I think David is correct. I got a Caxton card late last year and have used it moderately during the last 3 France and Spain. It worked fine at ATMs supermarkets and diesel pumps but not at French motorway toll booths (unmanned). There is a note explaining this on the Caxton website. The top up is easier using a mobile phone than on-line (and possibly more secure as many camp wifi systems are unprotected) and balance confirmation works very well from the mobile too.
I feel the fee - which is all rolled up into the exchange rate you get when loading the card - is worthwhile for the convenience and also because it provides a buffer to your main bank account details should the card be lost stolen or cloned. If you use a Windows Desktop Gadget (currency) you can see the GBP/Euro rate live and load your card when the rate is better.
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