Payment by credit card

Verified 10 September 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)

You want to pay by credit card? You can do it remote (via internet, telephone and correspondence) or at a merchant's which authorizes it. Use of the physical or dematerialized card on your phone, ceiling, dispute of a payment: here is the information to know about the payment by credit card.

Yes, the amount of your card purchases is capped.

This maximum amount is set between you and your bank. It is indicated in your account agreement.

Most often, the ceilings are spread over a period of 7 or 30 days for withdrawals and payments.

Withdrawal and payment ceilings are independent. If you have exhausted your withdrawal limit over a period of time, you can still use your card for payments if the payment limit is not exceeded as well.

In most banks, you can easily manage your ceilings through your online customer space or on your mobile application.

If necessary, you can ask your bank to temporarily increase the payment limit. To do this, you can use a document template:

Request an exceptional increase in the payment limit for your credit card

Depending on the type of credit card, the balance of your account can be debited immediately or deferred.

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Immediate debit card

The balance of your account is debited immediately after your payment by credit card.

Please note

If you have a payment card with systematic authorization, the balance of the account is checked at each operation. Payment by credit card is only allowed if the account balance is sufficient.

Deferred debit card

Your account is debited from all payments paid by credit card to a fixed monthly date. According to the banks, the date of the debit of the account is fixed at the last or the first days of the month.

Yes, a merchant may refuse payment by credit card or accept certain cards only.

The merchant may ask you to show ID.

They may also require a minimum purchase amount to accept payment by credit card.

These requirements must be displayed in its store.

To pay, you must first insert your card into a special box called electronic payment terminal (EPT). You must then enter your PIN.

In case of purchase greater than €1,500, the merchant asks you to sign the receipt or invoice.

Prior authorization from your bank may be required to validate the payment order.

You can also make a contactless payment.

Contactless payment allows you to make a purchase by bringing your credit card within 4 centimeters of a special box called electronic payment terminal (EPT).

The payment order is therefore given without secret code composition, without signature and without presentation of identity document.

For security reasons, the maximum amount of a contactless payment is limited to €50 by operation.

Your bank sets a ceiling on the cumulative amount of authorized "contactless" purchases (per day, per week or per month).

The maximum number of consecutive transactions allowed is also limited.

When a limit is exceeded, you must use another means of payment or pay by inserting your credit card into the VSE.

You can also use your phone to make a contactless payment.

You can use your phone (or a smartwatch) as a means of payment thanks to a dematerialized bank card.

You must register (or add) your credit card on a mobile payment application according to the model of your phone.

To enable contactless payment, make sure you have accepted permissions necessary and in particular the NFC settings (Near Field Communication)

To make your purchase, authenticate yourself by facial recognition (Face ID), fingerprint (Touch ID) or PIN code and approach your phone electronic payment terminal (EPT) from the merchant.

FYI  

Thanks to the unlocking of your phone by biometric security means (facial recognition, fingerprint or mobile PIN code), you can exceed the €50 without entering your code on the payment terminal.

The limits that may exist are the payment ceilings of your credit card, set in your account agreement.

Purchase by phone or online payment on the internet

To make your purchase, you must provide the following information:

  • 16-digit card number
  • Card expiry date
  • Security number (last 3 digits on the back of your card or 4 digits in front).

Depending on the chosen credit card offer, it may be possible to pay on foreigner sites in foreign currency.

You have to be vigilant. The page where the payment is made must have an address starting with https://. Such an address guarantees that the connection is secure.

In case of payment on a fraudulent site, it is possible to to object.

Banks can also issue cards for internet payments only. They use data other than the standard credit card.

FYI  

To secure the payment, you must authenticate yourself. For this, a notification is usually sent to you on your bank's mobile application. This notification prompts you to enter either a secret code or a biometric fingerprint. If you do not have a smartphone, we invite you to contact your bank advisor to find a solution.

Mail order

In case of purchase by mail order, you give the payment order by returning a purchase order with your signature.

You must also enter the card's 16-digit number and expiry date.

By consulting your accounts, if you notice that a suspicious payment was made with your credit card, you must first to object on your card as soon as possible.

It is also advisable to report fraud to the police or gendarmerie.

You must then contact your bank to have the amount reimbursed.

The credit card can be used to pay abroad. For this, you need to have a international map.

In the euro area member countries, bank charges applied for credit card payments are identical to those paid in France. These countries are:

  • Germany
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus (except in the north of the island, on the territory under Turkish military occupation)
  • Croatia
  • Spain
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • Greece
  • Ireland
  • Italy (except in the Campione enclave in Switzerland)
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Netherlands (except in the islands corresponding to the former Netherlands Antilles)
  • Portugal
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia.

Other countries use the euro but are not members of the euro area. You may have additional fees to those applied in France, in the following countries:

  • Andorra
  • Monaco
  • San Marino
  • Vatican
  • Montenegro
  • Kosovo

In all other countries, a foreign exchange transaction is carried out and a commission is applied. The exchange rate and commission must be shown on your account statement. The exchange rate taken into account shall be that of the day of the exchange of information between the banking institutions.

Warning  

The ceilings of the card may be different abroad. It is best to check with your bank before your departure.

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