The French market rewards a closer look
An online business bank account in France usually means one of three things: a licensed bank, a payment institution, or an electronic money institution. The label affects how your money is protected, whether the provider can lend, and what happens if the company fails. A licensed bank can hold deposits and is covered by the French deposit guarantee scheme, the FGDR, up to €100,000 per depositor per institution. A payment institution such as Qonto can hold and move client money, but it must safeguard those funds rather than offer the same deposit insurance. That difference matters more when your balance regularly sits above €100,000.
The second local detail is the IBAN. A French IBAN business account makes life easier with URSSAF, the tax office, and suppliers who still create friction over a foreign IBAN, even though SEPA rules are meant to prevent that. If you run a SASU or SARL, you may also need to deposit share capital before registration. Some online providers handle that step digitally, while others do not.
For a micro-entrepreneur, the rule is narrower than many assume. A dedicated business account is not required if turnover stays at or below €10,000 for two consecutive calendar years. Above that, you need a dedicated account, though not necessarily a full professional package. That is why a low-cost online account often makes sense at the start, with a branch account kept for cash and cheques.
Cheques still matter in France. So do cash deposits, especially for cafés, shops, and tradespeople. Many digital accounts do not accept either, or charge for them. If your customers pay by cheque, check this before you sign.
What the main options cost
Published prices below exclude VAT unless stated. They are a starting point, not a quote. Entry plans often look cheap because they cap transfers, cards, or cash handling; the real cost appears when you grow.
| Provider | Licence and French IBAN | Published monthly price (excl. VAT) | Best fit | Watch-outs |
|---|
| Qonto | Payment institution; French IBAN | From €9; higher plans around €23–€35 | Self-employed people, SASU, small teams | Entry plan includes 30 transfers/month; extra transfers and FX cost more |
| Shine | Payment services agent of Société Générale; French IBAN | From €7.90; Premium €14.90 | Micro-entrepreneurs and small companies | Basic plan limits virtual cards; support slows around URSSAF deadlines |
| Revolut Business | Credit institution (Revolut Bank); French IBAN | From €10; Grow from €35 | Businesses with international clients and cards | Plan allowances vary; support is in-app |
| Memo Bank | French credit institution; French IBAN | Quote-based | SMEs with roughly €2m–€50m revenue | Selective onboarding; not aimed at solo founders |
| Traditional group (BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, Banque Populaire) | Credit institution; French IBAN | Roughly €6–€40 depending on group and package | Businesses needing branch service, cash, cheques, credit | Paperwork, advisory fees, slower opening |
Some traditional-bank prices are partly subject to VAT, so ask for the full fee schedule rather than the headline package.
Qonto is the usual first stop for a French sole trader or SASU because the account opens online, the IBAN is French, and accounting tools connect without a fight. The trade-off is that the entry plan is built for a modest number of transfers. A consultant sending 40 invoices a month will hit the ceiling and should price the next tier before choosing.
Shine appeals to micro-entrepreneurs who want URSSAF declarations and invoicing in the same app. It is not a bank, but it is backed by Société Générale and holds client funds in a segregated account there. The practical catch is the lighter feature set on the entry plan and slower support during busy declaration periods.
Revolut Business is stronger for a company paid in dollars, pounds, and euros. The French IBAN helps locally, while multi-currency accounts help abroad. It is a credit institution through Revolut Bank, so the FGDR €100,000 limit applies per depositor per institution. Read the plan allowances carefully; the headline price is not the whole cost.
Memo Bank is a real French bank with an ACPR licence, built for established SMEs. It offers financing and a relationship manager, and its pricing is quoted rather than published. A solo consultant with €80,000 in revenue is usually not the target client.
Traditional banks still win on cash, cheques, and credit. A branch can take a deposit, cash a cheque, and arrange an overdraft. You pay for that with monthly package fees, paperwork, and a slower onboarding process. Many French businesses keep a branch account for deposits and an online account for day-to-day payments.
Opening an account without losing weeks
Documents that move the file. For a registered company, expect to provide ID, proof of address, the company registration extract (Kbis), the articles of association, and beneficial ownership information. A micro-entrepreneur usually supplies ID, proof of address, and SIREN/SIRET registration proof. If the director lives outside France, some providers accept EU/EEA residents, but reviews take longer and Memo Bank is selective.
Keep names and addresses consistent across every document. A mismatch between the tax notice and the company file is one of the most common reasons an application stalls. If you have just registered, download the latest proof from the guichet unique rather than sending an old screenshot.
Protection, limits, and the real cost. Ask three questions before comparing monthly prices. Is the provider a bank or a payment institution, and how are client funds protected? What is included in the plan: transfers, cards, users, cash, cheques, and international payments? What happens when you exceed those limits?
For a company holding large balances, split cash across more than one credit institution so the €100,000 FGDR limit is not concentrated. For a small consultancy, the licence question is less urgent than transfer allowances and accounting integration. Both matter, but at different stages.
A realistic timeline. Online providers often complete reviews in three to seven business days. Memo Bank typically takes one to two weeks and may ask for more detail. A traditional branch can take several weeks, especially if the director is non-resident or the business is newly registered. Do not wait until the first invoice is due; start the application as soon as the company registration is through.
What works in practice
Sarah runs a one-person consultancy in Lyon. She started with Shine because the monthly cost was low and the app handled URSSAF declarations. After her client base grew to 35 invoices a month, the entry plan felt tight, so she moved to Qonto's mid-tier plan for more transfers and accountant access. The lesson is not that one provider is better; it is that the plan you need at month one is rarely the plan you need at month twelve.
Karim sells outdoor equipment from Bordeaux to customers in the UK and Switzerland. He keeps a Qonto account for euros, supplier payments, and French accounting, and uses Revolut Business for currency receipts. Two accounts add admin, but they remove the FX markup from his main operating account. He reviews the arrangement once a year rather than switching whenever a new app appears.
Léa is an architect in Paris whose clients sometimes pay by cheque. She keeps a traditional branch account for cheque deposits and uses an online account for cards, transfers, and team expenses. The branch costs more each month, but the alternative was asking clients to change how they pay. In France, that is still a real constraint.
A checklist before you sign
- Check the provider's licence on the ACPR's REGAFI register. The label should match what the sales page implies.
- Confirm the IBAN is French and that SEPA direct debits work for URSSAF and your landlord.
- Model your monthly transfers, cards, and international payments. Compare the next tier, not only the entry price.
- Ask about cash and cheque handling if those matter to your business.
- Confirm accounting integration with your tool, whether Pennylane, Indy, Sage, or Tiime.
- Read closure fees and migration terms. Moving banks is easier when you know the exit cost.
- Keep the welcome email, fee schedule, and licence details in your company file.
Official starting points are the ACPR register, the FGDR website, and the business pages on economie.gouv.fr. Your accountant can also tell you whether the account fits your VAT and bookkeeping routine.
Before you compare another monthly price, write down your real monthly numbers: incoming invoices, outgoing transfers, cards, currencies, and cash. That single page will rule out half the options faster than any ranking. Then open two applications, not five, and keep the one that answers a practical question within a day.
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