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by delouvois 2380 days ago
Yes, it is. They got a good deal at our expenses following these outrageous privatisation.

Meanwhile, some Spanish highways eventually got paid off and are becoming toll-free.

1 comments

Since French highways often refuse non-EU credit cards at their toll booths, they have a special place in my heart.
A little bit like US Gas station I suppose?
The only problem I've ever encountered was when US pumps demanded a zip code. Of course, I'd just enter the only US zip code I knew of (90210). It usually worked.

I've since learned that you can use 00000 but that's not nearly as fun!

I've also grown accustomed to using 867-5309 (Jenny) when asked for a phone number to get grocery store "member" prices when I don't want to sign up. It works a charm.

Don’t think so. I’ve used Korean, French, and Canadian cards with no issues in the US at gas stations.

Meanwhile, good luck getting gas or paying tolls in France without a French or other EU card.

French companies are also terrible at accepting non-French SEPA zone accounts. By law, they should accept all IBANs but their websites bork when it’s not French. Infuriating.

It’s usually a pay-at-pump issue. Paying inside has always worked for me when US pumps rejected my non-US card.
Exactly pay-at-pump is just not working with European cards most of the time (not always true as I was able to find one working in Phoenix). Paying inside is fine, but a hassle as you have to estimate the amount of gas you need for a rental car you barely know.

By the way, in Florida you don't even have to wonder about a credit card at the toll as it is Sunpass/pay by plate or cash only...

That all changed with chipped cards - they work fine now (at least for my preferred ones).

Of course, that didn't help in 2017 when we had to get one of the tellers to do a on-the-spot conversion of dollars to euros at marginal rate of about 200 USD to 100 EUR (way higher than interbank rate) - we had no choice, and no one to complain to.

I'm not sure the teller enjoyed the transaction either.