By TARYN KAUR PEDLER, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 16:08 BST, 7 October 2025 | Updated: 17:05 BST, 7 October 2025
Cash machines located in a top European hotspot have been found to be charging tourists a staggering £7.40 to withdraw under £20.Several independent ATMs in the heart of Paris are charging foreign cardholders a huge fee for taking out money, according to Le Parisien.A woman from the US, named Gabriella, who has been living in France for several years used her American card to show how the cash machines were targeting non-French cards.Upon inserting a French card into the ATM, the usual withdrawal amount of 20 to 60 euros was displayed on the screen. Whereas the American credit card offered amounts of up to ten times higher, at 600 euros.'I definitely feel cheated,' Gabriella told the city's leading newspaper. 'I think someone who has just arrived in France can clearly be taken advantage of and withdraw large sums of money.' The American card was also hit with a 8.50 euro (£7.40) fee when withdrawing 20 euro (£17.40) from the independent ATMs which are becoming increasingly popular in the French capital.It comes just three months after an undercover investigation found that foreign tourists in Paris were being charged as much as 50 per cent more than French customers.Le Parisien, found that several tourists from outside of France had been posting complaints online about being overcharged. Upon inserting a French card into the ATM, the usual withdrawal amount of 20 to 60 euros was displayed on the screen. Whereas the American credit card offered amounts of up to ten times higher, at 600 eurosThe American card was also hit with a 8.50 euro (£7.40) fee when withdrawing 20 euro (£17.40) A woman from the US, named Gabriella, who has been living in France for several years used her American card to show how the cash machines were targeting non-French cardsSo they sent out a Parisian on the Champ-de-Mars near the Eiffel Tower.They also dressed up one of their reporters as an American tourist and directed them to the same cafe to reveal exactly what was happening at the holidaymaker hotspots.But what they stumbled across was shocking.They both seated themselves at the unnamed diner and ordered the same dish - lasagna, a Coke and water. All the while they had been filming themselves.The clearly 'French' customer was served a can of Coke for €6.50 (£5.63) and offered a carafe of water along with his dish. However, the 'American' was not offered a small can, only a 'medium or large Coke'. When it arrived, it was just half a litre and cost €9.50 (£8.23). As for the water, the 'American' received no offer for a carafe, which is free, but was instead made to spend a further €6 (£5.20) for a small bottle of Vittel.The server also offered the 'American' a side of garlic bread without specifying that it was an extra. They were later charged a further €6 (£5.20).The pair then walked to a different nearby cafe-restaurant to test its policy on tipping.When the bill arrived, the French customer noticed their receipt included an obligatory ten per cent service charge. But the 'American' tourist was asked if he wanted to tip as 'service isn't included'.And to make matters worse, when he agreed to add a 10 per cent tip via the card machine, he noticed the waiter had discreetly hidden the amount and increased this to 15 per cent.
