those annoying questions

When I use my debit card to pay for something at the store here in the US, the keypad asks me all those annoying questions like do you want cash back? What is my phone number? Is the amount correct? What I want to know is, will this happen in France too? Though I can read French better than I can speak it, that is not saying much and I would hate to be asked all those questions by the machine and not be able to answer correctly.

|||

Here in France, when we use a credut card, none of those things are asked for. We just have to type a 4 figures pin, and if the amount exceeds 500 or 1000 € (it depends) we have to sign. And that is all.

When using a foreign credit card that has no %26quot;electronic chip%26quot;, the signature is the only thing tat is required. But they might ask you for your passport or ID.

|||

I France you CANNOT get cash back anyway. The machine will just have the amount in euros typed in.

|||

Hey mama --

I have yet to find a place where my ATM card can be used for direct puchase overseas -- I can use my US cards in America, but not in Canada - except for the ones that are visa check cards. Then the transaction is like a normal credit card purchase. If the card is a regular MAC or ATM card, it must be used in an ATM. You can%26#39;t make purchases with it. Lord knows I%26#39;ve tried.

|||

mediamama,

My US debit card is also a VISA. When I use it in Parisian shops they swipe it and then have me sign the slip, just as I would with a US credit card.

If your debit card is not also a Visa/MC/Amex you will not be able to use it for anything other than ATM withdrawals (and perhaps to pick locks).

|||

Thanks all of you. Mine is a visa check card form B of A so I am sure now that I will have no trouble.

|||

If you put in an American credit card in the machine it will write everything in English, at least that’s what it does if I put my Swedish card in the machine. I’ve never been asked any questions besides pin code and how much I want and if I want a recipe. But maybe I just missed those machines...

|||

-:- Message from TripAdvisor staff -:-

This topic was inactive for 6 months and has been closed to new posts. We hope you'll join the conversation by posting to an open topic or starting a new one.

To review the TripAdvisor Forums Posting Guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html

We remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.

Removed on: 3:20 am, August 15, 2009