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Useful words to do with banking, in French and English...
See below for a list of the most common terms that you will need for day to day banking and financial operations in France.
Listed alphabetically:
| English | French |
|---|---|
| ATM / Cash Point | Distributeur Automatique de Billet (commonly called "un distributeur") |
| Bank account | Compte bancaire |
| Bank balance | Solde bancaire |
| Bank statement | Relevé de compte |
| Bank transfer | Virement bancaire |
| Savings accounts | Compte de épargne |
French | English |
| Actionnaire | An actionnaire possesses an action (share) in a company |
| Agios | The amount of interest and commission paid on an overdraft (découvert) or loan (prêt) in alignment with a pre-established rate |
| Apport initial | The sum of money given as a deposit when taking out a loan with the bank or credit company |
| Avis d'opération | Form/slip informing a client of the operation carried out on his account, for example depositing or withdrawing cash |
| BIC | As in English, the BIC (Bank Identifier Code) is a unique code which identifies individual banking and financial institutions |
| Chèque Chèque Sans Provisions Chèquier | A cheque A 'bounced' cheque Cheque book |
| Code Valeurs | Identification code for shares and stock market actions |
| Code personnel | Online banking: the secret code for access to account information |
| Compte Titres | Account grouping stocks and shares and where the account holder can buy and sell |
| Compte destinataire | Transferring funds: the receiving account (the one to which money is being sent) |
| Compte inactif | An account that has shown no movement for a period of 12 months |
| Compte-joint | Account in the name of several people allowing each to draw cheques and carry out other bank actions |
| Cours | The value of a share at a precise moment |
| Courtier (en bourse) | Broker (stock broker) |
| Crédit | Loan |
| Crédit revolving | Loan that remains constantly topped up to a certain limit even after debits |
| DAB | Distributeur Automatique de Billets, the equivalent of an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) |
| Date de valeur | Date at which the bank considers the debit or credit is valid |
| Date opération | The real date that a debit or credit is made. (The Date de Valeur is determined from this date) |
| Différé du prêt | This corresponds to the period during which loan repayments are temporarily suspended. At this time, only the interest and the insurance is reimbursed |
| Droits à prêt | The amount that can be borrowed depending on the sum saved with a special account for example a PEL (see below) |
| Débit différé | Delayed debit, for example with a credit card where debits are grouped together and taken out of an account at the end of the month |
| Débit immédiat | Immediate debit: debits that are immediately deducted from your account on payment by credit card |
| Découvert | Overdraft: this will be for an agreed period, check this as it can be as little as 15 days |
| Dépôt à terme/ compte à terme | Blocked account where the account holder sets the term at which they receive interest and can take out money |
| Droits de garde | Costs charged by a broker to look after shares |
| Echéancier Espèces | This is the detail of, for example, the repayments of a loan with the interest calculated in function to the loan amount. Can also be the details your monthly utility payments/tax payments etc. over the full year Cash |
| Facilité de caisse | Exceptional/occasional very short term overdraft facility |
| IBAN | As in English, the IBAN (International Bank Account Number) is a string of letters and numbers that identifies a specific bank account. It may be used when making international money transfers |
| Intérêts | Interest on accounts or loans |
| Mandataire | Person to whom an account holder gives the power to operate an account in their name |
| Mensualité | Monthly payment or repayment |
| PEL | Plan Epargne Logement is a savings account which has tax benefits and allows money to be borrowed to buy property after the fixed four year term, or is continued for up to another ten years. |
| Prime d'Etat | This is a sum paid annually by the State into a account bank to reward the sums paid into a PEL. This is paid if certain conditions are respected, for example the length and regularity of payments into the account |
| Prélèvement automatique | Automatic direct debit authorised and signed for by account holder |
| Procuration | Proxy or power of attorney to carry out bank operations on behalf of someone |
| RIB | Relevé d'Identité Bancaire. Form given by the bank and also at the back of a chequebook, which establishes the bank and account identity, giving all the details. |
| Renouvellement automatique | Automatic renewal of your chequebook |
| Taux | Rate of interest |
| TIP | Titre Interbancaire de Paiement is the authorised permission to debit an account of the sum asked for by provider |
| Titulaire | Account holder |
| Versement | Paying a sum of money into an account |
| Virement | Transfer of a sum of money to another account |
Related Information
- French website Les Cles de la Banque has comprehensive information on everything to do with banking in France