Online Banking in France
Online banking has become an increasingly popular choice for consumers in France due to their competitive pricing.
Online banks like Fortuneo and Boursorama offer nearly all of the services you would find at a normal brick and mortar bank. This flexibility enables users to conduct banking activities, such as transferring funds or applying for loans, without the need to visit a physical branch.
In France, Debit and Credit cards at brick and mortar banks have a high cost, whereas online banks usually offer even their premium credit cards for free if you meet their minimal salary conditions.
Bank / Card Annual Fee Fortuneo – Gold Mastercard €0 (if conditions met); €108/year if inactive
Boursorama – Visa Ultim €0 (if conditions met); €108/year if inactive
Société Générale – Visa Premier ~€108/year
Crédit Agricole – Visa Premier ~€132–134/year
1: Fortuneo Bank
Fortuneo is in my opinion the top French bank. It is easy to use and offers the most premium credit card without a fee. I have found its customer service to be very responsive and had no issues keeping my account while overseas. Fortuneo is owned by Credit Mutuel Arkea.
While Boursorama offers the Visa Ultim without a fee, it does charge a fee on its more premium metal package, while Fortuneo offers the Mastercard World Elite without an annual fee if you meet the income and use requirements. Fortuneo also has an agreement with American Express allowing access to American Express cards through Fortuneo.
On brokerage accounts and assurances vie (life insurance), Fortuneo along with Boursorama have the most competitive rates and the largest selection.
You will find that every day banking fees are much lower with an online bank versus a B&M bank.
Here is a good link to compare the cost of banking with Fortuneo verus Brick and Mortar banks in France:
https://www.fortuneo.fr/comparateur-frais-bancaires-gratuit/simulation
Please see below the Referral offer including a 130 euros bonus for the Mastercard Gold package:
https://www.fortuneo.fr/parrainage
Please include my referral code below when you open your account:
CODE PARRAIN : 12516129
2: Boursorama Banque
Boursorama has historically been one of the largest online French banks as a subsidiary of the larger Societe Generale group. It offers free debit cards similar to Fortuneo up to the level of Visa Ultim which would be the equivalent of Mastercard gold at Fortuneo. Boursorama has a similar low fees on banking, investments, life insurance, and other products similar to Fortuneo.
If you are interested in banking with Boursorama, you can find a referral link from my friend Lucie below which offers up to 150 euros bonus for moving your banking to Boursorama. This includes a 80 euros bonus if you transfer 300 euros on signing up for the account and a 70 euros bonus for using the Easymove function: