If you have an existing credit card before moving to France, it may be well worth retaining, as credit cards do not really exist in France. Some larger retailers offer a store card (carte privative) for use in their shops - these have a defined credit limit, and require monthly payments.

Visa and Mastercard are the major credit cards accepted by most large businesses in France but always check before you run up a bill!

Basically, all French bank cards are debit cards, where purchases are debited immediately from your account, and they are all known as 'blue cards' (cartes bleues).

To report lost or stolen credit cards in France call the relevant number from the list below:

American Express - 01 47 77 72 00
Carte Bleue Visa and Eurocard/Mastercard - 08 92 69 08 80 (24 hrs)
Diners Club - 01 49 06 17 50

Submitted 10/5/07 by Debbie - "The information you have here about credit cards is wrong. They do exist in France. Check out www.confinoga.fr or sofinoga or banque accord etc."

Loans

If you need to arrange a loan in France it pays to shop around. Interest rates vary considerably depending on the loan amount and repayment term. Ask friends and colleagues for their bank recommendations. All loans will be subject to your credit rating, income and amount of existing debt. A life insurance policy may be required as a condition of the loan. Under French law, it is illegal for any bank to agree a loan where repayments would equate to over 30% of your net income.

The lending criteria with French and overseas banks have become stricter in recent years, and business loans are particularly difficult for foreigners in France to obtain. If you encounter difficulty, it may be worth approaching a bank experienced in dealing with foreigners - one such example is the Banque Transatlantique: http://www.transat.tm.fr/index.asp?l=2