Best French Bank - with online facilities

[Grant_Endersby]

We use CIC bank in France, better than most we think as all banks seem to have their issues. On-line banking system is excellent and in English. Can also be operated from a Windows Mobile 7 phone including balances, transfers etc. CA Britline was our 1st bank in France and they were/are in our opinion truly terrible! Any advantages in speaking English are insignificant compared to their poor customer service. CIC have personal and business accounts, credit card terminal is great although took a while to get it. Hope this helps.

[Roz_Russell]

We are with Credit Agricole and they have an English section online, if you go to their website right at the top right hand side there is a button for English version.
Hope this helps

Roz

[Rhys_Godwin]

Hi Suzi,

I do my banking online from a US bank, so I have no personal knowledge. My ‘pocket bank’ is my French companion, who complains endlessly about her banking experiences. She and most French believe that banks exist to take your money, so it should not be a surprise to find this same thinking inside the banks you visit. When I asked at Credit Agricole (CA) if there were any services for which they DID NOT charge fees, the branch president stated flatly that they “had to eat, too.”

Due to heavy CA fees and CA customer-care, my friend is transitioning from CA to other banks.

The comments before ring true, and it is perhaps best for one’s humour to leave your expectations at the border.

If you find a bank that does not charge too heavily to put your money in an account, or to later take it out, or to use that money in between those two points in time, please advertise them for us all.

[Helen_Aurelius-Haddo]

‘David - have to disagree.We use Credit Mutuel and they are excellent, with a good online service.
I have taken loads of clients to them, all of whom are very happy with the service. My business advisor is first class, and they have an all encompassing service, including mobile phones, pay as you go credit cards for the children in our family, good young persons’ accounts, investment portfolios, loan facilities, health and other insurance - I could go on and on.
I would say that the ability to speak French may or may affect initial impressions - a member of my family found this at the start, but as their French improved, so did her opinion of the service she received.
Credit Mutuel would be a consideration @suzie.

[Cecile_Page]

Hi Suzy,

we are using HSBC. As all our money is still in the Uk and most of my husband buisness is going to remain there (we think), we find it quite easy to link up with HSBC france ( we opened or account easily, but then again we had an address). Managing your accounts online is pretty easy, although i agree with everyone else, i found the way they work their online transfers…not as easy as when we were doing it with Lloyds. Still, it is easy to transfer money to france from our uk account, you can have an overview of both your account anytime… BUT we pay something like 20euros a months in charges (basically to have a card each and be able to put our money in THEIR bank!!), then again, if you want to have a card you will pay monthly or yearly bank fee wherever you go. Let’s not forget, the people working in our branch (Bayonne) have always been really nice and helpful.

Hope this help.

[Janet_Langman]

We use Credit Agricole Britline which is online and in English

[David_Abse]

French banks are all pretty awful. None have a decent online account, none have facilities to match UK banks. On the other hand they pay smaller bonuses to their CEOs

[Mark_Lewis]

Hi. Don’t know about the best but I have a Caisse d’Epargne account since oooo 1992? even from when I was living in the UK. Not sure what their conditions are now for opening “non-resident” accounts. Otherwise, there are lots of banks! Main high st ones are Credit Agricole, Credit Mutuel, Credit Lyonnais (LLC). Regards

[Jacqueline_Brown]

Hi Suzi, we use Credit Mutuel for our business and personal account and find their online service fairly easy to use and it is free. I do have some issues with it as I can only get current statement and transactions since current, but nothing older. It is easy to transfer money between our accounts and make payments to UK. The charges for the overseas transactions are actually cheaper than going into the bank and getting them to do it - don’t forget free banking in France is pretty rare, even for personal accounts. We have some friends who use Credit Agricole and when they enquired about online they were told there would be a charge! Hope this helps.

[james]

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[anon89172871]

I have banked with Boursorama now for several years, as you say a great service

[John_Ellis]

Anyone but BNP. The online banking takes an additional email and call and at least a week to do transfers, getting any sort of response from your ever-changing account clerk is nigh on impossible, and there are lots of hidden fees. As someone who has banked all over the world, this is singularly the worst banking experience ever - shame.

[Maxime]

• HSBC
• CIC Banque Transatlantique
• Caixa Bank
• Boursorama