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  #1  
Old 8 Jun 2013
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card not accepted in French petrol pumps
3 weeks ago I travelled through France and my visa cards were not accepted in the French petrol pumps on the peage service stations, how can I get my cards accepted
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  #2  
Old 8 Jun 2013
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Made me grumpy too--especially on Sunday mornings when no one but me seemed to be interested in buying petrol. I understood the problem to involve incompatible cards--mine are magnetic strip, the French cards use chip and pin.

The solution: wait for someone else to come along and offer them cash. This means carrying cash euros and trying not to be in any sort of hurry, particularly on Sundays.
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Old 8 Jun 2013
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Yes, I got filled up a few times by others then gave them euro's.
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Old 8 Jun 2013
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Old 8 Jun 2013
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had a similar problem at "some" filling stations last year. I found that if my visa debit cards didn't work, often my mastercard credit card worked. ? But it is important to make sure your bank have been notified of your travel plans before you leave. For HSBC you can do this online using internet banking service, but the business banking I found had to be by phone. Other banks I don't know.
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Old 8 Jun 2013
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also be aware
That many petrol pumps "reserve" about £100 off your card limit. this reserve can take up to a week before it is removed. This can quickly deplete the available balance on your account.
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Old 21 Jun 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grumpy View Post
3 weeks ago I travelled through France and my visa cards were not accepted in the French petrol pumps on the peage service stations, how can I get my cards accepted
In France you must have a card with a PIN code. It is for your own protection and your bank can supply you with one; If not, change the bank!
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Old 21 Jun 2013
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Actually, I didn't know you can have a card without a pin number.
As far as I know, these days all new cards are now chip cards which helps with better security.

Carry some cash, really, would you wish to depend so much on a card or the machine that may or may not accept it.
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Old 21 Jun 2013
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Originally Posted by rockwallaby View Post


Carry some cash, really, would you wish to depend so much on a card or the machine that may or may not accept it.
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Sure, but be aware that the big supermarket outlets for fuel are switching over to unattended pumps - they work by pre-authorising a debit/credit card before the fuel pump is automatically "primed" to issue fuel to you. Basically, the fuel pump is following a computer program in which you need to play your (human) part.
I haven't noticed if they will accept cash.
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Old 21 Jun 2013
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Originally Posted by rockwallaby View Post
As far as I know, these days all new cards are now chip cards which helps with better security.
Unless you are in the most wealthy, (supposedly) technologically-advanced nation in the world, in which case there's no chip and pin, just a magnetic stripe, and only occasionally will you even get asked for a signature (which the cashier will never bother checking against the back of the card).
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Old 21 Jun 2013
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Originally Posted by dash View Post
Unless you are in the most wealthy, (supposedly)
Ah! You might be susceptible to reading into the "bank and bankers" thread.



Quote:
Originally Posted by dash View Post
in which case there's no chip and pin, just a magnetic stripe, and only occasionally will you even get asked for a signature (which the cashier will never bother checking against the back of the card).
The UK was very slow to adopt the chip and pin technology: I don't recall all the excuses that came from the bankers at the time, but IIRC they were concerned about the costs, to them, of introducing it.
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Old 7 Jul 2013
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Best solution.

Don't go to France.

Works for me

There are lots of great countries around it.

P


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Old 7 Jul 2013
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Originally Posted by PeterPan2 View Post
Best solution.

Don't go to France.

Works for me

There are lots of great countries around it.

P


Sent by Peter from His IThingy.
The petrol pump phenomena can be found in other countries; a kind of Pan-European feature.
(there's a pun in there, somewhere).

France can be avoided if one really wants to, but a lot of ferry services from the UK land in that country, for their own good reasons.
And then, there is a tunnel.
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Old 9 Jul 2013
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The situation could be quite simple really, and may have nothing to do with petrol station , or any other card reader in France for that matter. Before you leave home, ie the country where your card was issued, make sure your bank has cleared it for overseas use. Some card issuers put a block on anything coming from an overseas request in case the cards been stolen.
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Old 9 Jul 2013
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I struck the problem the other day. It was two minutes past midday and the woman in the little box with the boom gate motions to me that I need to use the other lane as she was closing for lunch. I ask her please can I quickly fill up and pay. She says with a definite motion, no. I say I can't use the automatic machines with my visa card, she says I can, just use it.

So, I go over to give it a try, in case something has changed here in France.
I insert my visa card in the pump machine and it tells me to please be patient. After 30 seconds it tells me the card is refused, damn.
That woman was walking away and I'd so much like to show her how my visa card does not work.

My visa card is a modern chip and pin card. It is a travel card already loaded with euros.
If I go to the money machine in the wall, I get asked for the pin and money comes flowing out, so why not petrol?

I sit here now typing this as I need fuel for the bike and it is just past 13h (1pm) and I have another hour to wait before I can go and fill up.

I normally have it organised so that I fill up last thing of the day or as I get underway for the day. Oh, well, I'll take a walk through the village and enjoy what it has.

I'll be in Italy in the next day or so, so will see how things are over there.
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