Reverse use of European debit cards!
Hi Everyone,
I have a question that is the reverse of what is usually asked on here. I am living in France and I'm taking a 2 week vacation back to the US. I have a French bank account and get paid to that account so I need access to this account while in America. Does anyone know if it is possible to use French debit cards in the US, or has anyone had personal experience with this? Thanks in advance!
Amber
Clermont-Ferrand, France 3/20/10
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As long as your debit card has a magnetic strip on the back, it should work. The only problem would be at gas pumps. Often they want you to enter a US zip code in order to authorize the transaction.
Oh yes, good point about the gas pumps! It does have the magnetic strip on the back and also a chip.
Looks like you're all set, probably a good idea to notify your bank you'll be traveling. One other thing...when you use your debit card to make a purchase at a store, the terminal will ask you if you want the transaction to go through as a "credit" or "debit" purchase. US debit cards can do either, but foreign debit cards must choose "debit".
My wife (Belgian) has no trouble using her ATM or credit cards in the US.
Even if the self-serve credit/debit machine at the pump asks for the zip code, they shouldn't ask for it inside. You can always go inside and use the card.
Never use a debit card at the gas pump. Debit cards "withhold" a predetermined amount of money from your account until the transaction is complete and they know how much you really spent. If the balance of the card is low, the amount withheld can be enough to make you overdraw the account and incur overdraft charges. If you are using a debit card, always go inside to pay with it.
Hi, Amber.
If you still have a US bank account, Paypal can be a good place to put some money for emergencies, just in case you card doesn't work. They don't charge terribly much for the conversion, and work as well as any other debit.
Folks are right about the zip code thing, a lot of "unmanned" things like gas stations, DVD boxes, etc are asking for them.
Never had a problem with our UK cards otherwise.
I have a European debit card (from Citibank in Spain) and it works fine in the US. Only difference is that, on your statement, the charge will be in Euros, converted from Dollars.