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05.08.2021, 08:14
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| | Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card
Anyone know of any financial means of get around in France without a credit card, post finance card, Mastro card or cash. Is Apple Pay on an iPhone a possibility? Can one get a prepaid travel card on short notice? Thanks!
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05.08.2021, 08:25
| Forum Legend | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Switzerland
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card
According to Apple, you can use Apple Pay in France: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207957 (that was easy to google...)
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05.08.2021, 08:46
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card
One can get the Ok prepaid cards straight away. https://www.kkiosk.ch/de/products/detail/?id=299
Edit - They can be linked to Apple & Samsung pay
Last edited by Sigh; 05.08.2021 at 09:24.
Reason: Added info
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05.08.2021, 09:14
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card | Quote: | |  | | | | | | | | To use ApplePay you need a card…
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05.08.2021, 09:21
| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card
I guess it depends what getting around means and what sort of things to buy..
Hotels / car hire will normally require a proper credit card and not accept a pre-pay.
Smaller shops, cafes, bars often have a minimum spend of 15-25 eur before they will accept cards..
Apple Pay needs to be linked to a card and not every card works. But if it can be linked, virtually all card terminals will accept it.
Is it some kind of challenge?
Holiday checks are popular in France, I've seen people paying with them on many campsites .. Not sure how exactly they work though or who accepts them. https://www.ancv.com/le-cheque-vacances | 
05.08.2021, 09:34
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card | Quote: | |  | | | | | | | | Generally they get bought through your employer, at a massive discount to face face value. Restaurants, Hotels even McDonald's accepts them. I don't know if it's limited to holiday destinations as the person I was with lived in the Alps.
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05.08.2021, 09:59
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card
You can open a Revolut account and then add the digital prepaid card to Apple pay maybe? Shouldn't take long
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05.08.2021, 10:09
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card
Why?
Tom
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05.08.2021, 22:22
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card | Quote: | |  | | | Smaller shops, cafes, bars often have a minimum spend of 15-25 eur before they will accept cards.. | | | | | Is it still the norm? I would guess that due to COVID cards are not only accepted but preferred for any amount
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05.08.2021, 22:24
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card | Quote: | |  | | | Is it still the norm? I would guess that due to COVID cards are not only accepted but preferred for any amount | | | | | Not if you are the shop owner & pay a min fixed cost per transaction
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05.08.2021, 23:21
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card | Quote: | |  | | | Not if you are the shop owner & pay a min fixed cost per transaction | | | | | Indeed, but I assume the charges must have decreased significantly, unless they were only temporarily suspended or something like that
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05.08.2021, 23:21
| Forum Veteran | | Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Zurich
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card | Quote: | |  | | | Anyone know of any financial means of get around in France without a credit card, post finance card, Mastro card or cash. Is Apple Pay on an iPhone a possibility? Can one get a prepaid travel card on short notice? Thanks! | | | | |
The non traceability of cash transactions is exactly why the authorities - particularly in France - are keen for you to use cards.
Are you doing one of your usual drug runs? ;-)
Prepaid card is the easiest way to go, if you don't have any of the other options. But... why don't you have any of the other options?
Kind regards
Ian
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05.08.2021, 23:35
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card | Quote: | |  | | | I guess it depends what getting around means and what sort of things to buy..
Hotels / car hire will normally require a proper credit card and not accept a pre-pay.
Smaller shops, cafes, bars often have a minimum spend of 15-25 eur before they will accept cards..
Apple Pay needs to be linked to a card and not every card works. But if it can be linked, virtually all card terminals will accept it.
Is it some kind of challenge?
Holiday checks are popular in France, I've seen people paying with them on many campsites .. Not sure how exactly they work though or who accepts them. https://www.ancv.com/le-cheque-vacances | | | | | | Quote: | |  | | | Is it still the norm? I would guess that due to COVID cards are not only accepted but preferred for any amount | | | | | Most french shops are now refusing cash and will only accept payment using a card. Several times I've spent a couple of euros and automatically reached for my purse, only to be asked to use a card instead.
My local pharmacy has accepted cash, but that does seem to be unusual.
robBob; why don't you want to use cards?
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06.08.2021, 07:41
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card | Quote: | |  | | | robBob; why don't you want to use cards? | | | | | It's not for me but my offspring. Kid has debit card for Switzerland only. As always daddy has to figure something out last minute.
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06.08.2021, 07:44
|  | Forum Veteran | | Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: Lugano
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card | Quote: | |  | | | It's not for me but my offspring. Kid has debit card for Switzerland only. As always daddy has to figure something out last minute. | | | | | Why not to use debit card ? I assume it's visa electron or maestro something ?
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06.08.2021, 08:39
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card
I have my Wise (formerly Transferwise) debit card linked to Applepay.
Literally since I started using it 3 months ago I have made all my payments in France, Italy and Switzerland with it. Even for EUR 0.50 payments, no issues. I was always under the impression that especially in Italy they preferred cash, but they seem to have card terminals in every shop these days.
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06.08.2021, 08:57
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card | Quote: | |  | | | Indeed, but I assume the charges must have decreased significantly, unless they were only temporarily suspended or something like that | | | | | Just look at the share price of Visa & Mastercard & you will realise that they did not reduce or suspend charges. Why would they?
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06.08.2021, 09:11
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card
Many people are going around without cash or card.
They just walk away with the goods
#joke
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06.08.2021, 09:16
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card | 
07.08.2021, 19:26
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| | Re: Best way to buy things in France without cash or credit card
Update:
Turns out the kid has a Maestro card already that can be used at any ATM for a small 5 SFr fee. Also was able to get my credit card verified for Apple Pay. And to top it all off the post finance card just arrived today for the account that we opened on Wednesday. So now offspring is financial safe for foreign travel.
Thanks EF for the helpful suggestions.
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