The rules that decide who can open what
Most new ventures here don't need a business account immediately. Micro-entrepreneurs must hold a dedicated account once turnover exceeds €10,000 for two consecutive years. Anyone running a commercial activity as an individual business is required to bank with a credit institution. Registering a SAS or SARL adds another layer: cash capital has to sit in a blocked account until a bank or notary issues the certificat de dépôt de capital.
Then behaviour comes in. French clients ask for a RIB rather than a pasted IBAN, and many artisan or older customers still settle bills by chèque. Rental deposits, supplier prepayments and landlord guarantees often run on paper. A provider that can't take cheque deposits quietly costs you half a day per month.
Accounting is the third constraint. Your expert-comptable will ask for a FEC export, monthly statements and clean VAT categories. Since September 2026 every VAT-registered business must be able to receive e-invoices, and issuing becomes compulsory for smaller firms from 2027. A bank that also handles invoicing saves you a separate subscription.
Supervision matters as well. Qonto and Shine are authorised by the ACPR; Shine is a payment institution that holds client funds at Société Générale instead of keeping deposits on its own books. Deposit protection at €100,000 per depositor covers bank deposits, so it is worth knowing where your money actually sits.
Price, features and the trade-offs
| Provider | Entry price (monthly, excl. VAT) | French IBAN | Cheque handling | Best fit | Watch out for |
|---|
| Qonto | €9–€11 Basic; Smart €19–€23; Premium €39–€45 | Yes | Deposits accepted, chequebook not standard | Small firms with several cards, sub-accounts and team spending | Lower prices require an annual commitment; higher tiers climb quickly |
| Shine | €0 entry tier; paid tiers €9–€80 | Yes | Limited | Indépendants and very small firms wanting quotes and invoices in the app | €0 tier includes five SEPA transfers, then around €0.40 each |
| Indy | €0 for independents | Yes | Not supported | Auto-entrepreneurs with simple bookkeeping | Fewer multi-user tools for growing teams |
| Revolut Business | From roughly €10 | Yes | Deposits vary by account type | Freelancers paid in several currencies | French cash handling is thin; support quality varies by plan |
| Traditional banks (Crédit Agricole, Banque Populaire, BNP Paribas, Société Générale) | About €6–€40 plus per-item fees | Yes | Chequebook included | Cheque-heavy trades and larger companies | Slower onboarding, higher per-transaction charges |
Cheque facilities change often. Confirm current terms in writing before you sign, especially if your clients pay on paper.
Three problems people actually run into
The cheque problem
Marc, a menuisier near Bordeaux, lost two weeks chasing payments because his account accepted transfers but nothing else. His clients, mostly homeowners over sixty, hand over cheques at the end of a job. He now keeps an inexpensive account at a regional bank for the chequebook and runs daily operations through an online account with a French IBAN. Two accounts, one monthly fee under €15, and no more awkward phone calls.
The accountant problem
Sarah, a marketing consultant in Lyon, switched providers after her accountant asked for a FEC file and got a PDF screenshot instead. Her new account exports to the tools her accountant already uses — Tiime in her case, though Pennylane and Sage work too. Ask that question before signing: can you export a FEC file, and which accounting tools do you connect to?
The pre-registration problem
You can't always open an account after the company exists, because the company can't exist until capital is deposited. Some providers solve this by pairing company formation with a capital deposit service — Revolut Business works with LegalPlace for SAS, SASU, SARL and EURL setups, and the deposit itself clears in one to two days. A notary can do the same job. Micro-entrepreneurs skip this step entirely.
Opening an account without losing weeks
- Confirm your obligation. Check the €10,000 turnover threshold if you're a micro-entrepreneur, and the commercial-activity rule if you trade as an individual.
- Assemble the file: ID, proof of address under three months, statuts or KBIS, an avis de situation SIRENE, and proof of business address.
- Count your real volume. Transfers per month, cash deposits, cheque deposits, number of cards, whether collaborators need their own access. A €0 tier that charges per transfer can cost more than a €19 plan at 40 payments.
- Ask about leaving. Commitment length, closure fees, notice period, and what happens to your history if you move accountants.
- Test support in French. Response times on the chat, whether the phone line is staffed, and the ACPR registration number on their site.
Local help is closer than you'd think: your regional CCI runs free startup sessions, Bpifrance publishes sector guidance, and entreprendre.service-public.fr lists the current rules on dedicated accounts. An expert-comptable will usually review a banking offer for a small fee, which is cheaper than switching twice.
One practical test before you commit: request a RIB from the provider during onboarding. If the document looks wrong to a French supplier — wrong format, missing BIC, a foreign address at the top — that friction will follow every invoice you send. If you're within a couple of weeks of registering, start with the €0 tier, run one month of real payments through it, and let the transaction fees tell you which plan you actually need.
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