Using French Cheques In England

[jamesnan]

My French guest has asked me the question whether it is possible for him to use a French cheque to buy something in a British shop. I really do not know and wondered if anyone else knew

[horseshoes]

I wouldn't have thought you could. Why don't they just use their bank visa card, like we did in all the med countries we visited recently. Simples.

[DTCwordfan]

"Bon courage" would be my advice.

What's a Euro by the way?

Shopkeeper in Bradford or Whitby.

[Buenchico]

If he's buying a Rolls Royce, possibly yes (as long as he's prepared to wait for the cheque to clear until he can pick up his new car); otherwise probably not.

It's technically possible to pay an overseas cheque into a British bank, as the retailer would have to do but the charges for doing so start from around £30 and then rise according to the value of the cheque. A Rolls Royce salesman, selling a car for over £100,000 might be prepared to write off such costs; other traders won't.

Anyway, since the end of the UK's Cheque Guarantee Scheme, hardly any British shops now accept British cheques. To the best of my knowledge, no shops now accept cheques at all (unless, say, it's a business cheque from another trader or from a school or similar organisation).

[DTCwordfan]

Horseshoes, do you bake, given your avatar?....sorry jamesnan for being off thread.

[Buenchico]

With apologies to Jamesnan:

DTC:
I suspect that Horseshoes is a Rolling Stones fan!
http://berlemon.net/music/Rolling-Stones-Let-It-Bleed-465896.jpg

[sherrardk]

Doesn't your guest have a debit card? Lots of places no longer take UK cheques let alone French ones.

[FredPuli43]

Don't know of any French shop that takes a cheque and very few British ones do, simply because a cheque takes days to clear and there's no guarantee that it will be honoured. Can't see why a debit or credit card isn't used. I occasionally use my French bank card here, and without problems.

I once tried to pay a French cheque in to my LCL account in France, through their London office and was told they couldn't do it, so I doubt whether any British business will accept one!

[Buenchico]

As has been suggested, using a debit card would seem to be the obvious solution. I'll be using mine in Carrefour in Calais tomorrow, so I can see no reason why someone with a French bank account couldn't use their card here!

[horseshoes]

DTC - I do TRY.

Buenchico - spot on;-)

[douglas9401]

Wild, horseshoes.

[DTCwordfan]

If you need (quality) baking goodies, horsehoes, you may be interested in what I have been upto - try my [email protected] throw away, for that is still 'throw-away'............