3 ATM machines in Lille would not produce a note bigger than €50. Is that a nationwide limit or did I just choose the wrong ATMs? I tried a couple indoor ATMs. Since indoor machines are more secure some banks are more generous with denominations and quantity, but it did not seem to make a difference.

I also noticed there was no balance inquiry option. Is that also a nationwide limitation or does it depend on the bank?

(fr) 3 distributeurs automatiques à Lille ne produiraient pas un billet supérieur à 50 €. S’agit-il d’une limite nationale ou ai-je simplement choisi les mauvais distributeurs automatiques ? J’ai essayé quelques guichets automatiques intérieurs. Étant donné que les machines intérieures sont plus sécurisées, certaines banques sont plus généreuses en dénominations et en quantité, mais cela ne semble pas faire de différence.

J’ai également remarqué qu’il n’y avait pas d’option de demande de solde. Est-ce également une limitation nationale ou cela dépend-il de la banque ?

UPDATE

I took some surveys and got all different answers.

• banker 1: “I think there are a few ATMs in France that have notes bigger than €50 but they are quite rare / hard to find because people simply do not want bigger notes”
• banker 2: “Maybe other banks but certainly none of our ATMs will have anything bigger than €50”
• banker 3: “No banks France have anything bigger than €50; I do not know why”
• banker 4: “No banks France have anything bigger than €50 because no shops will accept notes bigger than €50”
• bartender: “If your bank card was issued by the same bank that owns the ATM, you will have the option to get bigger notes”

I’m annoyed by the lack of transparency. Bankers and the public should know the answer to that. Seems like secrecy is a #warOnCash tactic. Big notes are important if someone wants to clear out their account so it seems they are trying to prevent a run on the banks.

The bartender also made some interesting points about cash:

• All shops in France are legally obligated to accept cash and they are not obligated to accept electronic payment. But some shops break that law.
• Buses do not (or cannot) accept cash because it slows down movement but you can always buy a ticket from a machine using cash.