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No "CB" on menus in Provence? No credit cards or something else/more?

When I was in Provence - most notably in St Remy - I saw many restaurants with "No CB" and/or "CB" with a slash through it. This was mostly at the small places with handwritten chalkboard menus kind of places.

Does this simply mean "No credit cards / Carte Bancaire"? Or is there more to it than that? I know credit cards is usually translated as cartes de credit but I think I remember years ago when the CB logo in France was like the MC/Visa logo in America.

I didn't get a chance to ask but the similar place I ate in Arles really wanted me to pay in cash. I didn't see the notation on their menu but I had anticipated that after seeing these signs and guessing at what it meant.

Thoughts?
=Tod

Posted by
23626 posts

You got it. And that is a another reason we do mostly cash.

Posted by
10206 posts

Yes — No CB indeed means No cartes bancaires — so you can’t use plastic to pay .

Posted by
498 posts

And that's because the merchant pays a small percentage when you use a credit card. Small establishments feel that cost more than large ones do.
And (at least in this country, and probably in France as well) the owner may well reap some tax advantages in a cash-only business.