The French must have had chip & pin for 10 years now. We should have followed suit then and presumably would have used the same technology. Instead our banks have chosen to put up with credit card fraud all these years which must have been reflected in their interest and penalty charges to us. Now that they have chosen to use chip & pin and technology has obviously moved on we expect the French to follow suit. Why should they go to all the expense of changing when presumably their system still works for them.Dusty, you have got it wrong. It is France that has the wrong system. The French system is completely different to anywhere else in Europe. They chose not to update to a more advanced system.
Our chip and pin DOES work in French shops - we are living proof!No the French system used in shops is different. No problem with cash machines. Nationwide credit cards do not charge commission on foreign transactions. In Summer 2004France, Germany, Austria and Netherlands it was quite acceptable to swipe and sign where pin cards did not work.
Tim