Advice on Pass'Etapes aire cards

[mike w]

I have bought and received a French Aire pass. I was expecting it to be a smart card as it's required to be preloaded with credit ready to use at automated aire sites.
As my French is non existent I was enquiring if other members had used this system, to access the aire do I just punch in the serial number of the card as I enter and leave?
Hope I am worrying about nothing. Trawling through the App and the full website I cannot find numpty instructions on how the use it.

 

[Cass]

You just swipe it as you arrive and the barrier lifts same on leaving you are charged on leaving and if you stay over 24 hours you will be charged for the full following 24hrs if you do need to call them they do speak good english, I spoke to them acouple times and never had a problem. Just remeber you swipe on the passenger side

 

[TJBi]

<snip> Just remeber you swipe on the passenger side

Depends which side you have your steering wheel!

 

[Cass]

Depends which side you have your steering wheel!

Well yes I supose one should never assume,

 

[mike w]

Many thanks. Swiping, this is what I first thought although there is no magnetic strip on the reverse of the card. Looks like I need to move into the 21st century

 

[witzend]

We have the card an have found it easy to use but don't use it very often so keep as little as possible on it and only top it up on line when we are ready to leave the aire