When we were first here… on and off…working on our ruin… CA set a limit on our Debit Card… which was not sufficient (lots of purchases at Mr Bricolage etc)…if the card failed… the shops were always happy to accept a cheque… but I was NOT happy.
Discussed with CA and they upped my weekly/monthly limit to suit our needs… no problems… the limit is now too high for normal needs but I don’t mind… as from time to time… I can splurge…
Same here Stella, if we know we’re going to have an expensive month we just call CA and they will up the limit, simples.
I can only speak of my experience with the BNP and other banks may be different. I never use the bank tellers, as my bank has a machine that takes cash deposits and a different one that reads and takes cheques. Both machines give receipts. My cheques are credited the next working day, as is my cash. So, I’m happy. However and here’s the rub, if I’m not near my local bank I cannot always find a BNP bank with the required machines, in which case, it becomes annoying and I usually keep the cheques until I get home. This would be, of course, unsatisfactory to anyone who needs fast accesss to the cheque.
Furthermore, no-one takes coins any more, unless you’re a registered business. This is a pain, bearing in mind that I used to collect all of my change, at the end of the day, and save it for my granddaughter. It used to mount up quite quickly and I never really noticed any expense. That plan is now out of the window.
Marc… I gather my small change in a pot… and use it every Sunday when the baker comes. By late morning, when I am buying my bread etc… his change pot has dwindled and he is always delighted to see me…
I didn’t know that banks no longer accept coins. I have about 100 euros of 1, 2 5 and 10 cents bagged up and ready to go to the bank - bugger😭
Mark… I also change some at our local Post Office…they are always happy with me, if it is around the time the Comité des Fêtes will be asking them for a “float” for some event…
When I’ve got too many coins I spend them at the self service checkout at Leclerc. It not only takes coins but adds them up for you too.
Are there not any of those machines over here that you used to get in English supermarkets that count your change and give you a voucher to spend?
And why have I suddenly got a cake next to my name? I don’t think its my birthday.
There are in some supermarkets. Auchan in Poitiers has one.
Oh right, well that’s good. At least you have a high limit!
Unless you actually live in Normandy/Brittany if you wish to pay in a cheque you will have to post it to Caen.
You can make withdrawals via the ATM’s throughout france, but paying is another matter.
Also, they sell insurance, which is all in French, even though one would imagine that, like the banking, it would be in English.
Trying to use the breakdown facility on our motor policy was so appalling that we cancelled all our policies and went to a Mutuelle in our nearest town.
frenchie right here, I work in a french bank and I am a Customer of HSBC France. The most compliant satisfying bank for the moment. You also have Crédit du Nord, BNP Paribas and Société Générale where the word Customer still means something in France
As banks are franchises it is only as good as it’s management I guess. We were with CA but moved to CMB and have had no problems. The final straw with CA was when I had to see the manager over a discrepancy on the account. She told me that the bank never makes mistakes!!! and when I persisted she lost her temper and threw all the papers on her desk up in the air.
Hello i have problem with nickel bank in france. i have transfered 3000 euro to my niece nickel account in france from uk account. But unfortunately i had an emergency and asked my niece to return the money 72 hours later. But the bank has blocked the money for verification they said. i have sent to them.all the proofs of the transfer but still they block my money since beginning of july. Who should i contact for help?
Hi I have huge problems with a bank called Nickel. This bank is a real rip off. My niece from.france has transfered 3000 euros but theblocked the transaction because they said they want to verify if the money transferi s legal. Since July 1srt until now the are using my money and refused to send me my money.Thats Crazy.
The French Nickel Bank is a joke.
Probably due to the AML Directive:
Hi Alex, all verifications are done. And still the bank is holding the money. And when my niece tried to contact them they hang up the phone. They are rubbish. Its very annoying.
The Nickel Bank of FRANCE is useless. I don’t know who to contact to sort out these issues.
Regards
Omar
Hi Elhadji…
it could well be that none of us has experience with that Bank… thus we have no firsthand advice to give.