Does a bank have to inform its customers of its rates?

Verified 08 October 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)

Yes. Your bank must inform you of the pricing it applies for the management of your account and for services provided related to payment transactions.  You must also be informed in case ofpayment incidents intervened on your account.

Any bank must make available to the public and its customers the rates it charges. These include:

  • The management fees of an account, called account maintenance fees. These fees can be deducted monthly from the account balance.
  • The fees related to means of payment provided and payment transactions made on the account: withdrawal of cash from the network, establishment of transfers or direct debits, bank card dues, opposition fees on check or payment card in case of loss or theft
  • The charges related to payment incidents : intervention fees, check rejection fees, direct debit rejection and transfer fees for lack of provision, newsletters fees, seizure fees
  • The service bundles (or package services) set up and invoiced in a specific commercial offer to each bank.

There are legal fees, which must be the same in all banks. This is particularly the case for fees applied to inactive accounts or fees applied in the event of succession, when closing the accounts of the deceased person. Most payment incident fees are also capped.

Please note

No fees may be charged for the management and operations carried out on regulated savings accounts: Livret A, Livret jeune, Livret de développement durable, Livret d'épargne populaire, épargne logement (CEL or PEL).

Charges related to payment incidents

In case ofpayment incident, applicable bank charges are capped. The ceilings depend on the incident.

Tableau - Bank charges for payment incidents, in the absence of protection for financial fragility

Incident

Fees

Check rejection fee:

check < to €50

€30 maximum

Check rejection fee:

check > to €50

€50 maximum

Charges for rejection of direct debit or transfer

capped at €20.00 per incident

Overdraft allowed

€8 per operation, with a maximum of €80 per month

Please note

Of flat-rate costs apply if you are in a situation of financial fragility or if you have subscribed to thefragile customer specific offer.

Fees for inactive accounts

The amount of fees levied on a current account inactive is capped at €30 per year.

Fees and commissions on PEAS: titleContent and on the securities accounts inactive are limited to the applicable fees set out in the account agreement, at the latest discounted rate.

Regulated accounts and passbooks (passbook A, youth passbook, LDDS, LEP, CEL, PEL) are exempt from management fees, whether they are active or inactive.

Costs in case of succession

The bank may charge you fees for the steps it takes in connection with the succession (inventory of funds, verification of the powers and identity of the heirs, transfer of money to the heirs...).)

The amount of the fee is capped at 1% the total balance of the accounts and savings products of the deceased. This amount cannot exceed €857.

The securities accounts, the PEAS, PEAS-PME, the PEAC are excluded from the cap. The applicable inheritance fees are those provided for by the bank, set out in the account agreement.

Standardized information: general conditions and tariff information document

Any bank (with a branch network or online banking) must make available of the public the rates it charges. It must provide standardized information that allows the comparison of services between the different banks.

This information is grouped in 2 accessible documents self-service and on the internet :

  • The general and tariff conditions (tariff brochure or leaflet)
  • The tariff information document (DIT) which presents the prices of the 12 most representative banking services.

The communication must be made on paper medium or on any other durable support, by the following means:

  • Self-service agency displays and leaflets
  • Online publication on the bank's website.

This standardized pricing information is accessible to all.

If you are a customer of the bank, the pricing information (contained in the general and pricing conditions and in the DIT) is provided to you personally: it completes the account agreement that you sign when you open an account.

FYI  

The bank must ensure that the communication on a medium other than paper is adapted to the situation of its client. You can request at any time, free of charge, to return to information in paper format.

Advance Information: Fees for Payment Incidents

Your bank must inform you of the amount of payment incident fee at least 14 days before they are taken from the account.

This information is usually mentioned at the end of your monthly account statement, in a specific section. In the absence of a statement of account, prior information is provided free of charge by any other means.

Summaries and statements of charges

Your account statement should list the total monthly bank charges.

In January of each year, a detailed summary of the fees collected in the previous year must also be provided.

Generally, bank rates are revised annually.

The information may be transmitted to you in paper form (postal dispatch) or on any other durable support (e-mail indicating the availability of the new price list on the customer area).

In the event of a change in rates, the bank must inform you at least 2 months before the date of application of the new tariffs.

The bank must tell you that:

  • Without any reaction from you, the new rates are considered accepted
  • If you refuse the proposed change, you can cancel your account agreement free of charge and request the closure of the account.

If your bank does not comply with its obligation to provide information on the communication of its general and tariff conditions and on the modification of its tariffs, it risks €1,500 of fine.

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