Recently, I was able to pass a calendar week inwards the Netherlands having been invited to a workshop most phylogenetic networks. I haven't been at that topographic point for decades, but piddling plenty seems to direct hold changed. As a German linguistic communication living inwards France, I readily noticed the by together with large depression prices for food, e.g. inwards the large Dutch supermarket chains such every bit Albert Heijn, Coop or Dirk. Linked to the depression price, yous oft can't exercise your VISA-, MasterCard or similar, when paying. Which eliminates using a French banking concern card, which relies on either companionship for whatsoever out-of-France use. Or a Swedish Allkort. But yous tin pay using a German linguistic communication banking concern bill of fare without VISA or MasterCard functionality. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 bill of fare pretty useless inwards French Republic these days.
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| A natural-coloured (for the Netherlands) Dutch cow. |
Back inwards the days...
Nur Bares ist Wahres ("in cash lies truth") — Germans love cash, together with distrust cards. Until this day, many withal don't direct hold whatsoever Kreditkarte (lit. credit card), together with non a few solely exercise cash together with non fifty-fifty their Bankkarte (lit. banking card) or EC Karte (named therefore because at that topographic point used to live an EC symbol on it). Debit cards including at about betoken e-pay functionality. In Germany, but also abroad, because it was oft coupled to the Maestro system.
When travelling within the European Community (then Union) or coutries amongst a lot of German/EU tourists similar Turkey, at that topographic point was no demand for a Kreditkarte or carrying lots of cash, because the EC Karte could non only live used to describe coin from the cash machines (soon cheaper than bringing cash from FRG or exchanging at place), yous could exercise it every bit plastic coin (at about betoken the "EC" was completely replaced a "Maestro" sign).
Nonehteless, I had to acquire my kickoff Kreditkarte early, inwards the mid-90s. Because I travelled to Republic of Iceland amongst the academy together with it was advisable to direct hold plastic coin amongst yous (MasterCard, VISA, etc.) Iceland, similar other Scandinavian countries, had already moved from cash to plastic, amongst about shops/services fifty-fifty refusing taking cash (no cash, no robbers). Maybe it was because Republic of Iceland was no European Union country, the EC Karte would non live enough. And, indeed, I could exercise my Kreditkarte to pay for everything, fifty-fifty when buying a pack of chewing gums.
Like all VISA, MasterCard, etc. dorsum together with then the German linguistic communication Kreditkarte was a credit card. You used it, together with at the terminate of the month, the amount yous charged on your Kreditkarte was equalled out yesteryear an (automatic) transfer from your Girokonto, your primary concern human relationship (no interest, but they got non a few amongst the high toll of an unbalanced account). It withal oft works similar this. Well, inwards Germany.
I lived happily amongst my 2 cards, the EC Karte, which yous together with then could fifty-fifty exercise inwards Aldi, Penny or 1 of the other many discounters to purchase (too) inexpensive food, shoes, clothes, toys etc. inwards FRG (or abroad) together with the Kreditkarte for to a greater extent than expensive things (and shops) or the internet. A card, which the discounters would reject, because of the dorsum together with then 3% charge, Visa together with MasterCard cashed inwards for every transaction.
[And when going to the U.S.: traveller checks, because paying amongst the German linguistic communication Kreditkarte was refused at all cheaper places every bit good (mainly of import for gas stations, who withal direct hold 2 prices); together with the EC-Karte amongst the Maestro sign worked inwards about places but non inwards others (independent of what they promised).]
A novel world: no cash needed anymore?
But together with then I moved to Sweden, together with became a near-plastic-only (and fully transparent) consumer.
First, I learned the departure betwixt actual credit together with debit cards, because my Swedish banking concern offered me several options, but all included VISA/MasterCard functionality (like many Germans, I idea the final is synonymous amongst having a credit card). In Sweden to exercise the populace transport, yous demand a smartphone or plastic, cash is useless (avoids robbing of busses). In the shops, pubs, restaurants etc. yous paid amongst plastic, of course. New to me was that yous tin fifty-fifty pose the tip on the card. No cash needed inwards Sweden for anything other that exclusively individual transactions.
My Swedish bill of fare had the label Allkort (lit. all-card), it was a debit bill of fare (like the German linguistic communication EC/Maestro Bankkarte), but amongst all functionality of a Kreditkarte. And every bit such, I could exercise it inwards a lot of places, all over the world. Some machines recognised it every bit a credit card, others every bit an ordinary bank-/debit card.
Then I pass to a greater extent than together with to a greater extent than fourth dimension inwards France, together with learnt how technological advance from cash to plastic erected novel barriers.
EU? Not actually a union, non fifty-fifty amongst the €
Socio-technologically, French Republic is oft behind Germany, which trails after Scandinavia. When plastic was commonly used inwards Scandinavian countries together with increasingly inwards Germany, French withal used cash. Nonetheless, they also had a carte bleue, a banking concern card, which could live used similar the German linguistic communication EC-Karte in Germany, or whatsoever plastic inwards Sweden. Now, the magic of plastic has fully arrived inwards France, together with the all-present "CB", successor to the master carte bleue system, has pretty much replaced cash. And the CB makes French Republic unique again!
One year, I could become to the supermarkets/gas stations etc. non accepting "credit cards" (i.e. such amongst a Visa/Mastercard etc. symbol/functionality) but the carte bleue and pay amongst my German linguistic communication EC Karte featuring the Maestro symbol. I could also exercise it to pay the fee for the autoroutes (the French highways).
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 twelvemonth or 2 later, my Swedish Allkort would withal piece of work (which, oddly, never had a Maestro or alike symbol on it), but non my German linguistic communication EC-Karte. And had to telephone band together with await for the service existence stuck on the autoroute because I tried to go out inwards Pithiviers, from the novel A19 (France's kickoff "éco-route", most of the trees planted died already). New toll station, no people at that topographic point anymore, no cash, only plastic. Sheer future! But the Maestro/VISAElectron (VISA's Maestro counterpart) symbols were crossed out (the bigger toll stations direct hold ever withal a cash counter for German linguistic communication together with Dutch tourists amongst their at nowadays useless Maestro cards).
And since 2 years, my Swedish card, which used to piece of work whenever the Germans failed, is also refused inwards French Republic together with FRG every bit substitute for carte bleue/CB together with Maestro (still the same card, patently the arrangement changed).
Now, non a few places inwards France, where yous may withal abide by the Maestro/VISAElectron symbols inwards the windows inwards add-on to the CB, it tin live tricky. For instance, yous demand a French carte bleue to fill upwards your auto at the automatic gas stations of the supermarkets, which accuse yous less than the petrol chains. Effectively the classic unusual debit cards are only accepted inwards places, which anyway direct hold credit cards together with the repose is at nowadays for French ("CB") only.
So, I needed a French concern human relationship together with bill of fare to hold my cash-free life. My French bill of fare is, similar my Swedish, a debit bill of fare amongst VISA functionality. This renders it useless outside French Republic for all shops refusing credit cards (not a work inwards Scandinavia, because they rarely brand the distinction). The CB business office works only within France, therefore to pay inwards the Netherlands (a province using the same currency), yous demand cash. Or a German linguistic communication Bankkarte with the Maestro symbol, which volition simply practice fine!
[In the U.S., yous tin only exercise the gas stations amongst the double cost tags. And – at to the lowest degree inwards California – yous direct hold to pay inwards the shop. Because: the machines process the European debit cards amongst Visa/MasterCard functionality ever every bit credit cards, together with enquire yous for your residence ZIP code (needs to live an American) together with don't recognise them every bit actual debit cards to live used amongst a PIN number. And at the counter yous of course of report pay the higher cost for "using credit card", non the 1 for "debit card/cash".]
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| Utility of bank/debit cards, these days (non-comprehensive, based on personal observation; base of operations map yesteryear Alexrk, from Wikimedia |
However, when yous describe cash, yous are only charged the fixed cost similar for the Swedish Allkort, the German linguistic communication EC-Karte (now without EC symbol, but many others), together with non the 4% it used to cost when drawing cash amongst your VISA/MasterCard Kreditkarte.
[For my non-EU readers: international transfers within the European Union are handled similar domestic ones, nosotros direct hold IBANs all over the place, together with ordinarily there's no extra charge. And since many of us direct hold a mutual currency, the Euro, at that topographic point are also no telephone commutation charges/risks. For the banks, the endeavour for booking coin from e.g. a German linguistic communication concern human relationship to the concern human relationship of a Dutch or French supermarket is the same than for a German linguistic communication supermarket. In illustration of the national debit systems similar the French "CB" a pocket-sized sum/bulk cost is charged for the service from the business, but credit bill of fare fees can withal live upwards to 5% according to the European Union Commission: come across "Disadvantages of accepting bill of fare payments inwards your tourism business"]
And the hereafter brings ...
The newest conception inwards French Republic is at nowadays a carte bleue that doubles every bit debit together with credit card. You direct hold to admire the French love for over-complexify elementary things! When yous direct hold 1 of those cards, every fourth dimension yous pose it into the bill of fare reader, yous are asked if yous desire to pay debit (directly) or on credit (you may live able or non to direct the length of the credit, amongst the usual high annual involvement rates).
In France.
Outside France, it tin direct house that yous can't pay at all according to diverse experiences shared inwards the World Wide Web (maybe simply starting problems). Including places accepting VISA/MasterCards, because this fancy dual functionality confuses bill of fare readers elsewhere.
Yes, let's acquire rid of cash.
No dark money, no robberies, no VAT evasion. And no happy children faces getting a piddling extra from grandad or granny (especially desastrous for German linguistic communication Catholics, every kid loved opening the envelopes yous acquire from the larger menage unit of measurement together with neighbours for your Holy Communion; fifty-fifty if your parents together with then direct everything away to pose inwards the the banking concern for later. Never forget my kickoff 450 bucks.)
Just demand to remain within your province of residence, don't cross accidently a border.
When yous do, become to the bank, together with opened upwards an concern human relationship to acquire a minute bill of fare at that topographic point amongst about other logos. You never know which country's bill of fare is needed for about other fellow member of the European Union (or exterior of it).
Maybe, at 1 betoken the (remaining) fellow member states, banks, together with payment services volition abide by a agency everyone tin pay amongst ones measure banking card, no affair inwards which EU/€ province it was issued, something similar this failed (naturally) intiative. Like it was possible amongst the long-dead Eurocheque.
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| Eurocheque template, slow cross-border payment earlier e-pay became a thing (image source: https://www.geldnerd.nl/vroeger/) |
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