Roger, if you use Google chrome to view the web you can use it’s auto translate feature. One of the few things it’s good at…
Geoff -- I did it on-line. I'm a "slight" luddite, in that my phone is for making phone calls, not sodding about with the interweb. :-) So, as long as you can deal with the French language (I had a helper!) it's quite straight-forward. The strange thing (to me) was that I had to actually request a visa card AND a cheque book. Not sure what you're supposed to do without them!
well done Roger
I failed at the first hurdle with 'number 26' because I don't have a 'smart' phone.
Do you think it will be the same with Boursorama?
Just opened an online account with Boursorama - started the move from CA. Everything free and they GIVE you 80€ to open the account. So good so far!
@Nick, I don't consider us to be spoilt at all. When you consider how much the banks make from our money.
We, in the UK, have just learned to choose to vote with our feet and it's a shame the french and others don't do the same....
James
What about from Belgium? Same offer as France?
Would consider it if only for the credit card as all BEL banks charge for theirs.
We are spoilt in the UK by having free banking services as the norm.
Thanks for posting
For C Brian Ross: I stopped using CA as I found the local manager a complete waste of space and time. But I used them in the Charente and the local manager was the complete opposite.
I now use Barclays which does all that I want in France, they do speak English, offer a full banking service but to all intents and purposes there is only remote contact either by phone or email. Works for me but some may find that difficult.
Hi
Am I confused but this seems like a charge card with a phone app.
If so surely this is not a bank account?
@ Brian Milne Do we have to draw straws to find out which of us is to be the victim of the Daleks - or are we both to be exterminated? Will our Life Assurance be paid out under such circumstances?? :-)
Thank you, Wendy. It looks as if I shall have to work harder at my French!
Does anyone have any criticism of Crédit Agricole? I know that they have an English-language speaking department, and that there is a fluent English speaker in Bergerac. Any comments would be appreciated. Thank you.
Better than ING?
Too many of us, as the Daleks say 'Exterminate, exterminate!' ;-)
i was talking to the other Brian, Brian!!
Sorry Wendy, I was meaning Number 26 rather than ING. I looked at the German version of that rather than the English. I found reviews that have a downside though. The MasterCard works only when credit card accounts are held rather than directly debiting a bank account as a debit card does, although it is neither but something in between. They do not (yet) have a Visa facility with which that would not happen. It is working very much on the German basis of over 80% of people prefer to use cash payments still, more frequently cheques than cards for higher payments and credit cards as a last resort but relatively little debit card use compared to almost everywhere else. Number 26's people in the Berlin HQ have promised to resolve that but have apparently been very slow since complaints began to go in.
@C. Brian, ING is in French I'm afraid but have found this in their forum: https://communaute.ingdirect.fr/t5/Sur-le-Web/Contact-for-non-French-English-speakers/td-p/38420
I have never closed my German account that was set up in the early 1970s, but nonetheless know that German banking rules are far friendlier than French ones. They do not have any problem with people from outside Germany setting up accounts although they prefer people to do it in actual branches in country in order to present ID in at least two forms across the counter. Online services are growing though and this one looks OK bar the smart phone required that not all people have. Being an entirely mobile bank though it seems pretty good as banking at present goes.
@ Wendy Wise
I have been looking for ING - personal accounts - but have only managed to find a site that is entirely in French. Please provide a link for the site you are using. Thank you. :-)
Thanks for the link Sylvia
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I set up an account with that Monese link someone provided on here. Fast to setup, received my debit card within a week and definitely cheaper than using my Santander UK account. Sometimes I need to either get money from my UK account or use the card at the supermarket and they charge me almost 2 quid for doing either, monese only charged 50p and their exchange rate is similar to transferwise so better than the bank. I have had no problems so far but yes you do need a smartphone as it is entirely a mobile bank. Customer Service are also quick to respond and of course, in English.
Thanks for posting that James, looks interesting! I may give it a try.
I found this link to their service in English: