I’ve had a French credit card since 2014, took it out with BUT. It’s only for max of 1500€ but I use it every month (food shopping/internet etc). There is a choice of paying it off or credit over set time. I always pay it off then each year around Xmas time I get a cheque to use at BUT. Last year it was for 144€
Here’s another one:
Doesn’t a CarHire company accept a French cheque as “deposit”… ?
I’m sure that’s worked for us on one situation… and afterwards, when the bill/account was presented to us, we paid the amount by Debit Card and our cheque was returned to us…
It isn’t a deposit. It’s a sum of money blocked on a credit card to cover the insurance excess. Usually car rental companies only accept credit cards, no other method is accepted. But if your credit card is refused for whatever reason, you’re f***ed. This is usually done on pick-up day, not at the time of booking, so potentially, they can refuse to let you take the vehicle.
Ah well… I wouldn’t be renting from any company which insists I have a credit card… so they’ve lost one customer already… and I wouldn’t have thought I would be the only person in such a situation…
If they are “blocking a sum of money”… they must know the sum… and a cheque is just as valid… can’t see their problem quite frankly…
Might work, but only in France, of course.
There’s a similar one offered by FNAC. The limit is 3000 and you get 1% of what you pay out as vouchers for FNAC or Darty.
Don’t forget to declare the cartezero as a foreign account, as it’s run by the Advanzia Bank in Luxemburg.
As I said, as a Credit card.
Not all, Stella. Most of the international ones won’t accept anything but a credit card, acceptance of cheque outside France probably zero ( as in other countries they know it can bounce) and these days with money laundering rules cash would be unlikely to be accepted in mainstream countries though it once might have been possible.
I have had a Carte Zero for over a year and found it very useful even with a €1500 limit per month and payment within a few weeks (much like my card in the UK when my bank paid up every month so that there was never any interest). But come March 2025, Carte Zero is going to be withdrawn. Any ideas of alternatives?
Where did you get that information from?
I’ve got a Carte Zero and not heard of its withdrawal nest year.
Me neither!
I also have a free online account with Fortuneo. They give you a card “differé”, where the balance is deducted from your account at the end of the month, which is free as long as you use it at least once a month. You don’t even have to pay a minimum deposit per month.
On 3 December, I received an email ‘Information client : fin de votre contrat de carte de crédit carte ZERO’ from service@cartezero.fr. This had attached a pdf ‘Resiliation du Contrat’ giving three months’ notice. I think it is genuine but am contacting them (not by direct reply!) to check.
I should add that I have had no problems and have never defaulted on payments. The reason given is that this is a commercial decision. I can’t find any mention on Google.
I wonder if they are pruning you out because you are not a very “good” customer in their eyes by not paying them any interest?
Banks are sneaky that way - they like irresponsible people who live beyond their means.
That certainly applies in the UK - much less so in France though. Criteria for loans are much stricter than the UK.
True - but I imagine French banks still like to earn money. 
Could be. I’ll let you know should they deign to reply. CZ Service are not quick responders.
I pay the full amount owing every month but I haven’t received the email @santiago102 has.
In fact I received an email quite recently saying they’d renewed my contract for another year.
1 Like
The credit card Mastercard from BUT seems like a good one to have,has anyone got one that could confirm for us please that this is a good one,no hidden drawbacks etc,thanks.
Surprisingly, I have had a reply from CZ:
"Nous vous remercions pour votre message.
Nous vous informons que votre contrat carte ZERO ne sera pas renouvelé à compter du 03/03/2025 pour de raisons internes."
Anyone else yet? Are they selecting me specifically although they say that it is a business decision about CZ in France?