EuroTrash

I'm popping over from the France forum because there is something I'm finding odd about the Dutch.
Last summer I worked on a campsite in France. The company I worked for didn't take bank cards, the cleaning/breakages deposit had to be paid by cash or cheque, and this always posed a problem for Dutch clients because they never had any cash or cheques. We use bank cards for everything in the Netherlands, they kept telling me. Every time.
This season I'm working on a different campsite for a different company and here we don't take cheques, we take cards or cash and we prefer cards. Everybody else - French, English, Irish, Belgian - pay by card. And guess who is the only nationality that consistently pays in cash? Yep, the Dutch. I wish they wouldn't because I'm not geared up for a lot of cash, I don't have a supersecure safe like I did last year.
It's baffling me why the Dutch always do the opposite of what I want. Has custom reverted in NL, or was the no-cash thing a Covid measure, or has word somehow got round that other countries don't always accept cards so it's best to take lots of cash when you go to France?

calman014

Cards are the norm in NL these days.
The reason cash is used is simple...it can't be accounted for and is either money from under the mattress or some other source.
Nobody uses cheques these days anyway..except maybe the USA.
There is no reason that a Dutch customer can't pay by card. Cash is accepted in NL but the number of business accepting it are less commonplace.
Perhaps Credit Cards are more common in France, as they are in the UK. Not many people have them in NL. Mainly debit cards. (MAESTRO).

EuroTrash

Ah thanks, that makes sense.
If they have cash under the mattress and NL businesses won't take it, that could explain why they take it to spend abroad.
Cheques are still very common in France. You keep reading that they're on the way out but I haven't seen this in day to day life. Last year, out of 100 French clients, probably 96 gave me a cheque for their deposit and around half also paid their tourist tax by cheque even if it was a very small amount,. Of course some might have paid by card had they had the option, but I think it goes to show that just about every French person still carries a chequebook.

Jon-Bxl

In Belgium, as in most places, cash is dwindling. Near the start of the year, contactless transactions accounted for +/- 2/3rds of all consumer transactions. It must be more now.

Also its now become a legal requirement to have a card reader in all restos, shops etc, and the owner can be fined if not. I smile each time I see 'card machine out of order' ... (They claim to have one anyway ). Our local bars have the servers with a card reader, often in a holster, and the just bring it out when approaching the table, each time expecting contactless/card payment.

We have friends who no longer use cash. I can't do that and even carry an 'emergency 50€' tucked away in smaller bills ... We always pay cash in bars.

Its probably to stop 'black money' business.

So this particular problem for the campsites can only increase. If the site is booked in advance say on the net or a phone call I guess there should be a headline or banner on order (or clearly explained on the call) to explain this need. For Drop-ins perhaps signage pre entry might work. (But I have no experience of camping). I am guessing most deposits are returned, and so it saves 2 transactions payment+ refund. Also any associated card charges

But bottom line, like it or not, this problem will only increase with time, and all consumer facing businesses should be planning to change practices (somehow.) At least for campsites, its a well known problem apparently, as the OP says its been happening a while. Again Ive personally no experience of campsites - but making a more general point here

Jon

Red_Wine_Fairy

I find this difficult to understand. NL doesn't even do cheques (the problems we have when customers try to pay us with cheque and the banks laugh before refusing to cash them). I haven't carried cash here since before the start of the pandemic. In fact, I even get odd looks now from my supermarket delivery guy for not paying by phone.....

Which backwater are you working at? You'll have trouble if you carry Amex like you do in much of Europe, and credit cards (in fact credit in general) isn't a big deal here, but chip and pin is the most common payment method and has been for many years. Even charities going door to door carry portable chip machines.

liveaboard

When driving through France about 6 years ago, my Dutch card wouldn't work in some machines. I actually got stuck in a little town because I was unable to buy fuel at the unmanned fuel station.
I would imagine that would explain why many Dutch are carrying cash to France, even if the situation has improved now.