Mon€o

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Reverse of a French bank card including the Moneo logo.

Moneo, branded as mon€o, is an electronic purse system available on French bank cards to allow small purchases to be made without cash.

The system is aimed at small retailers such as bakeries and cafés and intended for purchases of less than €30.

The card is inserted into a handheld Moneo reader by the merchant who enters the transaction amount for the customer. The customer then confirms the purchase by pushing a button on the keypad; the exact amount is debited from the card within a few seconds.

As well as the multipurpose bank card version, anonymous cards (also smart cards) are available for the use of people without bank accounts, such as children and tourists.

Supported by all French banks, Moneo was tested in Brittany in 2002, and from 2004 Moneo has been added to most French bank cards. However, it failed to catch and, appart from parking payment, it is considered as a complete failure.