cash abroad again!

[KeithR]

when i go to the supermarket, i sometimes have the option of also taking cash. as far as i can see, the goods and cash come as one transaction. if this is so, and this option is available in europe, does it circumvent the cashpoint withdrawal?? or am i grasping at straws *-)

[PJay]

Interesting point Keith Never seen any one ask for cash in france/Spain, like we do in uk. It would be useful to know

 

[Derek Uzzell]

I've never obtained 'cash-back' myself, but I understand that a debit-card (not a credit-card) needs to be used for the transaction.

 

GOOGLE reveals that KeithR's question has been asked a good few times before. Only one of the replies I read suggested that cash-back was available in Contenental Europe: this comment related to Norway and added that the service only applied to Norwegian card holders. One response - from a French resident - advised that cash-back was definitely NOT offered in France.

 

Logically, if cash-back were generally available in Continental Europe, this would be well known, be well reported on the Internet, and the earlier questions about it would have received affirmative answers. As that's clearly not the case, the chances of getting cash-back at supermarket check-outs in Continental Europe must be considered minimal.

 

(Just for the record, I notice that the term "cashback" is being employed by French supermarkets, but this term relates to schemes where discounts obtained via a loyalty card are accumulated and made available to customers for use during subsequent shopping trips.)

[sshortcircuit]

Off subject, but French still appear to use cheques in supermarkets. Can't remember the last time I used a cheque in UK

[Bojitoes]

Agree with shortcircuit, lots of people still paying by cheque in supermarkets, particularly in france last month and they did not appear to have to show any identification or cheque guarantee card either. Still held the queue up though!

bob

[KeithR]

thanks derek, i didnt realise the question had been asked before, and i got the answer i expected!! shame *-)

 

[Station Master]

I dont know about other parts of France but here in Brittany my local bar tabac will give cash back on top of a purchase or just cash on the debit card. Cheques are very popular here because you dont incur any charges on their use, compared with high fees for debit cards. The cheques are all the same format so in theory all is required is a signature on the cheque and the till machine prints the rest. If you bounce a cheque in France the penalties are severe- you have to make up the short fall plus charges almost overnight and the second time you do it you are not allowed to have a bank account!! ( though not sure of the duration)

 

Regards

SM

[BGD]

Not aware of any retailers here here in Spain that offer "cashback" at all I'm afraid.

 

Cheques have all but died out here; almost everyone pays with plastic, or in cash.

Cash is still VERY popular in Spain, as there's a national hobby of black-economy tax evasion here (earn in cash, spend in cash); and apparently millions of Spaniards have massive amounts of cash hidden "en cama" ("under the bed") to keep it away from the taxman, and because they don't trust banks......and also bank charges are VERY expensive here for any transaction.

[KeithR]

thats intereesting roger, perhaps it is an option then, at some places. i visit france often, go in bar tabacs often, i must now improve my french to say 'do you do cashback!' :-D

[Randonneur]

Station Master - 2010-11-18 11:57 AM

 

I dont know about other parts of France but here in Brittany my local bar tabac will give cash back on top of a purchase or just cash on the debit card. Cheques are very popular here because you dont incur any charges on their use, compared with high fees for debit cards. The cheques are all the same format so in theory all is required is a signature on the cheque and the till machine prints the rest. If you bounce a cheque in France the penalties are severe- you have to make up the short fall plus charges almost overnight and the second time you do it you are not allowed to have a bank account!! ( though not sure of the duration)

 

Regards

SM

 

Ha, caught you, trying to sneak in under an assumed name.

[spospe]

I have spoken to Aldi in the UK about 'Cashback' in France and Germany and they said that they did not know if it was possible.

 

I have sent Aldi in Germany an email asking the same question and will post their answer when I get it.

[Station Master]

Ah oui, les Randonneuse, c'est moi! Une secret c'est ne pas possible ici.

 

Chef du gare

[Mel B]

... could you two get a room ... unless you already have!!!! :$

[Guest pelmetman]

Bloody foreigners (lol) (lol) (lol)

[Station Master]

Bad news I'm afraid chaps! I went to my local bar tabac to check out the actuality of the cash back. While you can purchase with your UK debit cards, the cash back is only where an establishment has a contract with Credit Agricole. It would seem that CA is the only bank that offers this service at present. So unless you have an account with CA you won't be able to get cash back.

Quite frankly I dont see the difference between buying a carton of cigarettes for 50 Euros or buying 50 Euros of cash. You will still be paying a bit extra in commission and exchange rate leverage either way. However as we all know to our cost, the world of banking is "life but not as we know it Jim!"

 

C'est la Vie!

 

Chef du gare

[spospe]

My email to Aldi in Germany (to an address they gave me) has been returned as "undeliverable"!

 

The answer seems to be "no", but I will double check next year when we are over there.