CA ATM fees

Has anyone else noticed recent 5 Euro transaction fees at CA ATM’s ?
I used my trusty WISE debit card yesterday at my local CA ATM (Verteillac - 24) and it charged me 5 Euro’s for the privilege.
I have used this ATM previously with WISE and there was no charge.
Contacted WISE and they of course said its a CA charge and nothing to do with them :slight_smile:

There aren’t any fees when I use my CA card to get money from an ATM at branch of CA… did it only the other day.

Might well be a fee for non-CA cards…

I do get charged a fee if I use my CA card at an ATM which is anywhere other than CA…

Yes I got caught with a 5 euro that at the ATM in CA Figeac about 3 weeks ago.

Was not charged at the CA ATM in the centre of Cahors in the last week of July. As CA seems to ‘sit’ on incoming transfers that would be done instantly in the UK it was simplest just to use the cash machine for cash from the UK account and deposit it straight into CA machine.

I haven’t checked but suspect as well as the flat rate 5 euro charge, CA ATM may have used a loaded exchange rate as well.

I thought it was daylight robbery and it has finally decided me to stop supporting my local CA and close my account. I waa putting up with their annual fee now around 45 euros that I’ve always paid for my Visa card. Even though I knew it was poor value, and had spotted recently they have a new similar product with a more reasonable fee that they’ve not told me about.

P*$$ed *ff by this 5 euro charge I’ve now decided to move my account to a new bank by the end of this year.

  • are there any French bricks and mortar banks people here would recommend?

  • are there any fintech online banks operating in France? I’d go for Starling but don’t believe they will ever be in F, not seen marvellous feedback about N26

I think it is a newish thing, I cancelled the transaction yesterday.

Try another banks ATM?

I tried my UK bank card at the local CA, & was asked if I was ok with the 5 euro commission.

I lament the absence of a “fuck off” button.

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La Poste Banque. Changed to them years ago after loads of problems and broken promises by CA. I never use their ATM, the only one near but when I used to they only charged if I used it with my La Poste card more than once or twice a month.
Don’t need an ATM now, my local La Poste Agence attached to the Maire is open 6 mornings a week with money over the counter. The lady there works for the Community of Communes I think, because I saw her once in the afternoon working a neighbouring commune. :grinning:

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La Banque Postale took a month to issue our visa cards and then restricted them because they said we had an interdiction bancaire. We checked with the Banque de France and they confirmed that this was nonsense. So of course we changed bank.
Other disadvantages were that the account was held 200 km away in Bordeaux, and you have to queue with people who are sending packages, etc.
So I couldn’t really recommend them…

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It’s like so many things… some folk have good experiences and thus are happy to recommend (whatever)
Others have bad experiences and thus slate (whatever)

La Banque Postale provides a service in our small commune.
I don’t have an account myself, but I do have friends who seem quite happy with it.
It does mean that those who might not have transport, can have access to money, pay bills … whatever without having to cadge a lift/taxi…

Isn’t using cash rather old hat?
With contactless almost everywhere I find my wallet rarely has money in it.

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cash still exists…

I bought gas for neighbours the other day, at Carrefour, in our nearest town.
I paid at the point of sale… and they paid me later.
One gave me a cheque and the other gave me cash, which she’d got from our village Banque Postale.

As it happens… I’d tried to pay for the gas bottles with my CA Debit Card, but had to go home for my cheque book… since neither of the card readers would work.

When I returned with my CBook, the place was packed and people were scrabbling through their handbags/wallets.

The turmoil went on all day…

I was not the only “trusted” customer who was allowed to take goods on the promise of returning with another means of payment.

I’m surprised that’s your experience Karen. I use Wise to transfer money from the UK into my CA account and it arrives instantly. Sometimes before the money has been debited from my UK a/c which I always find fun! :grin:

I find CA to be fine. Theonly card I’ve had a problem with in the ATM there is when I tried a Wise card and it asked me if I was happy with the 5 euro charge. However, I found the same situation with several other banks’ ATMs when attempting a Wise card and I haven’t had any problem with any French issued cards (I have several bank accounts!).

I agree that this is a recent “problem” with Wise and it may be because it’s fundamentally based in the UK. I’m no expert on the rules regarding the relationship between UK finance systems and EU ones but I do know that the much praised Trade agreement that the UK government now seems keen on backing out of didn’t really address the financial markets (like it didn’t address driving licences) so this may possibly be another Brexit benefit that is coming home to roost now.

However, as I said, I have no specialist knowledge in this area and haven’t really needed to so am happy to be corrected by people who work in this area or have other detailed understanding. (Finance leaves me cold :smiley: )

Not in our little local village market it isn’t, where I get the vast majority of my veg and bread now, as well as great little cakes for pudding, not a card machine in sight and watching the traders scurrying between each other for change is part of the entertainment. :rofl:

Even the boulangerie in the larger village (we have no shops, only one bar and of course the Banque Postale Agence :wink:) is cash only. The excellent butcher takes cards though. :smiley:

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Many places we go to do not accept cards - I have learnt to always have cash just in case.

My daughter was staying with me recently and she taught me that cards are old hat :grinning: everything is in her iPhone wallet now. I’m trying to adapt :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

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And don’t even get me started on cheques…

what’s wrong with cheques ???

Is Google Wallet as good as iPhone wallet?

Thanks Angela. I had been hovering on the edge of getting a Wise account for FX and transfers so I will go for one.

It works very well for me, Karen! Just don’t try to get cash back from it on a French ATM for a while :smiley: