different company.

kerouac

The toll booths do not use the chip on the cards -- just the magnetic strip. I use my Monoprix credit card on some of the autoroute systems, and it does not have a chip, nor do most American Express cards, which are also accepted by most systems.