Chip-and-signature card in France

I wrote about traveling in France in February 2013 with a Visa Signature® card, a BankAmerica Cash Rewards™ credit card (March ’14, pg. 42). On a return, 2-week trip to France, Feb. 18-March 4, 2014, I took the chip-and-signature card as well as a nonchip (magnetic-strip-only) card.

In France, there are basically two kinds of credit card machines. The older type has a place to swipe a card, either on the top or on the side; it may also have a slot on the bottom. The newer machine has a slot on the bottom.

I tried using my chip-and-signature card on the autoroute, but it wasn’t accepted, so I had to pay with cash. 

I had no difficulty finding manned gas stations. For the cheapest gas in France, I went to the ones associated with supermarkets (E.Leclerc, Super U, Intermarché, etc.). At these stations, it was necessary to pay cash. As for the gas stations in the autoroute rest areas, I could pay inside with the chip-and-signature card or cash.

At all the restaurants and supermarkets I entered, there were card-swipe machines and I could pay with the nonchip card. One hotel’s machine had a swipe slot that did not accept my card and I was forced to use my chip-and-signature card.*

In conclusion, in places where you can sign a receipt, the chip-and-signature card was generally acceptable. Until I can get a true chip-and-PIN card, which requires only entering a PIN to complete a transaction, my chip-and-signature card will not allow me universal access.

GEORGE LAUSCHER

Pocono Summit, PA

*Editors note: Chip-and-signature cards may continue to work at some unmanned pay points in Europe for a while, but, as more terminals are upgraded, it is expected that fewer and fewer machines will accept anything other than chip-and-PIN cards.