Bank payments: progress?

[allanb]

On the subject of making payments, and the inconvenience and occasional problems caused by cheques, I have occasionally commented that I wish French banks would adopt the system of "virements" or direct transfers, but that they probably won't until it's generally accepted that there's no harm in publishing bank account details on invoices and correspondence.

Until now I've never seen an example of anyone actually doing this, but today I have: on an invoice from the Bordeaux tourist office, there is their bank name and IBAN clearly displayed, under the heading "RIB".

Could this be the beginning?  Is France about to take a giant step into the twenty-first century?  

Will Britain follow?

[JMB]

Virements are not new in France. I pay almost all our invoices by virement and all payments of salaries. This is all done on the web and if I want my bank generates a e-mail informing the recipient of the details. In fact we have to make our tva payments by this method, it's a requirement there is no other method available.

[BJSLIV]

I have always thought it was the other way around. France seems far keener on using virements and there is much less paranoia about keeping bank details secret.

If you buy a new product,  or a promotion, with part of the cost to be reimbursed, you are told to send a RIB either from your cheque book or printed off the Net. No question of sending you a cheque through the post.

Mind you it usually takes months to arrive, but I don't think that is the fault of the banking system!

[Chancer]

AllanB

Are you sure that it isnt your IBAN number printed in order for you to sign underneath for them to get their money?

If so it is similar to utility bills and you have the wrong end of the stick so to speak [:)]

Me, I spent my (albeit short) working life at the wrong end of a sh1tty stick!

[allanb]

[quote user="J.R."]Are you sure that it isnt your IBAN number printed in order for you to sign underneath for them to get their money?  [/quote]Quite sure.

You may be thinking of an ordre de prélèvement, by which you allow your supplier to take whatever amount he wants out of your account, whenever he feels like it.  This is what I dislike; it's efficient in theory, but it puts you at the mercy of a dishonest or incompetent supplier - both of which I have experienced. 

What I was talking about is a virement, in which the person making the payment is in control, i.e. the customer decides when and how much to pay, and he has a better way of doing it (in my opinion) than mailing a cheque.

I know that virements exist in France; they are commonly used by companies and government departments.  But in practice I think they are hardly ever used by ordinary individuals to pay their suppliers' invoices.  They can't be, unless suppliers put their own bank details on their invoices - which very few do.  The Bordeaux Tourist Office invoice which I mentioned originally is the first I have seen.

[lmc]

Certainly banks are always keen for people to use virements as much as possible. 

They are much quicker and cheaper for them to process than cheques.

[cassis]

We've been taking payment of deposit by bank transfer from French customers for three years, if they want to pay that way.  Nice to know we're at the cutting edge.  Shame most still prefer to send a cheque.   [:D]

As an aside, since February 2008 bank transfers can be made for next to no charge between European countries - not just within France.