Cash, Debit Card, Credit Card - contactless payments and fees

Have you considered an ATM card that doesn't charge a fee? I have a Charles Schwab debit card that doesn't charge ATM fees no matter where you use it.

https://www.schwab.com/checking/debit-card

I think your idea of using the contactless credit card with no foreign transaction fees and then paying it off as soon as you get home makes a great deal of sense.

I’m not sure you have time to make any major card changes if your trip is next month.

I was only in the UK on my last trip, but there was no objection to small purchases on the card and frequent objection to cash.

I also have Schwab and it's fabulous! Thankfully, they finally got with the program and I now have the tap feature on my debit card. When I did a solo trip to Europe in 2018, so many people had the tap card and I did not. I felt so old school. 😄

I only use cash for the street markets or street food vendors. And if a shop/vendor gives you a choice between using US dollars and local currency on your card, always go with local currency, because the USD will be higher.

Also, I recommend bringing a backup credit card in case you lose one. I accidentally lost my Schwab card in Munich, Germany in 2019. I called them immediately and they shut it down. Thankfully I had a backup Bank of America credit card and was able to take out cash with that. There were fees involved, but I didn't have a choice and it wasn't too terrible.

Get some cash with your debit card, maybe 200 euro, and that should last you your trip. Your card that has contactless payment, use that wherever you can as a first option. That is your cheapest and best option. You really can use it for a bottle of water if you wish, assuming it is a Visa or Mastercard (AMEX about half the time, Discover maybe never)

The other advantage of contactless, is that for purchases under a 100 euro, you do not need to sign or punch in a PIN, so it is easy and fast. Many on here have reported that they are not using cash at all, or very minimally.

Loading it to your Apple wallet? Sure, if you want, but tapping your card is the same, if you have your phone out all the time, then that might be easier, but really no difference.

As for paying cash, no person selling you something will refuse cash and lose the sale. Maybe in some of the Scandinavian countries, but not yet in most of Europe. Now some unmanned kiosk type machines, yeah, maybe no cash, but a person will take your money.

As for paying cash, no person selling you something will refuse cash and lose the sale. Maybe in some of the Scandinavian countries, but not yet in most of Europe. Now some unmanned kiosk type machines, yeah, maybe no cash, but a person will take your money.

Well you'd be wrong about that - plenty of small shops now no longer accept cash - its a security issue - and a cost issue. Bought a breakfast bagel at a local chain in my local airport the other week. No cash - no way of accepting cash, no security to hold cash i.e. they don't have a till just a couple of ipads

In Spain this April, we paid with our cellphones for probably 95% of our transactions. Contactless was everywhere! So easy and no waiting around for someone to bring you back change. A lot of restaurants didn’t have physical menus any longer either. Many had a QR code on the table linking you to their menu online.

I am in France right now and no one has ever refused cash from me when I've used it. I've been here for two weeks. I mostly use my contactless card, though, so maybe I just got lucky. The contactless card is convenient because you don't have to sign. If it is a larger amount you will have to insert the card and sign.

I opened a Capital One 360 online checking account a few years ago just for travel. It has no foreign transaction fees. I let the balance go to almost zero until I'm ready to travel, then transfer money from my regular credit union. If you travel internationally you should really get a checking account and some credit cards that don't have foreign transaction fees. Have a great trip!

I prefer to use credit card instead of debit card for payments when traveling abroad. I only use debit card to withdraw cash from ATM. While credit card does not prevent fraud; it prevents the bad guy from accessing your bank account in the event of fraud. If you prefer to use debit card consider opening a seperate checking account just for the purpose of traveling; and only have enough money in the account for the trip.

In France it's compulsory by law to accept cash under 1000€.

Use your tap and go credit card and pay it off when billed. Went into a store today in Lyon that typically takes cash and credit and dude at the door said “no cash today, only credit”. No problem for me. we

In case you hadn't had enough Charles Schwab recommendations, add ours. We use our checking and debit card exclusively for travel and only deposit enough to cover our estimated cash budget for the trip. Take cash out of ATMs for small incidentals and places that prefer it. For credit card purchases, CapitolOne Savor card has no international transaction fees (probably some of the other flavors of their cards, too).

BlockquoteIn France it's compulsory by law to accept cash under 1000€.<

This is only true if the payment in cash is for the exact amount of the bill. If the customer does not have exact change and the business does not have change or does not carry change as a matter of policy, they can refuse the cash payment (Art. L. 112-5 and re-affirmed by the Banque de France). It's why there are some businesses where cash is essentially not accepted. It was irritating during the pandemic as some places that previously accepted cash and provided change stopped doing so (my local Carrefour).

In any case, almost everywhere accepts Apple Pay in France with the exceptions primarily being for payments under five euros and some automatic machines, such as transit machines. Apple Pay is great and I keep some five euro notes in my phone case for when my kid wants ice cream.

Yes, they don't have to give you change. But if you accept to pay more, they will accept !

thank you Obi-Wan, no one seems to think about the difference between a credit card and a debit card. When you use a credit card, they're giving you a short term loan, it's not your money. If there's a problem or you need to question a charge, it's not your money. With a debit card, once a bad guy in is, they drain your checking account. good luck getting THAT back. Use your credit card for all major purchases, and just pay the balance when you get home. Make sure you're getting miles or cash back on that card.

My experience in France was, be prepared to pay with cash OR credit. It will usually be your choice, do what you feel. I paid for everything except taxis with my tap to pay card, for some reason I preferred to do taxis in cash. No one ever said a thing.

I am currently in Paris and use the Apple Card on my watch/phone for everything. We needed cash for a taxi this morning that said his card reader broke (?) and for bus tickets in Vernon to Giverny (didn’t ask about tapping there). I haven’t had to sign for anything yet, even the hotel bill.

We use the Apple Card exclusively for the 2% cash back and no foreign transaction fees. We find it more secure than debit (no magnetic strip) and we can pay new charges as soon as they clear just by tapping.

Rob

I have encountered a fair number of shops in France that do not accept credit cards for transaction lower than 10 Euro or 15 Euro. Several this spring -- a deli, a butcher come to mind. I have never encountered a shop that does not accept cash. Most take credit cards. I usually don't use them in markets but most markets do accept them -- I will use them if making a large purchase e.g. at the roast meat stand at August Blanqui market where I might spend 30 or 40 Euros before a dinner party -- but not for produce and other low cost items.

Just returned from France. Thanks for the advice on Chas Schwab - opened a checking account and had no issues using the contact less debit card without the Foreign Transaction Fee. I also used my credit card that does not charge a foreign transaction fee - for hotels, larger purchases, etc. I had 300 Euros left over from my last travel; returned with 150 Euros. I used cash for taxi's and that was about it - just because it was easy at the time. Cash is not the way to go - only one place in a smaller town only took cash. Merchants seemed to absolutely prefer the contactless payment and didn't care whether it was debit or credit - I gave a choice in case the merchant's bank service fees were lower for one form of payment over the other and there was no preference. I heard no complaints of bank service charges. Again, thank you for the helpful advice.

Heck, went to movie theater in San Antonio in June that had signs posted at the ticket windows & concession stands, "This facility no longer accepts cash, card payment only". That was a new one to me.

"This facility no longer accepts cash, card payment only"

Almost all, if not all, pro-sports venues have gone the cashless route. Heck, airlines went that way "years" ago.

In Paris as late as 2017 if I had paid my hotel bill in cash instead of using the credit card with not more than 20 Euro in change coming back, it would have been accepted. This was at a small hotel. I don't use contactless payment; if not cash, then it's the credit card.

A few years back a certain number of establishments in SF announced that cash payments on purchases would no longer be accepted. They were legally challenged on grounds that this non-cash payment policy was discrimination. Those establishments lost, (good !) cash payments had to be accepted.

One of my regular restaurants at Gard du Nord states in the menu that credit card payment only accepted if the bill exceeds 10 Euro.

Another restaurant I go to often located across from Gare de l'Est has a sign in English, German, and French that credit card payment is only allowed, if it's more that 15 Euro.