 | |
| Location | France |
|---|---|
| Launched | 1967 |
| Discontinued | 2010 |
| Website | carte-bleue.com at theWayback Machine (archived 2005-11-04) |
Carte Bleue (English:Blue Card) was a majordebit card payment system operating inFrance. UnlikeVisa Electron orMaestro debit cards, Carte Bleue transactions worked without requiring authorization from the cardholder's bank. In many situations, the card worked like acredit card but without fees for the cardholder. The system has now been integrated into a wider scheme calledCB orcarte bancaire ("banking card"). All Carte Bleue cards were part of CB, but not all CB cards were Carte Bleue.[1]
The system was national, and pure Carte Bleue cards did not operate outside France. However, it is possible and commonplace to get a CBVisa card that operates outside France. Carte Bleue was, technically speaking, the local Visa affiliate.
Carte Bleue started in 1967, associating six French banks:BNP,CCF,Crédit du Nord,CIC,Crédit Lyonnais, andSociété Générale. Combined Visa cards have existed since 1973 under the nameCarte Bleue Internationale, changing toCarte Bleue Visa in 1976.[2]
From 1992 on, all Cartes Bleues / CB have beensmart cards. When using a Carte Bleue at a French merchant, the PIN of the card must be used, and a microchip on the card verifies and authenticates the transaction. Only some very limited transactions, such asmotorway tolls or parking fees, are paid without PIN. Sinceautomatic teller machines also check for the PIN, this measure strongly reduces the incentive to steal Cartes Bleues, since the cards are essentially useless without the PIN (though one may try using the card number for mail-order or e-retailing). Foreign cards without microchips can still be used at French merchants if they accept them, with the usual procedure of swiping the magnetic stripe and signing the receipt.
In 2000,Serge Humpich, after failing to convince the makers of a serious flaw he had found two years before, purchased some metro tickets to prove it. He sent the proof to Groupement des Cartes Bancaires. They then initiated criminal action against him, and he was convicted and sentenced to a ten months suspended jail sentence.[3][4][5]
In 2003, the Cartes Bleues / CB started to move on to the international standardEMV for smart chips, allowing for their use abroad.[citation needed]
In 2010, the Carte Bleue brand was phased out in favour of Visa; however, the termcarte bleue continues to be used as ageneric term forEFT-basedpayment cards, including debit andcredit cards.[6]