Cash versus cards

[tonyg3nwl]

Hi, Just spotted a snippet in MMM regarding reluctance of petrol stops, supermarkets etc in Germany being reluctant to accept card payments, and requiring cash instead.

 

Any one any experience of this, and any suggestions re security fo cash. Are there many cash machines where you can withdraw on debit cards.

 

tonyg3nwl

[kontiki]

Best option by far for Europe is the Nationwide Flex card, you get a better exchange rate than the other cards & drawing out cash anywhere in Europe is not a problem.

 

You can open a Flex card account just for using for travelling. We have one each which has money paid in each month & this is our money for travelling. We hide the main Flex card for emergencies in case one of the cards gets lost or stolen.

[Klyne]

tonyg3nwl - 2010-01-29 8:44 AM

 

Hi, Just spotted a snippet in MMM regarding reluctance of petrol stops, supermarkets etc in Germany being reluctant to accept card payments, and requiring cash instead.

 

Any one any experience of this, and any suggestions re security fo cash. Are there many cash machines where you can withdraw on debit cards.

 

tonyg3nwl

 

It is true that credit cards are not as widely accepted in Germany as many other countries in Europe. However I have not had a problem using them when filling up with fuel, especially using major oil company site. Very few supermarkets accept credit cards but the REWE Group do. Tended to have more problems in using bank cards like Maestro especially in the likes of Aldi,Netto and Lidl which seem to predominate in Germany. No problems with getting money from ATM's.

 

David

[whisturx]

You are right. We went to the Dusseldorf show last August and were shocked to find only one cash machine on the whole showground not even in the halls. All the trade stands, even up to the value of 300 euros wanted cash payment. Petrol stations on the autobahns took credit cards. None of the shops/restaurants along the Moselle took cards. Most of the villages had an ATM somewhere, but had to ask in the shops to find them.

Supermarkets were few and far between and tended to be small Lidls, Netto, and Aldi. Don't be put off however, we tended to keep cash hidden in the van just in case. The Stellplatz system is superb, we did not use the campsites which were usually full of static caravans. Now we know the system we thoroughly enjoyed Germany and are going back to travel the romantic route in May.

[lennyhb]

In recent years not come across any petrol stations that don't take cards but supermarkets that do are very rare.

 

If you have a Nationwide account they do not charge for withdrawals (and give a better rate of exchange ) so you can just draw out as much as need when required. Never had a problem finding ATM, have found some banks can't remember which ones limit you to 300€.

 

 

[Randonneur]

We have just come back from Portugal and most Fuel stations and Supermarkets including Lidl will only accept Portugese Credit/Debit cards or Cash. This came as a bit of a shock but there are cash machines (Multibanco) outside most of them. We came back via Seville and up through Spain and didn't have any problems using our Debit/Credit cards all the way through until Irun and they asked to see a Passport, maybe it was because we were using a French Debit card or maybe they are just suspicious.

[mirage]

We gave up with cards abroad a while ago but carry in event of emergency. Use cash, some I carry, some other half carries, and some in safe. Yes it could be lost / stolen (so can cards) but it can`t be skimmed, disappear into a motorway toll gate machine etc, just prefer cash now, no bills on return either.

As everyone says supermarkets don`t like cards in Germany.

[duffers]

Germans in general do not appear to 'like' credit cards as much as we do in UK

that's why their economy doesn't overspend to the same extent - and so they didn't go into free fall

 

if you can't afford it don't buy it

 

simples

:D

[maggyd]

We use a Nationwide debit card in Germany and France, it is easy to use in any link machine in even the smallest towns we have been able to get cash. We have used it at a couple of garages no problem but if we have the cash we use that.

[Patricia]

I have just started to use the LloydsTSB travel card. I phone the bank or go on the internet and transfer money in euros from my account almost immediately. I can then withdraw the euros and deposit them into my French account. If I transfer money directly from the UK into this account I am charged £20 each time although the exchange rate may be a bit better.

[le canichot depang]

We use a combination of cards and cash, always leave a note of any card numbers at home with someone you could phone in case the worst happened, so at least you could stop them without too much delay. We also have a very useful belt with a long zip in it, and with careful folding we can get about 6 or 7 hundred euros in it, my other half wears this at all times (save sleeping obviously) when it goes in the locker over the bed, it looks just like an ordinary web belt unless you remove it from the garment to see the zip. Also HSBC premier account allow free debit card withdrawals from any ATM worldwide and no foreign exchange charge either, just the exchange rate of the day, which we have found to be preferential.

Also as already mentioned, we have a small vehicle safe, which is screwed beside (but not touching) the combi boiler under the bed - it can't be seen by looking in from the outside locker (which is locked at any rate) and heaven help anyone who could lift us up to access it!!!

[naittaw]

I've recently used Cash Passport very successfully. A pre-loaded (in Euros) Debit type Card, Visa branded. Can be used either in store like a Debit Card or to withdraw cash from an ATM. It's a more user friendly than travellers cheques. You spend money you have, rather than ratchet up credit. It's a secure way of taking money with you.

[Brian Kirby]

Randonneur - 2010-01-29 11:20 AM We have just come back from Portugal and most Fuel stations and Supermarkets including Lidl will only accept Portugese Credit/Debit cards or Cash. This came as a bit of a shock but there are cash machines (Multibanco) outside most of them. We came back via Seville and up through Spain and didn't have any problems using our Debit/Credit cards all the way through until Irun and they asked to see a Passport, maybe it was because we were using a French Debit card or maybe they are just suspicious.

With apologies for the off topic (not Germany), but we spent most of September 2009 touring Portugal, and had no problems that I can remember with supermarkets, fuel stations, or restaurants, using a UK credit card, even in quite small places.  I'm therefore puzzled as to why you might have had this problem, and wonder if it may relate to where you went?