mint Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Can anyone recommend an on-line bank please?I have looked at the sites of ING (I used them in the UK) and Fortuneo. I know Parsnips has mentioned Fotuneo before but he was talking about them as a place to put savings rather than as a place to have a current account.Does anyone have an internet bank as their SOLE bank in France? If so, have you found any drawbacks? I know the obvious one about not having a "real" bank in town you can pop into. But, apart from that, is there anything I should be alert to?It seems to me that these banks have some very attractive advantages but I am a bit wary about warnings to do with "no such thing as a free lunch"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulT Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 In the UK I have an account with First Direct and they are superb. However, the reason for not having it as a main account is the charge for using their debit card abroad, hence Norwich & Peterborough.FD has superb customer service always available and they seem to select very capable staff. But sometimes yo do need a bank to pay in a cheque or draw a large sum of cash and this is where FD score as they are part of HSBC - though the cheque situation may soon be relieved by the trials of taking a photo of a cheque and sending the photo to the bank. It does not solve the cash problem.No experience of online in France but from experience in the UK there needs to be a tie up with a high street bank for large amounts of cash and cheques. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lehaut Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 We have been with ING here in France for years, never a problem. However, that is not our main bank as we have insurance and other investments with CA, and it handy to call in when there is a problem. ING current account is free if you put in a certain amount every month and their Bank Card is free too. We were with another internet bank, but as we would not buy their products, they shut down our account and sent us a cheque for the balance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daft Doctor Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Hi, we've banked with Axabanque since 2007, it's 100% online, with email and telephone support if needed. No complaints as such, the website is excellent, as is the smartphone app, and the annual charges are reasonable (a bog standard current account is around 40 euros a year - ours has a few more bells and whistles and is 99 euros per year). The only drawback I'd mention is that we can only pay cheques into our account by sending them to a sorting office in Paris, but then we don't get a lot of cheques given to us........ Hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 28, 2014 Author Share Posted June 28, 2014 Thank you, PaulT and Lehaut.From what you have told me, I think I'd best keep our Banque Postale account and open an internet account, probably with ING, as I know them already.I'll open a current account to begin with so that I am up and running. Later, I shall be looking for a vehicle to put some savings into but there is no rush for that because, as we all know only too well, there is no real interest to be had either side of the channel on savings.It's ironic but, when I had a mortgage, interest rates were eye-wateringly high and now that I haven't got one and have a bit of spare, the rates are abysmally low.Still, if I could stay out of debt, I shall be reasonably content[:D]Thank you again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 A French friend who is very technologically aware uses only Boursorama and is very happy with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 28, 2014 Author Share Posted June 28, 2014 Thank you, Norman. Yours is the type of post I was hoping for and I shall look at Boursorama; a name I have heard of but know next to nothing about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Nint, be careful. He may be on a commission, his "friend" may be a fellow barrel dweller who crashes into other people's computers and nicks their stuff and a bank you have not heard of may be run by the Mafia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 29, 2014 Author Share Posted June 29, 2014 Bonjour WoolsWhat, you have finished your kitchen already?Care to come down south and do mine?Banks are not friendly places, that's a given, and are certainly not run for the benefit of "the little people". Moreover, there is not a lot of choice out there [+o(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham & Brenda Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Are there any online banks where you don't have to put in a minimum amount every month to get a free card with the current account? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 29, 2014 Author Share Posted June 29, 2014 Good question, G & B; this is also what I am looking at when reading the terms and conditions. Only had time for a quick look but I will make a list and see which bank gives what.At the moment, and just skimming the headline offers, I haven't as yet found any major differences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 My reservation about these online banks is security; given that I do not really think that the internet is ever totally 100% secure, I fear that some Martian meddler is going to come and nick my jewels electronically, so to speak.And the whole business of passwords drives me nuts. One is constantly changing, upgrading, modifying the damned things so that one does not even know if one is seeing the world through eyes or ears.Then there is the personal touch that my little bank offers; the little bits of questions they are usually able to answer, the explanations given, cock ups sorted; these are all advantages. That being said, I do have 24 hour telephone banking on my sterling account and find that very useful for sorting stuff in the wee small hours, or even just having a chat.Nimt, one thing is that most of the online banks seem to be owned by the big French High Street banks which should give a measure of security. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Try Fortuneo.fr, they seem to be pretty well set up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parsnips Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 [quote user="woolybanana"]Try Fortuneo.fr, they seem to be pretty well set up.[/quote]Seconded - they are recognised by the financial press as the least expensive french bank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinabee Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Quote user=Graham & Brenda "Are there any online banks where you don't have to put in a minimum amount every month to get a free card with the current account?"Yes, Fortuneo and Boursorama don't require a minimum deposit each month, but they do require other conditions, e.g. minimum 5,000 in a savings account or Assurance Vie.There may be others - have a look at this comparison website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham & Brenda Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Thanks, that's useful. Just had a quick look at Boursorama & I couldn't see any other conditions - although its getting a bit late for reading the small print! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 [quote user="parsnips"][quote user="woolybanana"]Try Fortuneo.fr, they seem to be pretty well set up.[/quote]Seconded - they are recognised by the financial press as the least expensive french bank.[/quote]Ah, Parsnips, there you are![:)]I was hoping you'd come on and say something.Could you now please tell me about a savings vehicle that does not necessarily have a life assurance element and maybe not have a minimum period in which you need to keep it?Best regards to you and to Mrs Parsnips.TB, many thanks, will study your link with some care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NormanH Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 I can offer a guaranteed return of at least 15% on any loan over £25,000 brought to me in used notes in old plastic bags and handed over after midnight on a deserted platform somewhere in the Aude...[6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patf Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Maybe a naive question, but what do you do for cash if you only have online? My 'puter doesn't have a cash slot [:(]Or do you keep enough in you regular bank for cash withdrawals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 [quote user="Patf"]Maybe a naive question, but what do you do for cash if you only have online? My 'puter doesn't have a cash slot [:(]Or do you keep enough in you regular bank for cash withdrawals?[/quote]Pat, some of the on-line banks give you a CB card and of course some give you a "free" credit card too.Haven't had time to study all the info as I am pretty glued to the TV for Wimbledon. Plus I am waiting to see if Parsnips comes back and whether anyone else has other recommendations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Meanwhile, nint, have you requested an information pack from fortuneo and the others? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 [quote user="woolybanana"]Meanwhile, nint, have you requested an information pack from fortuneo and the others?[/quote]Wools, you can read all the info on-line and sign up in 5 minutes. At least that's what the headline info says. You might have to scan in the usual personal info or perhaps send it, don't know yet.Gotta go as I am watching the TV, writing on here and attempting French homework. Muti-tasking, hah, nothing to it![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 [quote user="woolybanana"]Meanwhile, nint, have you requested an information pack from fortuneo and the others?[/quote]Wools, you can read all the info on-line and sign up in 5 minutes. At least that's what the headline info says. You might have to scan in the usual personal info or perhaps send it, don't know yet.Gotta go as I am watching the TV, writing on here and attempting French homework. Muti-tasking, hah, nothing to it![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybanana Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Apparently multi-tasking means duplicate messaging too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 30, 2014 Author Share Posted June 30, 2014 [quote user="woolybanana"]Apparently multi-tasking means duplicate messaging too![/quote]Touché! Ha, ha, ha!But, wasn't the software meant to stop you doing that?[8-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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