# Carrefour declined credit card



## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Yesterday we stopped at the Carrefour in St-Eloy-les-Mines for diesel. Both our Halifax Clarity credit cards were declined. I had just successfully used mine for groceries in the shop. 

We have used the cards previously, successfully, to buy diesel from 24/24 outlets but whether any of these was a Carrefour, I couldn't say. 

Has anyone else had problems with Carrefour 24/24?

I was worried it might be the cards themselves, but my husband used his this morning to pay for diesel at an ordinary manned garage.


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## rotorywing (Jul 19, 2010)

Hi JWW

We have had similar things happen at Carrefour when we have tried to get fuel using a debit card at the automatic pumps, pumps reject the card but it is accepted when we use it in the manned station Also it is accepted in the main store !!. Stick to Intermarche !!


Martin


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## kenny (Jun 4, 2005)

*cards*

if the pumps are not Maned cards will not, work any other station and they are ok kenny


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Thanks, I'll know in future to avoid Carrefour.

Their loss.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Agree with the comments above, many (but not all) UK cards will not work in the 24/7 machines - I believe it is due to the way they are set up to function and the way the bank functions....

If you use the same shop during the day the card will normally work - the cashier seems to have greater tolerance than the automatic one overnight....

Just be aware of this and either fill up during the day when the booth is manned (avoid 12 - 2.00 as they are often not manned then), or use a different filling station.

Dave


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## bigcats30 (Aug 13, 2012)

Out of interest do you let your bank know when you go away??

Cora worked for me out of hours on the machine and so have BP.

I have Nationwide CC


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## Whatton (Feb 1, 2010)

JWW said:


> We have used the cards previously, successfully, to buy diesel from 24/24 outlets but whether any of these was a Carrefour, I couldn't say.


From a credit card website

_Avoid using your prepaid card at automated petrol stations

Automated petrol stations on the continent usually take a security deposit when you first swipe your card. No money actually leaves your account at this point, but your available balance is reduced. A couple of days later (it can be up to 15 days), they will process a settlement increase for €120 (for example) which will raise your available balance by €120. Simultaneously, they will process a settlement decrease where they will remove funds from your card to cover the actual amount of fuel you purchased for example €45. In the period between the two your account will appear to have been debited by €120, but it has not. Only when the settlement decrease goes through has money actually left your account. This procedure is not unique to Caxton FX cards, or indeed any prepaid card. All cards issued by any institution are treated in the same way whether they are debit, credit or prepaid cards.
_

And another quote from another Forum....

_Please be aware that when paying for Petrol /Diesel by card there is a possibility that your Bank account will have an amount blocked ( known as a 'Caution' in French) until the transaction has been cleared by the Bank.

The amount varies from Supermarket to Supermarket and can be as much as €500 if you use a pump that dispenses to H.G.V.'s as well as cars .

In our case in 2012 we filled up our Motor bike at a large Supermarket close to the C.W.G. cemetery in Bayeux. We put in €27 worth of petrol on Saturday Lunchtime and in addition had €500 blocked from our account until the following Thursday.

After enquiring at our French and English Banks we were told that this is normal practice and theoretically can happen on each occasion when using a card for purchasing petrol/diesel.

We only became aware of this after having lived in France for ten years, it now happens more frequently and affects French citizens in the same way.
_

So you may have hit the limit on your card.


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## cheshiregordon (Sep 24, 2011)

bigcats30 said:


> Out of interest do you let your bank know when you go away??
> 
> Cora worked for me out of hours on the machine and so have BP.
> 
> I have Nationwide CC


I have a Saga Card which I keep mainly for using when abroad and I always tell them when I'm travelling. It stops any silly holds on the card for security checks.


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

I've had no problems at all at any outlet, petrol or retail on the trip so far, but haven't used Carrefour for fuel, only the main shop.

Rita had problems elsewhere with her CC but both my CC and debit cards have both worked fine for goods and for cash.

We did notify our bank before we left.

Peter


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

> cheshiregordon said:- It stops any silly holds on the card for security checks.


Not so much silly as annoying Gordon. I'm pleased the banks do check for and detect unusual transactions, having had one of my cards cloned recently.

Worth mentioning that Google did the same this year. They detected a sign-in from the south of France, and blocked me out until I confirmed it was me. Don't know if (or how) that could be prevented in advance though. :?

As for the fuel, having been caught out several times with non-functioning cards, I always regard the half full mark as time to top up. That way I have time to drive past an expensive station and look for a cheaper one, and I'm never biting my fingernails as the red light comes on . . . assuming I've got one that is! :wink:

Dave


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

Its always been my understanding that its the type of 'chip & pin' machinery within the automated fuel-pump that determines whether or not a non-French Credit/debit card will work at any given location. I read somewhere (a couple of years ago) that many of these automated pumps are simply unable to 'read' British cards but that the authorities in France were working on installing machines that would accept our cards in all new installations. It doesn't seem to matter which supermarket, ie we have had cards accepted and not accepted at most of the big ones, Carrefour, Intermarche, E Leclerc and so on. This only applies at the automated pumps of course, our cards have always been accepted in the actual shop and at the manned filling stations. It is our experience that an obviously new supermarket petrol-station is likely to be ok, whereas the older ones not so, which would back up what I read a few years ago. 

Caulkhead


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## Kev1 (Apr 4, 2011)

We got caught out one Sunday
on fumes a village middle of nowhere
Card not accepted wait 10 mins till a local arrives
Sign language
give the man cash
He put fuel in our vehicle with his card 

A very very nice man  
learning experiences
Don't run short of fuel on Sundays
Don't run short of fuel FULLSTOP
Yes Fill up at manned service stations
yes people are nice
Learn more French


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## Kev1 (Apr 4, 2011)

We also had a similar problem gaining access to a French Aire on the Isle De Rae
Again some French people had to let in the English, Dutch and Germans

Learning Experience 
Always carry some cash in smaller notes and coins
Nice people


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

in many many years of travelling to France I've never had a UK CC declined at a 24/7 fuel station - and that includes Carrefour. I've filled up many times without issues using the 24/7 pumps at the Carrefour at Tinqueux on the edge of Reims (handy for the autoroute)

the only time I've had a card declined was buying 2 full week ski passes as I'd forgotten to tell the CC company I was travelling in Europe and they blocked the transaction due to the amount involved. that was my error, not the CC company.

which leads on - are some of these card refusals due to you not letting the CC company know you'll be using them outside the UK?? that may be a reason. I let the CC company know when I'm travelling and as a result don't get card refusals. theoretically, you shouldn't need to do that and I have not done so for short 2/3 day trips but for a week or longer, maybe best to let them know.


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## Kev1 (Apr 4, 2011)

FB
The card company knew we were away
It is simply they don't take british cards (or different cards to yours)

Please could you send me your card and pin number
as a back up
Thanks 
Kev


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

> FB
> The card company knew we were away
> It is simply they don't take british cards (or different cards to yours)
> 
> ...


PM'd you the details...... :wink:

maybe you were just unlucky then. I've tended to use either Nationwide or Halifax Clarity CCs as they are the lowest for fees in Euro transactions.

Amex is also good in many places, as they are generally globally accepted without question (they're technically a charge card not a CC), and they always offer a good exchange rate - although very few fuel stations take Amex.


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## Zozzer (Aug 13, 2006)

Is not against EU trade rules to refuse payment in a member state's Credit Cards, surely as many of these cards are internationally recognised Visa \ MasterCard transactions, so to refuse card from a specific state is RACISM.


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Zozz - nothing to do with racism, wrong word.

My race is white Caucasian as is that of the overwhelming population of the €U.

Perhaps you mean "nationalism".


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Racism is a vastly overused term

tony


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

> Racism is a vastly overused term


I would suggest it's more misused than overused. sadly too many confuse nationalism with racism as Pippin intimates.


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

Only on MHF could a discussion about petrol-pumps and credit cards turn into one about racism.... :wink: 

Caulkhead


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

> Only on MHF could a discussion about petrol-pumps and credit cards turn into one about racism...


I dunno - I can think of a couple of other fora I'm a member of where the same could happen - one of them much quicker than this one!


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

fatbuddha said:


> > Only on MHF could a discussion about petrol-pumps and credit cards turn into one about racism...
> 
> 
> I dunno - I can think of a couple of other fora I'm a member of where the same could happen - one of them much quicker than this one!


Yes but at least on 'cakes it would be done as a laugh. On here they are usually serious...... :lol:

C.


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

> Yes but at least on 'cakes it would be done as a laugh. On here they are usually serious......


I wasn't thinking of that one but another one that's not m/h related which seems to generate the ability to go off track within about 5 posts. probably 'cos it's populated by a bunch of arrisoles these days so I don't post on it so often....


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## Zozzer (Aug 13, 2006)

Ok I'll hold my hands up Ive made tit of myself. But really do not like the discrimination. Would the french like it if the rest of the EU stopped accepting french cards.


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

> Ok I'll hold my hands up Ive made tit of myself. But really do not like *the discrimination*. Would the french like it if the rest of the EU stopped accepting french cards.


stop digging a hole for yourself - you can't prove discrimination either with this issue. who knows - CC holders from other countries may experience the same issue as others here have had but we have no evidence of that.


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## Kev1 (Apr 4, 2011)

I think it's just the card system
The Dutch and Germans were also locked out
We had quite an international group trying to persuade the French cards holders to let us in
Quite a talking point and resulted in a lot of entente cordiale drinking 
Not drinking cordial you understand
Kev


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

a lot of entente cordiale drinking 
Not drinking cordial you understand 

Brilliant Kev!


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## pete4x4 (Dec 20, 2006)

Nationwide and Carrefour pumps don't seem to work, I think its maybe a VISA thing, Mastercard worked ok though.
Last week Nationwide knew I was going, RBS and Mastercard didn't


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## Landyman (Apr 3, 2010)

Never had a problem using credit cards in unmanned pumps. Filled up at a Carrefour yesterday with no problem. But I do alert the card companies before we leave home and also have a decent credit limit on the cards.


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## jiwawa (Jun 22, 2007)

Reading through the info (thanks everyone) I'm no closer to figuring why. 

BigCats30 n Fatbuddha, no I didn't let them know I was going, but we left UK in October last year, used only the HF Clarity card while away, so I think they should have the picture! 

Whatton, no we were nowhere near our limit. 

Pete4x4, our HF CC is a Mastercard, so they don't all work with Carrefour. 

I might phone HF to see what's going on, tho I suspect it's Carrefour and not HF. As I said, we've used other 24/24's no problem. 

Anyway, thanks for the input.


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## salomon (Apr 20, 2011)

For many years, France did not really accept UK credit cards. It was to do with the chip and pin system that they could not cope with. They used a " carte bleu" system which was different. This technology is still hanging around on some machines...notably petrol stations.
IMO Germany is worse. Far, far worse. They still have their b****y EC card everywhere and often don't take visa , MasterCard or any other card in their shops. OH is a. German national. It drives him nuts how backwards they are. 
At least France are trying to change and accept all international payment options, unlike their neighbours.


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

Spot on 'salomon'!!! Its got nowt to do with discrimination, credit limits or not letting your card company know that you are going to France. Of course the latter two are reasons why you might have problems using your card, but within the context of this thread its all about an incompatability between the French and British 'chip and pin' systems. Much more of a problem in years gone by its mostly a thing of the past as the two technologies have become largely the same. Just google something along the lines of "problems using cards in french fuel pumps" and there is loads on this topic.

Caulkhead


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