Crédit Agricole - "l'autre carte"

[Nearly Retired (I am now)]

We have a CA current account in Charente Maritime and manage quite well with the cheque book and free cash machine card only. The other card options looked pricey when we first opened the account a couple of years ago, so we didn't take them up. But, to be honest I do miss not being able to use the non-attended fuel stations.

Anyway, yesterday I got a mail shot telling me my old card was outdated and I need to collect a new one. The mailshot includes details of   "l'autre carte"  at a cost of 14,90 euros a year - basically a tenner. Reading through the hype of what wonderful things it can do for me, it looks to be identical to the UK bank's debit card which is free in UK and nothing special.

Anyway has any body got one? Is it really only €14,90 a year? Can you use it in petrol stations?

Could be useful.

 

[Chezstevens]

We would not be without one. Works worldwide, giving a good exchange. Works throughout France - we have opted for the insurance against fraud as well. Yes, these add ons are normally free in the UK but not in France - that is why the basics normally work out cheaper than the UK.

[Clair]

It is the equivalent of the Maestro card.

All transactions are sujbect to an account balance verification.

It can be used in most petrol stations.

It will not be acepted where the automated till does not make a  balance verification (motorways, car parks, some petrol pumps).

Handy for everyday use, but be aware of the basic limitations.

[Chezstevens]

Ours works fine on the motorways and in self service petrol stations.

[Nearly Retired (I am now)]

Ho Hum! And there was I thinking it would be perfect for autoroute tolls and fuel fill ups in obscure places on Sunday afternoons - shame.

[Nearly Retired (I am now)]

We posted at the same time and I didn't see the motorway bit.

[Clair]

from the CA website:

Une gestion sécurisée

A chaque opération, l'Autre Carte vérifie le solde de votre compte et limite ainsi les risques de dérapage de votre budget.

Vos paiements et vos retraits sont débités sans délai de votre compte.

En cas de perte ou de vol, vous faites opposition en contactant

Filservice au 0892.89.89.89 (0,34€ /mn).

Des retraits et des paiements en France et en Europe

Vous disposez de plafonds mensuels de paiement pouvant aller jusqu'à 750€ . L'Autre Carte est acceptée chez tous les commerçants du réseau CB (à l'exception des péages d'autoroute et de certains parkings) et chez les commerçants affichant le logo Maestro en Europe. L'Autre Carte est aussi acceptée chez tous les commerçants Moneo. Elle peut également être utilisée dans le cadre de paiements en vente à distance (dont les sites Internet affichant le logo CB).

Vous disposez de plafonds de retrait jusqu'à 300 €, par période de 7 jours, l'autre carte permet d'effectuer des retraits d'espèces dans tous les distributeurs en France et en Europe :

- Gratuitement lorsqu'ils sont effectués dans les 11 000 distributeurs du Crédit Agricole.

- Au prix de 1€ sur

les distributeurs des autres banques de la zone Euro (pour les retraits

hors zone Euro, voir les conditions générales de banque en vigueur ).

From our contract:

Concernant le paiement sur automate, il est possible d'utiliser "l'autre carte" sur la plupart ds automates de paiement, à l'exception des automates ne procédant pas à une demande d'autorisation de la transaction comme notamment les automates de péage d'autoroute et de parking.   (my underlining)

[Chezstevens]

No arguement with your posting. At autoroute pay booths, manned and automatic, our CA card has been accepted - likewise with petrol stations. We have never come across a scenario, either in France or abroad, that our CA card has been refused. That includes USA, Canada, North Africa, EU and the Far & Middle East.

[Clair]

No problem here either!

It just pays to be aware of all possibilities... In fact, my CA branch did their best to discourage us to have one of these cards, by saying we would not be able to get petrol or go on motorways and I had to REALLY insist to even get a leaflet about it!

We already have a Mastercard and did not need another all-singing-all-dancing card for our other account, so this is perfect.

[Nearly Retired (I am now)]

Now I am confused. It states in the contract and the CA branch has said it doesn't work - but it does. Is it a ploy by the banks to get us to use the more expensive cards?

I, too, have a wallet full of (free to use) UK credit cards which I'm quite happy with. I just want soemthing for fuel and any other emergencies that might crop up where the UK cards just won't do. 

If I have the confidence it'll work OK then I'll get one.

[Chezstevens]

[quote user="Clair"]No problem here either!

It just pays to be aware of all possibilities... In fact, my CA branch did their best to discourage us to have one of these cards, by saying we would not be able to get petrol or go on motorways and I had to REALLY insist to even get a leaflet about it!

We already have a Mastercard and did not need another all-singing-all-dancing card for our other account, so this is perfect.

[/quote]

I am now wondering if we are talking about the same card. Ours is a debit card with mastercard accreditation.

[Jonzjob]

We have the same, Mastercard debit card, and the only place that it's been refused was at one of our local farmers roundabout stalls. We had a good laugh over that and I managed to duck the fruit he threw.  It definatly works on the auto route and at any of the DIY fuel stations we use.

The banking system here is what the system used to be an age ago in the U.K., but we moved here and we accept it for what it is.

[Clair]

[quote user="Chezstevens"]I am now wondering if we are talking about the same card. Ours is a debit card with mastercard accreditation.[/quote]

Definitly NOT talking about the same card. The usual CA cards are Mastercard and clearly marked with the logo. Minimum cost of €35/yr.

"l'autre carte" is a CA exclusive card, with no link to Mastercard whatsoever.

It is called "l'autre carte" and marketed as a basic debit/payment card, with the emphasis on BASIC.

It is shaded green, CB logo top right, Maestro logo bottom right, CA logo top left, it's marked as 'valid in Europe exclusively' (sic)

It costs €14.90/yr and has no frills.

[Chezstevens]

There we go - our card maybe coloured gold but isn't expensive so I am surprised it isn't the basic one.

[Nearly Retired (I am now)]

Yup, the colour printed flyer I'm looking at for "l'autre carte" shows a green card clearly with the word Maestro spread over a blue circle and then a red one. So it's a debit card of sorts, but nowhere near as useful as my UK one.

I'll pass up the €14,90 offer.

Thanks for the assistance - I'll blow £10 on lottery tickets instead !

[BJSLIV]

http://www.credit-agricole.fr/offres/particuliers/quotidien-39/autre-carte-556.html#fiche

It uses the Maestro system which means that before every transaction it needs to check the balance on your account. Hence some petrol pumps and perhaps some peages won't accept it but many will.

However for 14.9 Euros if I was with CA I'ds give it a go to see how it worked out. If it doesn't suit your spending habits , or sunday petrol buying,  then cancel the following year. For anyone without a card I would have thought it was, by French standards, pretty good value.

 

 

[Chancer]

Peages both manned and unmanned do not carry out balance verification, the transaction happens far to fast for this to be possible.

If you don't believe me try this at the next unmanned peage: use an out of date or non-functional ex-bank or credit card and watch the barrier open.

I do not advise you to try using it a second time!

[BJSLIV]

I must say that I doubted that it would work at a Peage, but an earlier claimed that their's did. However reading their subsequent postings I think they probably have a more versatile card. So delete Peages , but I think that many petrol pumps do in fact carry out online checks so it should work there.