Hi, I’ve been considering opening a Britline CA account, but when I talked to an advisor there, they seem to be pushing for a €9.90/month package that includes a debit card, as the minimum package available.
Has anyone used the Eko package or some really basic package for less than this?
I’m just planning to transfer some cash to Revolut when needed, so all I need is online banking.
Wise app plus somewhere safer than even that good fintech if you are actually storing money rather than just moving it?
That’s interesting. I have just checked my Britlne bank statement for the current year and I have paid 75€ for all monthly banking charges including a debit card (45€). That’s about 6€ a month. I wonder why they’re suggesting a 9.90€ option. My arrangements give me the ‘Full Monty’ full suite of services from Britlne. I have to say the service is excellent if for any reason you need to speak to/ get advice from them, and they are very responsive.
We are similar. Here is fees leaflet. Did you ask for paper statements perhaps?
No I asked the lowest management fees possible, but the price difference for you could be because you have an older “convention de compte”, do you know if you have a service package with a specific name mentioned? Do you had some insurance linked to the card (like basic fraud etc.)?
The Eko package I was talking about is in this pdf, and that’s why I was wondering why I wasn’t offered it. I’d seen it a few weeks ago before going through the registration so I was surprised it wasn’t offered upon creating the account.
As you see in the document it is presented separately from the 3 packages advertised (basic, premium, prestige), in a less obvious manner, but it is there, and not the amount you guys seem to have either (it says €24/year), unless that’s what you have with a card extra? (eko Mastercard, they say card fee, but it’s ambiguous whether that means it covers it or not). It’s very confusing when I read it.
I might call them about it when I have the energy.
Having just looked through the (absurdly complicated) Complete Banking Fees document, I think I must have the Compte à Composer option, that is apparently no longer marketed.
I am charged 2,30€ a month for account management, 45,30 for the first debit card, and 22,65 for a second card if needed. If I was starting again, I think I would probably go for the eko option.
With regulsr CA not sure about Britline, a Gold card (what F calls a credit card) on top of the most basic monthly account fee wouldn’t cost much more.
If all you need is online banking, why not go straight for an online bank? Fortuneo is good, and free, as long as you use the card once a month.
Thanks, these aren’t suitable for the moment.
Thanks for looking into it!
Yes, Eko for me too basically, but I wasn’t offered it when I said I’d seen cheaper than the basic, hence my question here.
L’offre Eko peut être souscrite entièrement en ligne sur le site https://www.credit-agricole.fr/ou dans une agence du Crédit Agricole (sous réserve de la disponibilité de l’offre dans votre Caisse régionale).
Comptez en moyenne une quinzaine de minutes pour choisir votre offre et remplir la demande d’ouverture de compte en ligne dès lors que vous disposez de l’ensemble des pièces justificatives demandées.
Nos équipes prendront ensuite 48h en moyenne (hors week-end et jours fériés) pour valider votre demande d’ouverture de compte et vous envoyer un IBAN.
… from the website. So you can either open an account online or in a branch and hold this under their noses. They probably don’t like to open them as they get less commission.
But note the sentence “sous réserve de la disponibilité de l’offre dans votre Caisse régionale”. Seems not to be offered everywhere. CA has various regional elements that seem to be independent of one another.
Yes and since it’s in the terms and conditions they bothered to publish it in English, and they could have deleted that part yet they didn’t when they made it available on the Britline site, that’s why I was curious about what “convention de compte” everyone had.
Hi Anne,
Being curious.
If you’re fluent in French what’s the advantage of Britline over a main high street / national bank.
Hi, I’ve been with Britline for 5 years and no problems at all, I remember I did speak with them when they increased my monthly fees and was being talked into having a debit card but I told them I wanted the cheapest monthly fee and no need for a debit card - I’m paying less than 3 euros a month, so I would ask them what their current charges are for without debit card - hope that helps x
You’ve answered the question yourself, if bring the operative word.
I am with Britline and very happy to pay the monthly fee.
I cannot help wondering where the cash will come from and why it cannot be transferred straight into Revolut. Opening an account in order to put money into it from one bank and transfer it to another, seems one complication too many. Or maybe I have misunderstood.
Welcome, Anne.
Why would you want a “Britline” account? Crédit Agricole saw the opportunity years ago to rip off Brits who couldn’t speak French, and couldn’t cope with opening a bank account here without English-speaking help. Their charges are exorbitant, and they push add-ons which are just not necessary, along with poor currency transfer hard-sell.
My advice is - avoid. My reservation is - you do not tell us anything about your situation, which is totally respected, but not helpful on a forum like this.
The cheapest high-street bank in France is La Banque Postale. But maybe you are not able to meet their basic requirements, such as French residency?
Apart from that, all you need is an online bank, such as Wise or Revolut, for a much more efficient, quick, and low-cost service. The big advantage of La B-P is a cheque book, which is still necessary for life here.
I’m not sure that a cheque book is necessary here now. Pre Covid possibly but now everything I used to use cheques for has a bank transfer option. The most useful payment option for me these days is ApplePay which is seamless, secure and is easy to switch between my French and my U.K. banks.
Point taken, David - but, as a couple of recent ‘for examples’, I have just signed a Devis for a builder who needs to have a forward schedule for his work. But he won’t cash it until the day he starts work . . . . and we arranged to buy a car from a main dealer 2 weeks ago: they required a €2,000 deposit to secure the order, and pre-prep the car. But they won’t cash it until we collect it, in the middle of January. You may not use cheques, but the French do.