Using cash machines here

[Scooby]

We bank with Banque Populaire.  We got a great deal on our French mortgage but the current account banking with BP is archaic.  TBH Bugbear we never have cause to go into our branch - I think I've been in once since we opened the account two years ago - and that was only because DH lost his debit card and I had to go in person to pick up the replacement (again, UK banks would have mailed it out to the registered address).

[AnOther]

[quote user="Scooby"]Agreed Benjamen - everywhere else is moving to chip and pin and doing away with cheques.  Not France - cheques seem to be preferred payment here, despite the absence of cheque guarantee cards.[/quote]I'd check (sic) your facts on that one Scooby, the French pioneered chip and pin way back in the early 80's I think it was and the reason cheques are still in common use, and without guarantee cards, is that the consequences of writing duff cheques can be so severe that nobody does it.

I think on the whole the French are vastly more responsible in handling their money than your average credit card debt laden Brit even knows how to let alone practices.

[graham34]

I though that by law cheques have to be free in France. Given that plastic involves an annual fee then it's not surprising that cheques remain very popular. Making debit cards free would be first step.

On the withdrawall limits of French cards then banks like CA have a basic and a gold card. They're unlikely to increase usage limits for a basic card to the level of the more expensive gold card.

[AnOther]

We use our CA cards for purchases quite a bit but must admit that we very very seldom draw cash from an ATM with them.

If we want cash we generally use our Nationwide cards (with 2 cards we can draw €800 per day) and when the rate is OK we will sometimes go maybe 2, 3 or more days on the trot then pay some into the bank and keep the rest at home.

[Scooby]

[quote user="ErnieY"]

[quote user="Scooby"]Agreed Benjamen - everywhere else is moving to chip and pin and doing away with cheques.  Not France - cheques seem to be preferred payment here, despite the absence of cheque guarantee cards.[/quote]I'd check (sic) your facts on that one Scooby, the French pioneered chip and pin way back in the early 80's I think it was and the reason cheques are still in common use, and without guarantee cards, is that the consequences of writing duff cheques can be so severe that nobody does it.

I think on the whole the French are vastly more responsible in handling their money than your average credit card debt laden Brit even knows how to let alone practices.

[/quote]

I wasn't referring to writing a cheque on your own account but of someone writing a cheque using a stolen cheque book.  You only need to have the cheque book in your possession and there is no signature check..

With regard to the comparative levels of debt, that is probably do to limiting borrowing by reference to a maximum monthly repayment -  and the fact that most of the French I have met seem as tight as two coats of paint!!

[Chancer]

[quote user="Scooby"]Agreed Benjamen - everywhere else is moving to chip and pin and doing away with cheques.  Not France - cheques seem to be preferred payment here, despite the absence of cheque guarantee cards.  If you try to use cash / debit card then you have an arbitrary fixed limit of 500 euros per week maximum spend which is ridiculous.  We used to transfer currency to our French account and pay cash or debit card but have had our card refused so often by the ridiculous limit we now use a UK Nationwide credit card whereever possible.

And let's not get started on the monthly fees - more if you want to have online banking.  We figured its a penalty for potentially threatenening the livelihood of some poor bank official by not using the branch....
[/quote]

I am with you here Scooby, originally I paid money into my CL account and had the same problems re weekly spend limit on debit card despite having several thousand euros in the account, now like you I use my Nationwide card for everything including topping up the CL account to pay electric bills by TIP and monthly Free.fr abonnment.

I have not used the card at all in the last year and today asked myself why was I still paying E7.50 per month in account fees?

If I return the card and just keep the cheque book would I still have to pay a monthly charge doe anyone know?

[Danny]

JR,

how about just asking your bank?

Danny