Abby, it is not PARIS that has excluded Americans from using the Velib bicycles, but the North American credit card companies. Your card is activated, and you can take your Vélib’. 849 Reviews #218 of 326 Outdoor Activities ... customer service was unhelpful when contacted and advised the amount was physically deducted due to it being a foreign card. The Navigo card (French: Carte Navigo), formerly called the Navigo pass, is a means of payment for public transportation introduced on 1 October 2001 in the City of Paris and Île-de-France region.It is implemented as a contactless smart card using the Calypso standard, initially with Radio-frequency identification (RFID), then Near-field communication (NFC) since 9 December … I used my American Express Blue card to sign up for the system with no problems. Vélib has regular bikes (green) and electric-assisted bikes (blue) Sign up for ALL passes (including 24-hour or 7-day passes) online, NOT directly at the bike station “bornes” (there have been issues with people putting in their credit card info and then not receiving the account number or passcode to be able to check out the bikes). V-Découverte A pass valid for 24 hours that allows you to take up to 5 Vélib' at one time From 1 to 5 Vélib' Paris offers a variety of transportation methods: metros, trains, buses and even bicycles! Vélib’ is an affordable public bike-sharing system in Paris with approximately 20,000 two-wheelers and 1,800 stations. The Vélib site indicates that a French debit card will work, however I cannot find confirmation if any other debit cards will. Riding a bike around Paris is so much fun, and gives you the freedom to go wherever you want. The Vélib’ system, which until 2011 required a credit card with a puce (a special microchip), was mostly unattainable to Americans since it launched in 2007. If you've been hesitant to try out the Velib' bike rental system in Paris, this step-by-step guide will give you the confidence you need to hit the streets! In Canada, the credit card companies have begun issuing cards with the necessary "chip". 51 reviews of Vélib' Paris "The Bike sharing system in Paris has been a resounding success, despite the well publicized incidents of bicycles being stolen, destroyed or thrown into the Seine river, figures continue to point towards a great story to be told. 4. 2. For those interested...this was on Fodor's: <