Cheers for that…I think all should be fine then…saying that when hubby gets carried away on a building project lol
I’d say if an IBAN starts with “FR” one doesn’t need to declare it. If is starts with any other two letters then yes.
I’ve used Trabsferwise for Euro to Stg and vice versa and euro to Aus $ and if I check my details on their App I have three bank accounts associated with my Transferwise A/C. There are two IBANS, on starting GB and one starting BE and another account inn Australia. So I guess all three need to be declared. Though I doubt there is any data sharing between Oz and the EU.
One wonders if there will even be any data sharing between the UK and EU from now on. One must remember that the City of London is the largest tax evasion and money laundering centre in the World (through the BVI etc.). Some might argue that the proposed increase in EU oversight of financial and tax transactions could have been a significant driver for Brexit.
Maybe Wooster-Mogg could enlighten us?
French people. I do.
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And used one today for oil delivery…
Seems that only supermarket tills accept cheques round us…increasingly notices say no cheques, our oil man offers Apple wallet now !
I physically cringe when I’m in the supermarket and I see them all getting the chequebooks out, I feel like I’m back in the 1980s. My last Nationwide chequebook was sent to me in 2001 and still sits in a box with not a single cheque used 
The sooner they’re finally got rid of, or at least only used b2b like they effectively are in the UK these days, the better. In these times of Apple, Google, Samsung, Fitbit etc etc Pay it really should be the chance the banking world needs to get rid. But this is France and they do delight in doing the opposite of everyone else just to make a point, so I expect when the rest to the world has a payment chip in their hand that they then verify with an iris scan, probably all created by Thales or some other amazing cutting edge french company, Leclerc will still be full of people paying with cheques 
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I rather like the fact that older people are not made to feel redundant and not pressured to do things they are not comfortable with. Plus (as I was firmly rebuked on another thread!) the life of many small associations, school groups, communal activities and so on is based on cheques. I was doing our accounts this week, and going through cheque book and that is true. Full of cheques to dog club, foyer rural, Christmas charity collection, and pilates teacher as well as small tradespeople, and some big things like payments to assurance vie man. Also very useful for deposits - can sit and never get cashed.
And since most of our gîte clients are french, they give us a cheque on arrival which is completely fine.
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You make some good points, however cheques won’t disappear because users cease, but rather because the banks etc will find the processing (and environmental) cost prohibitive even in France…though palm embedded chips etc will provoke connotations of big brother!
Cheques are very useful. I have written several cheques in the past few months. One standard use for them is if you are buying something reasonably big (partner bought a car, I bought hearing aids) then they take a cheque as a “just-in-case” and staple it to the file. It is usually destroyed when you come to make the final payment.
The most recent occasion was when the card reader wasn’t working for the medical chap I went to see so I wrote a cheque instead. Long may they survive!
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Just written one for tax de sejour for last third of last year - there is no other method of paying it (not in la creuse profonde anyway). This is France, they won’t be doing away with cheques any time soon
I read through the posts with great interest.
Nobody mentioned quite what I do that avoids ALL charges and gives the perfect exchange rate.
UK bank to Revolut in GBP.
Revolut to French prepay card in Euros, available in newsagents/tabacs etc.
I think I paid €10 to open the French prepay card about 6 years ago but haven’t paid a penny in charges since and perfect interbank rate.
@Michael_McClure Are you saying that you can exchange pounds to euros with the headline rate and absolutely no charges at all? How do Revolut pay for their services? Transferwise has a small charge based on the amount transferred but otherwise no charges (and although people keep telling me differently, whenever I’ve checked they use the headline rate)
I thinks its actually very difficult to compare one fincom rate against another when the rate moves a few pips within seconds so generating a “buyer regret” syndrome that you could have done better. That said, the rates often proffered by the traditional bricks and mortar banks are derisory and essentially a rip off for those in the know.
Revolut makes money mainly though the subscription fees with the Premium and Metal accounts. Additionally, Revolut also earns a nominal fee paid to it by merchants every time you spend on your Revolut Card. … Business customers also pay fees depending on their top-up limits.
Yes.
I don’t know how they make their money. You can even withdraw €200 cash per month without charge.
I also have a Santander Zero credit card that does the same. I pay it all off so no charges.
This card is discontinued to new customers but they replace mine.
Other banks offer versions of it. Check out comparison sites. You may even be given money or gifts for taking one out.
Important!!! Always pay it off fully or you’ll see how they make their money.
Lots of organisations prefer cheques, if you have children at school you will find you get requests for cheques for all sorts of school and club or activity related things.
What is Nationwide? I am assuming it is a bank but I haven’t heard of it.
was previously The Nationwide Building Society
It is still the Nationwide Building Society but has a few accounts that are current accounts and use another bank to clear paymentsI have been with them since 1985 It is headquartered in Swindon UK
Thank you - I see, so it is a société de crédit foncier rather than a bank.
Wasn’t there a television programme called Nationwide too, in the distant past? I do have vague memories of that.
On the BBC Frank Bough and Sue Lawley.
There is a free French Mastercard Gold including insurance not connected to a bank account. No charges and interbank rates anywhere in the world. Just don’t use a cash machine, as they start charging interest on this from day one.
www.cartezero.fr