I have just received my latest statement from CIC Banque de Lyonnaise and it appears if I understand it correctly that they are about to charge from 1st January 2014 8 euros (commission d'intervention sera facturée) up to a limit of 80 euros a month. Anyone out there know anything about this and what it means. Surely not a charge for each transaction using the debit card, it' bad enough having to pay 59 euros each every 2 years for the card.
HOW MUCH!?!?!? CHANGE YOUR BANK - Now!!
Most of my direct debits have been converted to SEPA by the originators already, but I notice that three of them - Orange, SFR & EDF were converted between the November and December payments. I certainly don't seem to have been charged, though I'm with Credit Lyonnais. I feel sure that this is only something that will be done in unusual circumstances, 'coz if you scale it up to the whole of the French banking system, or even just CA customers, it would be massive.
Yes, it's companies like EDF, FT, Orange whose bills we pay by direct debit. The letters I have had make it clear I'm the one who will be charged and by the bank, for the extra admin, and not the company. It's a one-off charge for each DD.
Will this be for incoming direct debits? Given that the organizations (generally quite large) initiating the debits have been given a deadline to complete the changeover to SEPA, I suspect that this will be charged to them if they don't change in time. Any organization causing their customers to be charged €8 a time is likely to have a hard time.
One €8 charge CA has told us they are going to make is to switch each direct debit to the SEPA (EU) system, something they have to do, apparently. The switch doesn't affect the direct debit as such, it just attributes it a SEPA number, as I understand it. Don't know if other banks will also be charging but I assume they'll also have to make the changes so don't be surprised.
No problem Pat. It can be quite confusing, especially as they move the goal posts very regularly!!
Thank you so much for this information Damaris as I was starting to panic a little!
The commission d'intervention relates to any transactions that they put through when there are insufficient funds in your account. For example if you make a card payment of 35€ and there is only 28€ available in your account, they will charge you for honoring the payment.
The rate has actually reduced as it was previously 12€ at my branch of CIC and it has now gone down to 8€....