To open a bank account at home, online banks ask new customers to present the bank details of a bank account they hold, in another establishment. The goal: to ensure the identity of the client.
Valid identity document, proof of address less than three months old, last tax notice… the documents required by online banks when opening a bank account vary from institution to institution. the other. One of them is nevertheless often essential: the bank account statement (RIB) of another account opened in a third-party establishment. This need can be problematic, especially for primo-bancariss do not yet have an account in a traditional bank.
Why do I have to provide a RIB to open an account?
Opening an account in an online bank is deemed quick and easy. Generally, all you need is a smartphone, tablet or pc, and you need to fill out an online form. In a few clicks, after having filled in all of their personal information (surname, first name, address, date of birth, etc.), provided a sample signature and all the supporting documents requested, the account is opened.
However, to have full access to their account and associated services, the future customer must generally make a first deposit from another account in his name, held within a third-party establishment. The amount of this down payment varies between 10 and 300 euros, depending on the establishment and/or the formula chosen. The goal? Ensure the identity of the customer. Indeed, in the context of the fight against fraud, money laundering and the financing of terrorism, French banks have a legal obligation to verify a certain amount of information relating to their customers.
read also: Open an account without initial deposit: which online banks allow it?
Hello bank, Fortuneo accessible without RIB
So what to do when you open your very first bank account? Good news, if you are a student and it is a first current account, a bank is accommodating. This is Hello bank. The BNP Paribas group’s online bank accepts that the first payment is made with the bank details of one of the parents, from an account domiciled in the European Union (EU). It simply requires proof to prove the parentage (family book, birth certificate).
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On the other hand everywhere else, no miracle. An IBAN for your first and last name is often necessary. Depending on the institution, the other account must also be held in a banking institution located in a country of the European Economic Area, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or the Overseas Departments.
Thus currently, only two online banks allow their customers not to provide bank details. Fortuneo does not require a first payment for its Fosfo offer. However, this possibility is restricted to subscription via the mobile application. The subsidiary of Crdit Mutuel Arka simply asks to take a video selfie and provide proof of identity (national identity card, passport, residence permit). The second bank that does not require RIB is Revolut. The mobile bank only asks for a photo of a valid identity document.
Fintechs are less careful about opening an account. You can therefore eventually turn to Helios or even Nickel, to have an account without already having another current account. Finally, if you are in a bind, know that holding a deposit account is a right in France. In concrete terms, if a bank refuses to open it, it is possible to initiate an account right procedure to benefit from a current account with basic banking services.
Find out more: Right to an account: presentation and conditions