-
Lack of mobile phone makes banking in France too difficult
Reader queries why banks send SMS codes instead of using other alternatives
-
New interest rates for millions of French savings accounts
Livret A interest rates rise but low-income equivalent remains frozen
-
French bank account fees increased 2.7% between 2025 and 2026
Account costs have outstripped inflation for last two years, but not across last decade
Bank opts for words, not passwords
The Banque Postale has become the first bank in France to offer voice security technology to secure transactions.
Customers can opt for the service for €10 a year. They record their voice using a bank app, provide a mobile number and then, when paying online, answer a phone call to get a code to complete the purchase.
It is used in conjuction with a dynamic cryptogram function and is aimed at cutting fraud.
Tested over five years with 600 people in the street, office and speaking quietly, the bank said voices were as unique as fingerprints. The Caisse d’Epargne and Crédit du Nord are testing similar systems.
