New clarity on banking charges

BANKS in France are now obliged to make their online charges and rates more transparent, so that customers may more easily compare costs.

Consumer watchdog UFC-Que Choisir has published a list of all the charges and regulations that have to be clearly listed after new banking rules published last July came into force.

They include:

Fees for bank cards

The cost of any subscriptions to any services

Charges for remote banking via phone or internet

Any costs associated with setting up direct debits or standing orders in the Single European Payment Area (SEPA)

Administration fees charged for a letter warning of entry into an unauthorised overdraft

The full list is available on the UFC-Que Choisir website

According to a satisfaction survey from 2009, bank customers have long been frustrated by banks’ lack of transparency on their charges, which makes comparing accounts between institutions difficult.

This is, UFC-Que Choisir said, despite pledges from the banks to make their charges easier to understand.