Cash Secured

Like all things in France, an ordinary thing like the bank, has turned into a new and interesting way to be flexible and learn to do things differently. I love all of these fun new and exciting opportunities. The bank is like my very own Oceans 11, the Italian Job and Mission Impossible all together, and I get to be the main character.

I don’t go to my bank often because I still use my American bank account and cards 99% of the time. In all reality, I only got a bank account so I could have the internet. Thus, every so often I must go to the bank to ensure that there is argent (money) whenever Orange (my service provider) decides to take what they are owed.

You might notice I said whenever Orange decides to do a withdrawal. For some strange reason after signing up in May, my bill never came, and a withdrawal was never taken. That is… until three months later when they took all of the charges in one fell swoop. BAM! I was hit, knocked out, and down for the count.

Today I made it back over to the Popular bank known as “Bank Popular,” to do a little deposit.



Now I do not know how your bank works, but mine is the States, works a bit like this. You have money (or a check); you put it in the envelope, fill in the corresponding information, and insert money into the teller. The same teller you can do a withdrawal from. Is that what you do too?

Here in France my deposit goes something like this:
1. Walk into bank with all my information encase something goes wrong (which inevitably it always does- because I am Katie hickey and I am good at having things go wrong)

2. Grab envelop to fill in the corresponding information to deposit cash.

3. Get to the amount of cash fill in section and realize I grabbed a Coin deposit bag not a Cash deposit bag.



4. Throw away coin deposit bag.

5. Grab cash deposit bag and repeat step 2.

6. Tear off the top sheet for my records.

7. Shoot! The top two sheets ripped off.

8. Repeat steps 4, 5, & 2.

9. Viola! Cash is now in the right bag, with the right information filled out, AND the right sheet torn off.

10. Time for the actual deposit. Now just as there are separate bags there are also separate machines depending on your purpose for visiting. There are four tellers to be exact.
a. Cash Deposits (that’s me!)
b. Coin Deposits
c. Check Deposits
d. Cash withdrawals

Note: Only three of the four machines are pictured here, I didn't want to get caught and in trouble for taking the picutre like I do in so many other areas, which are a lot less sketych to actually take pictures at. But I got this all for you... my lovely readers!

11. Thankfully I get this one right every time and go straight to the cash deposit.

12. Enter Pin.

13. Rejected.

14. Mumble some bad French that my card isn’t working to lady behind front desk.

15. Lady at desk sighs and assues me it works, she the accompanies me, tries my card, and then believes me.

16. I am then told that before my card is activated I must do a withdrawal, to do my first deposit.
- note: it is not call a phone number to activate the card- but make a withdrawl.(Now, this is where my logic clicks in. If I am needing to deposit money, but I first need to withdrawal money, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of me depositing money in the first place? And aren’t you going off the assumption that I have money in my account to make the first withdrawal?)

17. Lady from desk uses her VIP card to swipe me in for my deposit.

18. Answer a series of questions –Pin, Deposit amount, Secret seven digit code deposit bag, Mother’s maiden name, High School Mascot, blood type, favorite cheese and wine combo. Okay the last four are bogus but the rest are true.

19. Secret slot opens- drop in the cash.

This is my favorite Part

20. Deposit made and secure.

Phew. Another new day, another new learning adventure. But the good news is, I have cash in the French bank! So the next time Orange decides to do another swoop for the payment- it’ll all be sitting there, waiting for them.

Mission accomplished the cash is secured.