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Caravanning Now - How do I use my chipped Credit Card in France?

For a long time now, France has been using its own system of 'chip and pin' and we're finally catching up.

Unfortunately the two systems are still not fully compatible, but the French are updating there system so that a UK chip and pin card can be used in France in the same way that you would use it here.

The systems are being updated piecemeal so each supermarket / garage / shop is updating their in-store equipment so that the system used in UK can be used in that particular supermarket / garage, so you may find that your chip and pin card will work in one store but not in the store next door or even the same store in another town.

Petrol stations, that have unmanned late night pumps, require a 'chipped' credit card and for you to enter your PIN when used. Unfortunately, the UK sourced 'chipped' credit cards will NOT work in these pumps at the moment.

If you are in the situation where you require fuel, late at night, your best bet (at the moment), if your card doesn't work, is to wait for a local to arrive to refuel and to offer them the cash to allow you to refuel, if they will use their French source credit card in the pump.

If you cannot get the pad to accept your pin number, then the following may be useful.

In English:

This is an international payment card issued in the United Kingdom. It contains a microchip but to a different format from those used in France. For the time being transactions from this card must be processed by means of the magnetic stripe in the same way as other international payment cards. Your card processor will have advised you of this requirement and can provide further information is required.

In French:

Ceci est une carte de paiernent internationale êrnise au Royaume-Uni. Elle contient une puce qui rêpond à des différentes de celles utilisées en France. Pour le moment, les transactions effectuées avec cette carte doivent être traitées au moyen de la piste magnétique, de la même façon que les autres cartes de paiernent internationales. Le centre de tratement de votre carte vous aura avisé(e) de cette exigence et peut fournir de plus amples renseignements si nécessaire.