Issue No. 23

How bank cards
work in France
Don't get caught out by
spending limits that
are typical...
French banks may restrict the amount of
money you can spend on your card,
catching people out constantly. We asked
the experts at Credit Agricole Britline, the
French bank that speaks English, how to
avoid this problem.
The way in which banks operate in France
compared to the UK is different and one
good example are bank cards. It can prove
frustrating if you find yourself in a situation
whereby you have money in your bank
account but discover – whilst waiting to
pay at the check-out or withdrawing cash
at an ATM – that the transaction has been
refused.
How can you plan ahead to avoid
this problem and potential
embarrassment?
In a nutshell: know your spending limits,
understand what the card costs (e.g. fees/
charges) and decide which card best suits
your lifestyle.
The majority of bank cards in France are
Carte Bancaire and you will see shops and
restaurants displaying the CB sign. Carte
Bancaires are debit cards and any
transactions are deducted immediately
from a bank account. The French certainly
do not have the same appetite as Britons
for credit cards, with most preferring the
standard debit card. There are however
plenty of options to ensure you have a card
that matches your requirements and
lifestyle.
Cards have limits for cash
withdrawals and payments
Although UK banks will limit how much
money you can withdraw from an ATM per
day, usually £500, in France the limit is
generally lower and there are also
restrictions on card payments each month.
Take a standard Carte Bancaire (Visa or
MasterCard) for example; over a 7 day
period the maximum amount for cash
withdrawals is €450. For card payments
(online or in shops) you can spend up to
€2,300 per month.
This is unlikely to pose a problem for many
people day-to-day; but if you have bigger