Frankfurt S-Bahn ticket machine

[Broucek]

I was in Frankfurt recently for work. Took the S-Bahn from the airport to my meeting having purchased a ticket from a machine.

Later, I went for a walk, returning by S-Bahn. I tried three different UK credit cards in the one and only machine (I had no Euros) - a local helped me the last time. Eventually I gave up as I needed to get back to my hotel to meet a client. I took a chance as I knew there was no gateline at the destination station and all was well.

Was I just unlucky or do some machines not take UK cards? (I had this once in Amsterdam, but that was years ago.)

 

[The exile]

I was in Frankfurt recently for work. Took the S-Bahn from the airport to my meeting having purchased a ticket from a machine.

Later, I went for a walk, returning by S-Bahn. I tried three different UK credit cards in the one and only machine (I had no Euros) - a local helped me the last time. Eventually I gave up as I needed to get back to my hotel to meet a client. I took a chance as I knew there was no gateline at the destination station and all was well.

Was I just unlucky or do some machines not take UK cards? (I had this once in Amsterdam, but that was years ago.)

Had similar in Austria earlier in the year. Moral of the story - don’t write off cash yet.

 

[Merseysider]

It’s always worth having the DB Navigator app handy - it does sell tickets for local trains and if it can’t offer tickets for a specific local transport authority, it signposts the app that will.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Had similar in Austria earlier in the year. Moral of the story - don’t write off cash yet.

Germany certainly is still a cash culture.

 

[Broucek]

Germany certainly is still a cash culture.

Yes, my trip back to the airport was by taxi and the taxi driver was quite huffy that I wanted to pay his EUR60 fare by card...

Thanks to all for the response. It didn't occur to me to use an app #oldman

 

[DanielB]

Was I just unlucky or do some machines not take UK cards? (I had this once in Amsterdam, but that was years ago.)

The occasion in Amsterdam was probably caused by generally poor acceptance of creditcards in the Netherlands until a few years ago.

There definitely are some payment terminals in Germany not accepting some foreign cards, though I never had issues with a creditcard. Only with debit cards.

 

[stuu]

Germany certainly is still a cash culture.

Although nothing like what it was, a few of the businesses I went to last week were card-only which I was a bit surprised by

 

[duesselmartin]

I was in Frankfurt recently for work. Took the S-Bahn from the airport to my meeting having purchased a ticket from a machine.

Later, I went for a walk, returning by S-Bahn. I tried three different UK credit cards in the one and only machine (I had no Euros) - a local helped me the last time. Eventually I gave up as I needed to get back to my hotel to meet a client. I took a chance as I knew there was no gateline at the destination station and all was well.

Was I just unlucky or do some machines not take UK cards? (I had this once in Amsterdam, but that was years ago.)

I had similar situations in the UK using my German VISA. The GWR machine would not accept it, same situation at a restaurant while elsewhere it was fine.

 

[The exile]

I had similar situations in the UK using my German VISA. The GWR machine would not accept it, same situation at a restaurant while elsewhere it was fine.

Almost as annoying as the Austrian ATM that told me it was going to charge me a ridiculous figure for exchange rate conversion. The card I had inserted was for a EUR account - make of that what you will.

 

[mikeg]

Almost as annoying as the Austrian ATM that told me it was going to charge me a ridiculous figure for exchange rate conversion. The card I had inserted was for a EUR account - make of that what you will.

I had the same on a Belgian ATM, albeit with a sterling account that charges the visa exchange rate. The solution was to reject the conversion and the amount was charged instead in euros with no markup.

Germany definitely still has a cash culture. Plenty of smaller businesses such as kebab shops are still cash only where they wouldn't necessarily be in the UK.
Netherlands things have improved now that v pay is dead and maestro on its way out. This has forced the hand of businesses there