Velib (bike) kiosks and new US chip cards

For the $7 per person fee, I recommend signing up ahead of time to be sure. That gives you one week of using the system and if you use it only one time it's still worth it IMO.

I've posted this before.... I'd start with a Blue Bike or Fat Bike tour. That gave the wife and I confidence to ride in the city and we used the Velib system the rest of the week instead of public transit.

Agree with Richard. The chip card is a non-issue if you go online and pay the $7 per person to register for a whole week. You'll get a PIN # for each person, that you use to unlock the bikes. Once you're all signed up online, there's no card required at the kiosk, since your payment info is already in their system.

It's pretty nice just to grab a bike and ride for free for 30 minutes. I think it's just one Euro for the next 30 minutes, and then the price continues to go up the longer you keep the bike. That's to discourage people from keeping a bike all day. We just timed our rides to get to another rack full of bikes about 25 minutes after we checked one out. Then you just swap for a new bike, and the meter re-sets.

The racks are all over the city, and there's even an app that tells you where each bike rack is and how many bikes or free slots are available at any given moment. That last part is important, because the meter keeps running until the bike is securely back in a rack. If there are no open slots, you can't check the bike back in, so plan accordingly.

Thanks for the input, but was really hoping someone had experience using the chip cards. We will probably only ride bikes one afternoon - and only if the weather is good. Looks like rain and thunderstorms are still in the forecast, so don't really want to buy something ahead of time then not use it.

Does your card come with a PIN? If not, I would bet against it working. If it does, you might work. Most US cards don't automatically come with a PIN (that is used for secondary verification if there is no receipt to sign).

Loved velib bikes while we were in Paris. Managed it online.

Everyone seems to have a different experience using U.S.-based chip cards on French kiosks. Just go online here and simply buy 1-day passes:

https://aboen-paris.cyclocity.fr/subscribe/details

They're only 1,70 € each, and it sounds like that will alleviate the stress you're feeling of trying to figure out how it all works at the kiosk. We got ours online the night before a day that we knew was going to be clear and sunny. It's really pretty simple. Just write down the four digit code for each order, and enter that into the kiosk to unlock the bike, and you're good to go.

For what it's worth, I actually was able to check out Velib bikes in 2012 using a non-chipped Costco-branded AmEx card of all things! I had no idea what I was doing, but kept at it as the kids really wanted to ride bikes. The kiosks have probably been updated since then, but at the time, the kiosk wouldn't accept my non-chipped Visa card. So, as a last resort, I tried my AmEx card (don't believe the kiosk had a magnetic strip reader, I think I entered the card # manually using the key-pad, but I can't recall for sure now...). Anyway, I was able to unlock three bikes and my kids and I enjoyed using them a few times over the next 24 hours.

Yes, when the Velib system started non-residents/Americans had to use an AmEx card, so I'm glad to hear that there are more convenient options available now.

This is another plus in favor of getting a city card when you're visiting Lyon because that card includes access to their bikeshare system Velo'v.

Even if others had success with using a Chip and Signature card, it is no guarantee, but at least one favorable variable, that your card will work.

For your card to work, your card would need to allow low dollar transactions to validate with no signature (low dollar defined by them... $25, maybe $50) then the vendor would also have to allow transactions of some Dollar amount with no validation.

As an example, here in the US, I have a credit card I use frequently (yes, one of those mile cards). I have determined that the Credit Card issuer allows non-validated transactions at least up to $50, but in my daily purchases, my grocery store allows up to $50 with no signature, the local Lowes only about $25, and many stores I have to sign for any amount. Other people, other cards, they may have to sign for any amount anywhere.

Point being that even if you know the rules for your card, vendor rules may trump what you expect.

I used my chip card without a problem. The day rental is only a few dollars, but it temp charges a security deposit as well ($350?). The kiosk prints out a receipt with your access code that you can use throughout the day. I ended up using Velib a lot more than I had planned. It's a great way to connect the dots, and see parts of the city you normally wouldn't. It can get a bit confusing in some areas, with one-way streets sending you off-course. There's tons of stations with a lot of bikes and docks at each. Enjoy!

What is the app called?

Thank you

Great information. I was also thinking of using the Velib bikes to get around Paris (and starting with a fat tire tour to get used to road rules in Paris). Nice to know I can sign up in advance.

If you are planning to visit Versailles, be sure to rent bikes in the garden by the lake. It was an easy way to see the grounds of Versailles.