http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money has details of the best card deal.
I use the Post Office one for purchases
I use the Post Office one for purchases
British credit cards used for fuel
- Thread starter Marjie
- Start date
The Germs do seem to have some issues with credit cards. I have far more difficulty getting cards accepted there than in France.Had some issues in 2010, since then we did get turned down in 2011 in Germany and had to wait until the bank got back to the garage owner, they refused all of our collection of 5 or so cards. All very decent, he apologised and made us some very nice coffee whilst we waited. Bank rang back eventually and confessed that there was something wrong at their endSince then no problems at all.
Holland is another problem, many businesses just take the local cards not international credit cards - seems to be getting more common rather than less. rarely had a problem a fuel stops however.
should be a standard overhead for a business in the 21st century but I sympathise with you over the antiquated banking system in Austria which takes weeks to pay the money into your account (as stated in another thread)
Marjie
Registered user
Thanks for all the replies folks.
Sounds like it's improved a bit since I was last in France.
Will have a couple of cards with me for safety's sake & yes neither of them charge a transaction fee.
All the best,
Marjie
Sounds like it's improved a bit since I was last in France.
Will have a couple of cards with me for safety's sake & yes neither of them charge a transaction fee.
All the best,
Marjie
Thanks for the heads up Gerry, I ordered a Saga card yesterday in time for my Normandy trip in May.
Simon W
Registered user
Of the - just counted - 25 days of riding in France I did last year (lots of trips, several of them long) I had only two automated pumps turn their nose up my normal Nationwide (no commission) card: both times, Esso pumps. And they then took another card. So you really shouldn't have a problem. But do take more than one card, just to be on the safe side.
I use a CaxtonFX card.
It works like a dream EXCEPT on peages (but I use a Liber-T for that now).
It works like a dream EXCEPT on peages (but I use a Liber-T for that now).
I don't have any credit cards but I've used my Natwest and my Halifx debit cards at automated pumps and in pay stations across France,Belgium,Holland and in Germany with no bother at all.
That's over the last three or four years too.
That's over the last three or four years too.
I think Wapping put his finger on it in post #9
agent2494
Registered user
Use credit card for fuel when driving from UK to Bulgaria as the fecker a clone cards (covered by bank fraud, then use debit card when in Bulgaria
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
MeinMotorrad
Registered user
I have been using a FairFX prepaid Euro card without any issues since moving to France in October. Then two weeks ago the self serve pumps refused it (it has around 2000E on it so it wasn't going into the red), and I had to resort to using my UK debit card which is really expensive to use outside the UK.
One of the fuel station was part of the Casino supermarche chain, can't remember the other. The card works fine in shops.
I got in touch with FairFX and got this response:
Unfortunately there is a service restriction on the FairFX Card at some self service petrol pumps and motorway toll booths, particularly in France. This is because the terminals used at toll booths do not check the balance of a card before taking payment. This is a danger to yourself and FairFX, as it could potentially take a pre-paid card into a negative balance. So for this reason any such terminals are not able to accept the card.
So it's a good idea to keep some cash so you can ask a local to use their card to pay at the pump if you're really stuck.
One of the fuel station was part of the Casino supermarche chain, can't remember the other. The card works fine in shops.
I got in touch with FairFX and got this response:
Unfortunately there is a service restriction on the FairFX Card at some self service petrol pumps and motorway toll booths, particularly in France. This is because the terminals used at toll booths do not check the balance of a card before taking payment. This is a danger to yourself and FairFX, as it could potentially take a pre-paid card into a negative balance. So for this reason any such terminals are not able to accept the card.
So it's a good idea to keep some cash so you can ask a local to use their card to pay at the pump if you're really stuck.
Just back from France on a Wander with eight bikes, everyone filling up at an assortment of French filling stations and / or paying tolls at motorway booths and settling hotel bilks, using various cards...
If I assume we had 10 stops or transactions, that is say 80 'man transactions'. Of these 80 or so transactions, just a couple went wrong.
(1) One rural station, with a particularly antiquated, rusty, card reader, which would not work. A French bod was having trouble with it too, trying several of his own and his passenger's cards before it clunked into life. I think this was more down to problems with the actual ancient card reader than the cards themselves.
(2) One fellow had a problem at a motorway toll. But that was due to a very soggy toll 'ticket', not down to a credit / debit card.
More and more of the stations are being converted to 24/7 card machine use. It makes reasonably good sense to do so. Obviously the card readers themselves are expensive to install / maintain plus there is a charge made by the card company to the filling station for each transaction. But, the rural stations do have to compete with the supermarkets and / or lack the staff (and the will) to stay open. So, efficient card readers are the way to go.
My Garmin GPS displays fuel stations by default. In moments of abject boredom I look to see if the predicted fuel station is where the device says it is. In short, had you ridden to that point in search of fuel, would you be happy or unhappy on arrival. This is what I have found over say the last 10,000 miles:
(1) It is better than no guide at all.
(2) It is not a great guide, nor is it anywhere near 100% reliable.
(3) Some of the stations displayed as fuel stations were closed down, knocked down or whatever years ago.
(4) Those part of (or operated by) supermarkets are generally (but by no means all) 24 / 7 and are more often actually there when you arrive. I guess that is because it's harder to close down a supermarket than a single pump petrol station.
(4) Many / most supermarket fuel stations advertise their presence several miles away, with large billboards with simple pictures and words explaining where they are situated and the opening hours of the petrol station. These signs are very often reliable, use them.
(5) The 'brand' stations like Esso and Texaco, who have gone to a lot of trouble and expense to get Navteq / Garmin to display their brand logo on the map, have generally also gone to some trouble to ensure the data list of their stations is reasonably (but not always) up-to-date.
(5) Two golden rules...
(i) If you need fuel in say 40 miles and pass an open petrol station after two miles and fill up then and there, you'll definitely avoid all the potential nail biting in say 35 miles.
(ii) Western Europe is not sub-central Saharan Africa. There are millions of vehicles, often driven by very stupid people. You rarely see a vehicle that has run out of fuel. These millions of people all fill up somewhere and somehow. If they can do it, so can you!
If I assume we had 10 stops or transactions, that is say 80 'man transactions'. Of these 80 or so transactions, just a couple went wrong.
(1) One rural station, with a particularly antiquated, rusty, card reader, which would not work. A French bod was having trouble with it too, trying several of his own and his passenger's cards before it clunked into life. I think this was more down to problems with the actual ancient card reader than the cards themselves.
(2) One fellow had a problem at a motorway toll. But that was due to a very soggy toll 'ticket', not down to a credit / debit card.
More and more of the stations are being converted to 24/7 card machine use. It makes reasonably good sense to do so. Obviously the card readers themselves are expensive to install / maintain plus there is a charge made by the card company to the filling station for each transaction. But, the rural stations do have to compete with the supermarkets and / or lack the staff (and the will) to stay open. So, efficient card readers are the way to go.
My Garmin GPS displays fuel stations by default. In moments of abject boredom I look to see if the predicted fuel station is where the device says it is. In short, had you ridden to that point in search of fuel, would you be happy or unhappy on arrival. This is what I have found over say the last 10,000 miles:
(1) It is better than no guide at all.
(2) It is not a great guide, nor is it anywhere near 100% reliable.
(3) Some of the stations displayed as fuel stations were closed down, knocked down or whatever years ago.
(4) Those part of (or operated by) supermarkets are generally (but by no means all) 24 / 7 and are more often actually there when you arrive. I guess that is because it's harder to close down a supermarket than a single pump petrol station.
(4) Many / most supermarket fuel stations advertise their presence several miles away, with large billboards with simple pictures and words explaining where they are situated and the opening hours of the petrol station. These signs are very often reliable, use them.
(5) The 'brand' stations like Esso and Texaco, who have gone to a lot of trouble and expense to get Navteq / Garmin to display their brand logo on the map, have generally also gone to some trouble to ensure the data list of their stations is reasonably (but not always) up-to-date.
(5) Two golden rules...
(i) If you need fuel in say 40 miles and pass an open petrol station after two miles and fill up then and there, you'll definitely avoid all the potential nail biting in say 35 miles.
(ii) Western Europe is not sub-central Saharan Africa. There are millions of vehicles, often driven by very stupid people. You rarely see a vehicle that has run out of fuel. These millions of people all fill up somewhere and somehow. If they can do it, so can you!
This also appears to be a problem with Caxton FX Euro cards, and presumably any pre-paid card.
And, from the quote in the post, it's clear that the block has been put in by the card operator, NOT by the sales agent, for the card holder's protection:
Moan to the card provider not to the toll booth monkey. Better still, never go abroad.... Or be prepared to spend a few pence extra.
It can be a problem with the unmanned stations, but only had an issue twic with my FairFx card, i think that was similar in that the merchant had decided not to accept them, however after much shouting and pointing out that it advertised it took visa cards its a visa and was the only payment I had, take it or leave it, he took it, the other one was a french toll and in the end they decided that it was way too much effort and let me throught with out paying, (only a couple of euro anyway).
But I always enjoy a good argument.
But I always enjoy a good argument.
Boy, they must just love the English / British.
In France just now. Used a couple of those unmanned auto fuel stations with my RBS credit card and no issues at all. Brilliant system, wished they had it back in Glasgow 
Not entirely fair - pre-pay cards have to have the current balance checked. If the POS machine can't do that (because they're not connected) it won't take the payment.
I guess that's why the autoroute tolls never ask for your PIN.
Why? are we supposed to roll over and accept stupidity just because we are abroad?
If I had a problem here I would do the same, if sombody dosent take a particular card then advertise as much, if the sign sayes accept visa then and thats what I am tendering in payment then I expect them to accept it, no matter where I am, it wasnt me doing the shouting and waving of hands, I was very calm and polite and just stated that it was the only payment I had. I generaly find that calm and polite usualy gets results, I was in no particular hurry and happy to waste 20 mins or so.
In addition to which if its a visa card then it should not matter that it is a prepayment card, the system should debt the payment at the time of presentation of the card and if there is insufficient funds then it should refuse the card there and then, it should work in the same way as a debt card if there are insufficient funds.
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