# Cost of using a credit card in bornes



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Mention was made recently of the newer type of borne that will only accept credit cards for water, EHU etc. I understand that there are aires too where you swipe your card at the barrier to get in.

Presumably, if you are not using a Nationwide card, this is an expensive way to go as the credit card company will add on a hefty transaction charge on top of the small amount charged by the borne. It could end up costing £4 or £5 for a few litres of water.

Has anyone had experience of this and are these bornes becoming more common as the older ones are replaced ? Are they in France only or spreading ?

G


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## julie798 (Jun 13, 2007)

*card*

Do they accept the nationwide flexi card ?


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Chris;

I'd agree they seem to be getting more commonplace but its not a completely new thing, the borne at the Gerardmer aire has had one for quite a few years. I tried it once with my card but couldn't get it to work. I've never bothered trying to use one since. 
Having said that, I think Judy recently payed by card to get out of the Brugge aire on our last visit, not sure if she used her nationwide or tesco card though.
I would have thought that as long as you use one of the better credit cards that only charge extra for cash transactions (tesco etc) then you should be ok.

I don't recall seeing any stellplatz with a card payment facility, they have more of a cash culture than other euro countries but i'm sure Gerhard will put us right on that one if he sees this.

pete


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

I don't think I get transaction charges at toll booths using a credit card, so provided the French card reader accepts our more recent chips, fuel stations being the worst culprits, I imagine we'll be OK.

Dave


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

I am sure lloydstsb debit card would charge a foreign transaction charge. not sure about cc though. Nationwide should be ok if they accept it. Becaus a lot of banks charge a per transaction fee I don't pay with a card at autoroute toll booths unless using Nationwide. One year when Lloydstsb brought in the charge and I didn't realise I was paying £1 for a few Euros of toll charge!!! :evil: 

It seems where new Borne services are installed it uses cards for payment.


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## 101405 (Oct 15, 2006)

*debit cards*

Yes ! they take nationwide cards . they are not a problem .


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

A quick follow up to my previous post.

Judy got her Tesco credit card bill this morning and the charge for the Brugge aire was €15 @ 1.298701 exchange rate = £11.55p so no extra transaction fees as I suspected. No doubt if she had used her Nationwide card it would have been at a slightly better rate.
Also, it has been pointed out that It would have been even cheaper for her if I had used mine instead :roll: 

pete


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## Smilo (Nov 2, 2005)

What's a "borne"?


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

I don't get "per item" charges for normal transactions on my Credit Cards or Debit cards; I thought this only applied when you draw cash on a credit card? :?:


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Smilo said:


> What's a "borne"?


Very loosely translated a 'borne de services' is a service post.

Here's a few 'Camping-car' 'Bornes'...




























pete


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## Smilo (Nov 2, 2005)

peejay said:


> Smilo said:
> 
> 
> > What's a "borne"?
> ...


Thanks, Pete. What a good reply! I remember the first time I saw one, it was in 2002 at Cauteret. I'd come to think of them as "camping meters".


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## rayhook (May 15, 2005)

*Hidden fees*

You need to be careful about 'hidden fees'. There are two types of charge the banks are making - a straight commission charge which is most commonly found with debit cards and is commonly based at say 1.5% with a minimum of say £2, and a 'hidden' cost in the exchange rate they apply. It is very difficult to know just what you are being charged because there is no single 'exchange rate' against which to make comparisons and anyway rates vary from minute to minute.

The most expensive way to pay is with cash e.g. €, bought in the UK. For example, if you take a 'middle' exchange rate of say 1.30 for the €, you can expect to receive say only 1.22€ for each £. And you may still pay a commission charge. If you bring cash back, the bank will buy it at say 1.38€ for each £ - and maybe deduct a commission as well.

Ignoring exchange rate swings, the cheapest way is to open an account in France or Spain and have a debit card. The transfer of funds to the bank from the UK attracts a 'good' rate and there are no other charges for using your € debit card on the mainland. A lot of people use Currencies Direct instead of their bank to transfer funds as they usually offer a better rate. The process of transferring funds to a Euro country from a UK bank is about to get easier (and cheaper?) thanks to an EU directive about cross-border payments. Doubtless the banks will take their pound of flesh some other way............

Ray


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