4. Managing Your French Bank Account

1. 4.1. Cash Withdrawals
2. 4.2. Direct Debits and Standing Orders
3. 4.3. Statements
4. 4.4. Bank Overdrafts
5. 4.5. Closing/Transferring Account
6. 4.6. Seizure of Account

4.3. French Bank Account Statements

Your bank should provide you with a hard copy statement each month, although not so for Internet banks, where you will be expected to go on-line to review your account.

The High Street banks are also trying to wean their customers off of hard copy statements, onto use of the internet, but you can retain the hard copy version if you wish.

You can also get a balance from the ATM.

If you want a hard copy statement more regularly then you will need to pay for the service.

French banks lack a degree of transparency in communication of charges, so you may need to read your statements with some care.

Since 2009 banks have been required to provide an statement of charges to their customers, and since July 2011 your monthly bank statement must state the total charges in the month, as well as your overdraft limit. The charges include interest incurred on overdrawn accounts.