Cash or card in Paris — what do locals actually use?

Card is the default in Paris, and has been for years. Contactless payment (tap-to-pay) is accepted nearly everywhere: cafés, boulangeries, pharmacies, the metro, even most street markets. Visa and Mastercard work seamlessly; American Express is hit-or-miss, so don't rely on it. That said, carry €30-50 in cash. A handful of neighborhood tabacs, older brasseries, and the occasional fromagerie at a covered market are still cash-only, and splitting a bill at a bistro sometimes goes smoother with notes. ATMs are easy to find — use one attached to a major French bank like BNP Paribas, Société Générale, or Crédit Agricole to avoid the worst currency-conversion fees, and always choose to be charged in euros rather than your home currency when the machine offers the choice. Forget traveler's checks entirely; almost no one accepts them, and finding somewhere that does wastes half a morning.

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