How do I ask for cash back in French supermarkets

elwyn horton

elwyn horton

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We have been in France for 3 weeks, cash ran out a few days ago.
Asked in a couple of supermarkets for cash back, and not had any joy.
Is this something that we only do in UK?
ATMs in France last year were charging me about 5 euro.
Any one know the easy answer.
Cheers.
 
What do you need the cash for? How much do you need? We try to manage without it. Even in France.
 
Forgot to add. We tried to get cashback in Spain. Without success. Maybe it is a UK thing.
 
A bit late now, but before you left you should have opened a Euro account with one of the many players in the sector
(Wise, Starling, Halifax, Revolut, Santander, HSBC, Monzo, and several more)

The advantage is you transfer pounds into your Euro account when the rate is good for you, and you pay a one off conversion fee and then your Euro's just sit in the account until you need them.

It means no fees on the bank ATM's and no fees every time you pay by card.

FYI:
Some services claim to change money for 'free'.
There ain't no such thing as free money!
Anyone changing money between currencies has to make money somewhere, otherwise there is no point in doing it.

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When we introduced Cashback as a service 35-40 years ago, the working arrangements we had with several continental similar retailers informed us we were alone. The primary reason is that they were not being charged anything like the amount UK retailers were paying the banks to handle cash. One of the key drivers here was to reduce that banking cost.
 
I found in Italy banks in tourist areas wanted to charge me a fee to access euros on my Revolut account.
I just waited until in Switzerland and there was no fee involved there.
I suspect Italian banks in areas other than tourists hotspots there would be no fee.
I resented paying 7 euro to get at my own cash 😡
But I find you can mostly manage without cash, just nice to have a bit, just in case.
 
Figaro said:
I found in Italy banks in tourist areas wanted to charge me a fee to access euros on my Revolut account.
I just waited until in Switzerland and there was no fee involved there.
I suspect Italian banks in areas other than tourists hotspots there would be no fee.
I resented paying 7 euro to get at my own cash 😡
But I find you can mostly manage without cash, just nice to have a bit, just in case.
Click to expand...
It's worth keeping in mind that Revolut is not technically a bank (yet, the application is in process)
However most of the other players, except Monzo, are banks.

The bank that seems to continually score highest in the Euro account market is Starling.
To such a degree that they recently had to suspend taking on new Euro accounts this summer as they could not train up enough new staff fast enough.
 
I took an amount of cash out of the bank to spend on my shopping etc. and I still have it as I haven't been out shopping to use it. That was 3 years ago!!! I buy everything on the internet now.
 
I have used FairFX for years and used to get Euros from an ATM with a very low rate of charge but I struggle to remember when I last did that as, post-Covid, paying by card is now so common even for small items such as an ice-cream. I usually keep just 20-30 Euros in my wallet for those rare occasions when a card cannot be used.

But my real reason for this post is to mention that when heading for the Dieppe Ferry on 11/09 I filled up at Auchan self-service. Despite the fact that I had about 100 Euros on the card I later discovered that it had charged me for the circa 50 Euros of diesel in sterling! I have checked and I do not appear to have been subject to currency conversion charges . The pump did take a long time to complete the transaction. My best guess is that, having filled up at a Carrefour self-service mid-France earlier that day it had pre-allocated maybe 120 Euros to that transaction which was actually for a value of 83 Euros and had not got round to reconciling. No real harm done but if I had not had both sterling and euros loaded on the card I might have been forced to pay using my Co-op sterling bank account with associated conversion charges. So beware! (FYI I was booked on the overnight ferry and wanted to make good progress on landing at Newhaven at 05:00 to get clear of rush hour traffic rather than stopping to look for and fill up at a reasonably priced UK PFS).

To the OP - How do you pay for your diesel in France. Hope you are no using a sterling credit or debit card for that?!!!
 
elwyn horton said:
Is this something that we only do in UK?
Click to expand...
yes

in Tesco's now it is done at the "customer" service desk when I asked.Told the girl that was a lot of use as why would I want to pay at a checkout then queue with loads buying lottery tickets,fags, asking questions, getting refunds,when there are 2 cash machines outside the front door.+ it is a maximum of 50 quid.
 
PlacidoD said:
I usually keep just 20-30 Euros in my wallet for those rare occasions when a card cannot be used.
Click to expand...
Not a lot of use iof pulled for Speeding in France & if you can't pay cash it is off to a cash machine.
PlacidoD said:
earlier that day it had pre-allocated maybe 120 Euros to that transaction which was actually for a value of 83 Euros
Click to expand...
Some are 150€ & any denied transaction means it ring fences another 120 or 150€.
 
Lazyboy said:
If you have a Nationwide account it is easy to use your debit card. Use it in bank atm’s and not the “tourist” ones. Get a very good exchange rate with no additional charges.
Click to expand...
Exactly that. Since Covid I've rarely use cash anywhere and have been using my N'wide debit card in France for more than 20 years at bank ATM's. No fees at all and a good exchange rate. I take out 100 euros and rarely use it all in a month over there.

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Last edited:
Brains said:
A bit late now, but before you left you should have opened a Euro account with one of the many players in the sector
(Wise, Starling, Halifax, Revolut, Santander, HSBC, Monzo, and several more)

The advantage is you transfer pounds into your Euro account when the rate is good for you, and you pay a one off conversion fee and then your Euro's just sit in the account until you need them.

It means no fees on the bank ATM's and no fees every time you pay by card.

FYI:
Some services claim to change money for 'free'.
There ain't no such thing as free money!
Anyone changing money between currencies has to make money somewhere, otherwise there is no point in doing it.
Click to expand...
Doesn't revolute charge you for cash withdrawal. First £200 per month is free.
 
gpat said:
Doesn't revolute charge you for cash withdrawal. First £200 per month is free.
Click to expand...
yes if you withdraw more than that amount .
You can choose a pay account which offers more per month.
I transfer pounds in to revolut ,change to euros as & when , then transfer euros to N26 account where I am allowed 3 transactions per month 600€ per day withdrawal 1800/week 3k per month so max for me is 1800€/month which I rarely have need of.
 
Brains said:
A bit late now, but before you left you should have opened a Euro account with one of the many players in the sector
(Wise, Starling, Halifax, Revolut, Santander, HSBC, Monzo, and several more)

The advantage is you transfer pounds into your Euro account when the rate is good for you, and you pay a one off conversion fee and then your Euro's just sit in the account until you need them.

It means no fees on the bank ATM's and no fees every time you pay by card.

FYI:
Some services claim to change money for 'free'.
There ain't no such thing as free money!
Anyone changing money between currencies has to make money somewhere, otherwise there is no point in doing it.
Click to expand...
FYI we use Revolut but even when I took euros out from my euros account in France at a Credit Agricole ATM they charged me 5 euros. I guess it goes towards my Credit Agricole pension 😂🤣
 
elwyn horton said:
We have been in France for 3 weeks, cash ran out a few days ago.
Asked in a couple of supermarkets for cash back, and not had any joy.
Is this something that we only do in UK?
ATMs in France last year were charging me about 5 euro.
Any one know the easy answer.
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Never heard of it being done anywhere but the UK

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DBK said:
You need cash if you visit Germany. :)
Click to expand...
Not much these days most places take cards now. We spent last October in Germany hardly used any cash.
Spriddler said:
Exactly that. Since Covid I've rarely use cash anywhere and have been using my N'wide debit card in France for more than 20 years at bank ATM's. No fees at all and a good exchange rate. I take out 100 euros and rarely use it all in a month over there.
Click to expand...
Stopped using NW when they started charging for cash withdrawals, then used Metro now they charge so back to Revolut.
gpat said:
Doesn't revolute charge you for cash withdrawal. First £200 per month is free.
Click to expand...
Yes but fees are reasonable. We both have cards so could draw £400 a month without charges.
But €150 is enough for 6 weeks in Spain or France nearly everywhere takes cards
 
Brains said:
A bit late now, but before you left you should have opened a Euro account with one of the many players in the sector
(Wise, Starling, Halifax, Revolut, Santander, HSBC, Monzo, and several more)

The advantage is you transfer pounds into your Euro account when the rate is good for you, and you pay a one off conversion fee and then your Euro's just sit in the account until you need them.

It means no fees on the bank ATM's and no fees every time you pay by card.

FYI:
Some services claim to change money for 'free'.
There ain't no such thing as free money!
Anyone changing money between currencies has to make money somewhere, otherwise there is no point in doing it.
Click to expand...
Nationwide doesn't charge any fees for ATM withdrawals or payment for goods if you have their flexplus account which you get motorhome breakdown recovery with
 
elwyn horton said:
We have been in France for 3 weeks, cash ran out a few days ago.
Asked in a couple of supermarkets for cash back, and not had any joy.
Is this something that we only do in UK?
ATMs in France last year were charging me about 5 euro.
Any one know the easy answer.
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Need to shop around in France some banks don't charge.
 
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Lenny HB said:
Not much these days most places take cards now. We spent last October in Germany hardly used any cash.
Click to expand...
That's useful to know, thanks. It wasn't long ago some people even used to buy a new car with cash.
 
DBK said:
That's useful to know, thanks. It wasn't long ago some people even used to buy a new car with cash.
Click to expand...
Back in the 80's you could only by fuel with cash & supermarkets would only take German debit cards up to fairly recently.

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Brains said:
It's worth keeping in mind that Revolut is not technically a bank (yet, the application is in process)
However most of the other players, except Monzo, are banks.
Click to expand...
I was under the impression Monzo was classed as a Bank.
 
Lenny HB said:
Back in the 80's you could only by fuel with cash & supermarkets would only take German debit cards up to fairly recently.
Click to expand...
I was reading about either asda or morrison fuel facilities the other night & it clearly stated " we take any visa or Mastercard ISSUED IN THE UK? "
What is that all about?
I use spanish cards in France & Germany but have never tried them in the uk as I use UK cards when there ,usually.
 
Special arrangements with both organisations are in place for UK fuel purchases that do not apply internationally. (or at least did a decade ago. It also restricts fuel purchases to being 'acquired' by one of the UK based Merchant Services. There are similar arrangement in place in other countries so sometime none domestic cards may be refused. Last time I was in the US I tried to pay for fuel on my Barclays Debit card and it would not take it. I had to use a dollar based card. Only Amex and Diners are different but many places will not take them as the commission is so high.

There is also an issue with failed settlements and international chargebacks in that the retailer doesn't have a hope in hell of proving that an overseas visitor bought fuel. The number of failed settlements on overseas issued cards is quite high normally and likely to be higher for fuel. Drive outs are bad enough and push up the price for everyone else without failed settlements. And the retailer still has to pay the VAT and fuel duty on the failed transaction.
 

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