Several Connexion readers have reported that Cr茅dit Agricole ATMs are now adding a 鈧�5 charge for withdrawals using UK cards, a fee which was predicted as a possible consequence of Brexit.

Just before the Brexit transition period ended, the UK鈥檚 financial regulator the Financial Conduct Authority warned that cash withdrawals in Europe 鈥渕ay be more expensive鈥� after the country left the EU.

However, it added that: 鈥淲e expect firms to let you know about any changes in charges that affect products you have.鈥�

UK banks normally charge non-sterling transaction fees for customers making purchases or withdrawing money abroad, but these were in place before Brexit happened.

The additional cash machine fees come as other Cr茅dit Agricole customers from different regions of France also noticed flat fees being added to money transfers coming from the UK.

Read more:鈧�36 French bank fees for UK pension transfers causes confusion

Read more:Brexit loophole confirmed as cause of new UK-France Sepa bank fees

鈧�5 per ATM withdrawal

The charges will affect British visitors to France who have no French account and use their UK cards in France, but in some cases second-home owners or British residents in France who have accounts in both countries are affected.

Deborah Elliot, who owns a second home in Indre-et-Loire and has a Cr茅dit Agricole account for paying its bills, was charged for withdrawing money from her local Cr茅dit Agricole Touraine Poitou branch using her UK card.

鈥淲e bank with Santander in the UK, which doesn't have any fees for withdrawing euros on our UK debit cards, and which also gives a good exchange rate,鈥� she said.

鈥淪o we often top up our French bank account by taking out cash with the UK card over a few days and then paying it into the French account, as this avoids our UK bank鈥檚 flat fee of 拢25 per international transfer.

鈥淔or large sums for building projects for example, this charge is more easily absorbed, but when transferring small sums of use a few hundred euros these fees add up and in effect reduce the exchange rate.鈥�

As a result, she was 鈥渘ot at all pleased to be faced with a 鈧�5 fee鈥� when carrying out their usual withdrawals in February this year, she said.

When she requested the cash, the machine asked Ms Elliot if she would accept the extra charge, as banks are required to do.

鈥淲e then tried a local Banque Populaire Val de France, where there was no such fee,鈥� Ms Elliot added.

Other readers have noticed similar charges, including from ATMs belonging to Cr茅dit Agricole Charente-Maritime Deux-S猫vres. Another Briton who banks with Cr茅dit Agricole鈥檚 Britline service reported charges for withdrawals at a local branch.

Another reader reported having been charged at a Cr茅dit Agricole branch in Brittany, but not when they withdrew money from a Cr茅dit Mutuel cash machine.

The Connexion contacted Cr茅dit Agricole and Britline for further information on their reasons for introducing the fees.

A Cr茅dit Agricole spokesperson said that they were looking into the issue, but added that: 鈥淓ach regional bank of Cr茅dit Agricole is an autonomous entity and decides its own charges policy.鈥�

We also asked BNP Paribas, Cr茅dit Mutuel and Soci茅t茅 G茅n茅rale if they impose charges on such ATM withdrawals or plan to in the future.

However, we have only received a response from Soci茅t茅 G茅n茅rale, which stated that withdrawals from its cash machines are free for foreign cardholders and that there were no plans to change this.

Flat fees for international transfers with Cr茅dit Agricole

Connexion readers who bank with Cr茅dit Agricole in some areas of France have also reported a new 鈧�18 flat fee on transfers coming from the UK.

These same payments did not have fees attached prior to Brexit, and in many cases, have occurred even when Sepa transfers were reportedly used.

Within the EU Sepa transfers incur no more charges than domestic transfers, however the F茅d茅ration Bancaire Fran莽aise told The Connexion that despite the UK having retained the ability to use Sepa transfers, transfers from the country are no longer protected by this rule.

The European Consumer Centre, which advises people with cross-border consumer issues in Europe, took a different view.

Its director for France, Bianca Shulz, said: "Even though the UK has left the EU, it remains a Sepa member; the rules have therefore not changed with regard to Sepa transfers.

We also asked Cr茅dit Agricole about this issue, and a spokesperson said: "I can confirm that the commission is different if the country operating the payment is or is not part of the European Economic Area, whether they belong to Sepa or not."

Related stories

Two French banks stop asking health questions on mortgage applications

UK pension firm will not pay out to me in France post-Brexit