Some banks continue to charge for day-to-day services which should be free, because they are largely automated or linked to commitments made to the public authorities. Focus on some pricing anomalies.
Twice a year, the CCSF Banking Tariff Observatory (1) publishes its study on the prices charged by 109 banks for the most common services. A job that makes it possible to monitor the tariff lines that are increasing, but also to gauge the evolution of banking practices.
The banking relationship has, in fact, changed a great deal over the last decade, under the effect of digital technology. Certain operations which, in the past, required going to a branch or calling an adviser are now carried out independently by the customers and therefore cost the establishments almost nothing. Others are closely linked to commitments made to public authorities. But sometimes they still charge a fee. Here are 3 examples of these tariff anomalies.
Remote banking
The website and the mobile application have long since become the favorite channels of most customers for their day-to-day operations: consulting their account balances, making transfers, managing the payment parameters of their bank card… An evolution largely supported by the banks, which have all worked to improve the quality of their digital storefronts. It must be said that they have everything to gain: the more the client is independent, the less likely he is to disturb his adviser for low value-added transactions.
However, some banks continue to charge for their distance banking services. They are fortunately rare: only six (out of 109), all regional banks. There is a Crdit Agricole (Centre Loire), two Crdits Mutuels (Antilles-Guyana and Maine-Anjou, Lower Normandy) and 3 Banque Populaire brands (BRED, BRED Guadeloupe and Banque de Savoie). The annual price is included between 12 euros and 51.12 euros.
Online transfers and direct debits
Always to lighten the flow of customers in their agencies or on the telephone, the banks have a strategy: to charge, very expensive, the current operations carried out with the assistance of their advisers. A transfer initiated at the counter now costs 4.50 euros each on average, a price that has increased by 25% in less than 10 years. In return, insider transfers on the internet are free. Well, almost everywhere. One institution is still resisting: the Banque de Savoie (Banque Populaire), the same bank that makes remote banking very expensive, charges 0.30 euros for an internet transfer.
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Setting up a direct debit mandate is another automated operation which is not yet free everywhere. 7 establishments still charge for it, between 4.36 euros and 12 euros apiece, except for the payment of water, electricity, gas or telephone bills.
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SMS balance alerts
Among the commitments made by banks in 2018 in favor of controlling banking incident costs was the provision of a current account status alert service. A useful tool to allow customers to react quickly in the event of an unauthorized overdraft, in order to avoid the avalanche of incident costs. Especially when the alert is sent by SMS, directly to the customer’s mobile.
As of January 6, 2022, all the banks in the panel selected by the Banking Fees Observatory are effectively offering these balance alerts by SMS. On the other hand, they are still too rarely free, in only 18 establishments, including 7 online banks. The others invoice the sending, however largely automated, either in the form of a fixed price (18.39 euros per year on average), or the unit (0.29 euro piece on average).
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