I am a French citizen and live in the US and I want to apply for and use a Carte Bleu from Societe Generale where I have an account. Will they send it to my address in the US and will I be able to use this credit card to make purchases from the US?
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1Isn't the Carte now a CB VISA and, therefore, accepted anywhere that VISA is?– GiorgioCommented Jan 20, 2017 at 1:36
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How about asking them?– fkraiemCommented Jan 20, 2017 at 10:59
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This doesn't answer your question, but SocGen have a lot of authentication provisions and I've found that my card got declined a lot on purchases in US for this reason. But I think the above poster is right, the card is in fact a VISA card, so it should ostensibly work.– la femme cosmiqueCommented Jan 20, 2017 at 11:26
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Yes....it SHOULD work, however, I am always surprised by what SHOULD work in French banking, but doesn't. I have asked my bank representative about these issues but received nebulous answers to questions that I did not ask.– Knob ScratcherCommented Jan 20, 2017 at 18:35
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1 Answer
You could use it in the US, but there are fees for using your SocGen card outside the Eurozone. I find the SocGen card to be unreliable for uses other than with a merchant. Online my transactions are declined unpredictably, and contactless payments are similarly randomly accepted or declined.
As for whether they'll send you a card to the US... not sure. When we got out accounts last year, it was mandatory to pick up your "moyens de paiement" (e.g. Carte bleue and checkbook) at your local bank office. They've now changed policy and will mail cards to your residence (I got a replacement card in December this way -- but I live in Paris).
Further complicating matters is if your are a dual citizen of the US. The US requires non-US banks to collect and share data on American citizens' overseas accounts, and banks are hesitant to bother with the extra paperwork.
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"Unpredictable", "unreliable", "randomly"....it sounds like I should have alternative means of payment readily available. And if I have to make a side trip to Paris to pick up this card personally, then it makes the Carte Bleu unattractive. I likely have to activate the card from a telephone in France, as well. I hadn't considered how sharing account information with the US might be a problem in getting a French credit card. Commented Jan 20, 2017 at 18:44
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@KnobScratcher you already have the account with SG, so you are already exposed to FATCA requirements. Getting the Carte Bleue won't change anything in that regard, nor will using it in the US. If you live in the US, though, why not just get a US credit card? There are plenty available that have no annual fee and do not charge interest or fees for purchases if you pay your bill in full every month.– phoogCommented Jan 20, 2017 at 19:08
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You are correct and I must submit yearly DOJ forms as a result. However, having a foreign account is useless if the funds are unusable, or heavily taxed (or fined) if transferred out of the country. Commented Jan 20, 2017 at 19:13