best method of payment for fuel at french supermarkets (1 Viewer)

spannermanwigan

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which is the best way to buy fuel at unmanned french supermarket fuel stations as many dont appear to take uk visa or mastercard.

do you need supermarkets own card and if so is this available to non residents
 

haganap

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Hi Spanner,

Is this something you have experienced?

A few years ago maybe 5-10, your right, you couldn't get fuel at a supermarket unmanned as the chip and pin was different.

However, since then I can honestly say in the past 5 years I have never had this problem. I use a nationwide visa card without any issues, all over France

regards

Paul
 
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spannermanwigan

spannermanwigan

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hi paul

yes happened to us several times on last years tour of europe gave up trying to obtain ch
cheaper fuel at supermarkets because of it.

regards
steve

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haganap

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That's interesting,
Once happened to us on a Sunday when we were desperate for fuel but as said that was way back.

What card are you currently using? I know there have been some issues with prepaid visa cards at toll booths, but as said, I thought the problem you refer was dead and buried years back.
Does your card work elsewhere?
 
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hi

Just spent two weeks at Easter in Normandy and used a visa credit card and a visa debit card in the fuel machines no problem at all at the supermarkets. They were all chip and pin but we may have been lucky cos we only stayed in Normandy. WE could not use our prepaid visa euro card at any tolls or aire machines because the one we had was not a chip and pin so we had to take the cash out at a cash point.:thumb:

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spannermanwigan

spannermanwigan

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hi paul

barclaycard visa, mastercard,

post office mastercard both loaded and normal

all failed to function on several occasions came to conclusion supermarkets own card was required to access.

cards worked for everything else.

regards
steve
 

steveclecy

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In France we used our Saga Platinum Visa card 12 months ago and never had a problem purchasing fuel even out of hours. We fully intend to do the same this coming June.

Steve
 

keith

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When we traveled back through Portugal, Spain and France they all accepted my bank debit VISA card, even an auto toll took a small amount off the card when we didn't have change.

There is a LeClerc unmanned, fuel only station at Nonancort that I have used on many occasions without any problems.

I can remember when we first went South that it used to be very different with often being refused because they were a little behind us accepting the move forward in security brought about by the card operators. But this year with my VISA debit card it went as smooth as possible. ::bigsmile:

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haganap

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Steve,

I really don't know what to say?

As you will see from the testiments of others, I thought this problem was well behind us. Was it just one supermarket? and I suppose, I have to ask,:Blush: your pin was correct, you understood the instructions etc?

If not, might be worth dropping an email to your card company and or the supermarket chain involved to see if they can shed some light on it, maybe Franki could help you by doing a short one in French.

As said, we use Nationwide, and M&S Credit cards for fuel without issue and we have been all over France in so many Supermarkets, (nikki's too tight to pass up the cheap fuel) and not had any grief for years.

The only real sure way is to ensure that you attend in the day time outside of 12-3 as often when we have tried at that time the cashier is having a kip.

im quite intrigued by this now, and curious to see if any others have had a problem recently. As said years ago, the French had a different chip and pin system to our selves that prevented our cards working at automatic pumps. This was all changed when we upgraded the systems a few years back.
 

scotjimland

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im quite intrigued by this now, and curious to see if any others have had a problem recently. As said years ago, the French had a different chip and pin system to our selves that prevented our cards working at automatic pumps. This was all changed when we upgraded the systems a few years back.

Only have a Visa debit card and never had a problem at the 'pay at pump', but always felt it prudent to fill up when there was a cashier... just in case.
 
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Steve,

I really don't know what to say?

As you will see from the testiments of others, I thought this problem was well behind us. Was it just one supermarket? and I suppose, I have to ask,:Blush: your pin was correct, you understood the instructions etc?

If not, might be worth dropping an email to your card company and or the supermarket chain involved to see if they can shed some light on it, maybe Franki could help you by doing a short one in French.

As said, we use Nationwide, and M&S Credit cards for fuel without issue and we have been all over France in so many Supermarkets, (nikki's too tight to pass up the cheap fuel) and not had any grief for years.

The only real sure way is to ensure that you attend in the day time outside of 12-3 as often when we have tried at that time the cashier is having a kip.

im quite intrigued by this now, and curious to see if any others have had a problem recently. As said years ago, the French had a different chip and pin system to our selves that prevented our cards working at automatic pumps. This was all changed when we upgraded the systems a few years back.

Just saw your post paul! Yes sure if i can have the name of the chain i can either write or even give them a call. I can even check all big supermarkets chains and ask them if something prevent english cards to pay. I could make a list of supermarkets accepting english cards at the pumps.
I had a similar prob in a shop in england and my card is supposed to be accepted everywhere in the world. I had obviously a pin prob which was not accepted by the shop; Fortunatly i had some cash!!
Just let me know what i can do to help !:winky:


Amicalement

Frankie:Smile::Smile::Smile:

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We went into the Intermarche at Berk Sur Mare the other Thursday refilled one of the Gaslow bottles without any problems!! we then filled up with deisel. Jenny hopped out at the cashiers booth and put her debit card in the machne and it would not accept it she then tried an Egg credit card same result she then tried her Tesco credit card aslo with the same result. By this time I had hopped out and was asking her what the problem was and had the same rusult with my cards too! ( I would add that not of our cards have any outstanding balances on them) and our bank account has a very healthy balance. So we ended up paying in cash fortunately we did have the 98 euros on us. Dont know what they would have done if we didnt have the cash on us.

We have used pay at the pump machines all over France the last couple of years without any problems, once a kind lady in the street told us how to do it LOL :Doh: :Doh: :Doh:
 

ruffingitsmoothly

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Hi we filled up our RV at he Hyper U, Montmorillon (it has a special truck fill up pump) on the way to and from the Fun Meet at Parc Verger the year before last and used a Nationwide Visa Card with no problem even at 9pm, the pump would only allow 100 litres or Euro (not sure which) at a time though, but just had to put the filler back re-enter the card and pin number and off again!

We stayed at a friends in La Trimouille both on the way down and back from Parc Verger.

I did notice that there were a couple of LPG pumps there as well!

Regards Pat
 
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Just a thought, did you notify your bank before you went that you would be abroad? We always do because we have had the bank's fraud department stopping payments if they seem unusual.

I told them that I was going to Estonia, had no problems using it there. Decided to go to Latvia for the day, tried to use the card in a cashpoint, it was declined and within 5 mins had a call from the bank to check I had the card and was in Latvia. They took the freeze off and I was fine to use it.

Don't know if other banks do this. HSBC does.:winky:

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MisterED

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Hi,
Caxton worked two out of three times, other time was on Nationwide Debit.
Take Care
Terry
 
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spannermanwigan

spannermanwigan

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no credit problems with any of cards, companies all aware we were traveling in europe.
only experienced problems with supermarket unmanned fuel points.
did not have any problem with manned normal garages using chip and pin
 

sedge

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Well as Pete (trophychap) said - some of the pumps don't work quite the same as our 'unmanned' ones do, I think it was something like you had to enter your card and PIN then tell it how many litres (or how much money) then remove the card before it would dispense the diesel. Weird!

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keith

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Well as Pete (trophychap) said - some of the pumps don't work quite the same as our 'unmanned' ones do, I think it was something like you had to enter your card and PIN then tell it how many litres (or how much money) then remove the card before it would dispense the diesel. Weird!

That sounds exactly the same way as it works here Jenny, apart from the UK ones just tell you you can have up to their limit. The ones I used in France and in Spain & Portugal, give you the option to choose a predetermined amount, but you don't have to use it.
 

400ixl

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We used a couple of the unmanned Carrefour supermarket chain petrol stations in France in April this year without any issues. Card taken fine both times.

One was in Calais, one was in a small village outside of Meaux.
 

sedge

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Well I've probably got it wrong in that case! LOL

I always go to the garage up the road cos Tesco's garage is like Hyde Park corner in the rush hour and it's all far to manic for me!

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Landy lover

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All I can add to that is when we are over there we only ever had one problem and I am certain that was with the guy operating the card machine - we always phone the card companies before going over and advise them we are going and what we will use the cards for - we use Mastercard for fuel, tolls, etc and Visa Debit for food and personal items.
 

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