Very thorough video on banking. I’d add La Banque Postale to your list, they will not refuse to open an account on the basis of FATCA reporting requirements and they are ubiquitous throughout France; fees are very low and I’m happy with the service. There are also some issues with some services to be aware of, such as limits on savings accounts. By the way we pay some utilities directly from our bank in Ireland, but there are cases where a service provider or landlord might insist on a French bank.
Glad to hear you mention Wise. I’ve been using it for travel to Europe and Japan for a couple years now. super convenient, great rates, and the euro IBAN number.
Another advice is to make sure people understand that Wise is a payment company authorized by Belgium central Bank while Revolut is a Bank, though under Lituania regulation and accredited by France's financial organization.
@@budapestkeletistationvoices You missed the point. One is a bank, the other isn't. You don't have the same guarantees. Banks accredited by ECB are accountable on local rules (i.e the EU country you are in), outside EU, it will need further researches. As far as I know, Belgian credit/debit cards work more or less like American ones. In the sense that the card company manages your money movements from and to your card. You can attach any account to that card. In France, not sure if France is the only country doing this, but card companies manage card issues and customer services, but your bank or credit company order the card for you, with limitation according to their operation rules. All credit or debit limits and problems are regulated by the bank, but card issues and services are kept and paid to the card companies. To end that note, it's important to know and keep in mind that funds in banks and payment companies are not regulated nor protected the same way. Bank are obligated to reimburse you in full in case of fraud, disappearance or loss of fund unrelated to you or risky investments. Payment companies are accountable for what insurance you contracted, not what you entrust them.
@@TheEstampe Like I said, Revolut is a bank while Wise isn't. So Revolut will be covered by bank regulations anywhere in the EU as it is accredited by the ECB. With the higher standard between either national and EU regulation.
@@Belaziraf My comment was about Revolut which will soon offer local IBAN numbers in Belgium. I found an article on Le Monde saying Revolut now offers French IBAN numbers starting with FR. Can anyone confirm?
Great and informative video as always. We are moving to France on October 9th, and have started off with Wise. As for the bank account in France, we got our apartment insurance through AXA and they also have a French bank. So we set up an appointment for a few days after we arrive to open the bank account, and they already have all the passport info and the marriage certificate on file. You guys are great and just thought you might like to know another path.
Some companies in France still require a French IBAN, not just an EU IBAN. With Revolut you can get a French IBAN, Wise offers a Belgian one as I recall, which can be a problem in some cases.
Another consideration, for something like a house purchase, you will usually be better off using a currency broker. Rate is generally better and overall you get a better result than with Wise or Revolut. For smaller transactions, Wise or Revolut work great.
Other than opening or closing an account, applying for a loan or other unique transactions, how often do you need to physically visit a bank branch? ETA: Also, I think it would have been helpful to include the most common requirements for opening an account. Citizenship is not required, so you will need your passport. An appropriate visa (not 90 day tourist or student) is USUALLY required, so you will probably need a titre de sejour (sticker OR carte) which implies that you already have a "permanent" address (which can be changed later if you move). Other commonly required documentation is monthly bills, such as electric (EDF) service and/or your apartment/home lease, proof of income, and your most recent tax filings. You need to have all of this in your dossier anyway.
A somewhat related information that might be of interest: When you declare your income for the "Impôts sur le revenu", you are expected to declare if you own a bank account outside of France with the additional 39-16 form that you have to demand… (I'm writing this half from memory and from a post-it note… this was accurate information when I wrote my note a few years ago, I don't know about the details now but i'm 100% confident that it's still needed to declare your foreign accounts)
Yes it’s still necessary to declare all financial accounts and trusts and there are substantial fines for failing to do so ; changes get reported from year to year. My tax accountant also advises reporting Wise’s « cash back » as interest earned (not treated as interest income in the US however)
I own a secondary residence in Lille and only spend 180 days in France, 90 days at a time. So far, I have avoided getting a French bank account and have only used Wise. I used Xe to send the majority of my home payment, and Wise for the smaller payments. For a payment of over €100,000, I’d recommend Xe because you work with a live person in the process and they have several layers of security. But I use Wise for all utility and insurance payments. If I do decide to become a long-term resident of France, I’ll get a French bank account, but as long as I’m going back to the U.S., I don’t really need one.
Such a good video and very informative. Thank you. My only question is how hard is it to change banks. Say you start with Wise and then later when you settle in a more long-term place you open a regular bank account. Do utilities and healthcare insurance + the supplemental, and mobile phone services have websites that allow you to easily change the bank info?
I just tried signing up at Basic Fit and had this exact problem! Even though I was paying with a CC, the system was set up for that IBAN and there was no work around. I could pay for a limited package but not a full on membership. Lesson learned!
Bonjour. Thank you for the video. I was able to set up a non-card Wise account while still in the US. I hope to be able to change it to a debit card account with a France address once we arrive next month. Has anyone else done this? BNP wants $20,000, so WISE is a better option for now. I heard that Crédit Agricole was reasonable and accessible. How does Societe Generale compare? Your thoughts? We plan on renting in the Perpignan area. Merci. Dean & Cindy
Automatic Payments are very strictly regulated. The company can not just take whatever it wants. Also blocking an automatic payment does not mean you do not have to pay. And there are a LOT of advantaged of the IBAN banking system. You can easily transfer AND receive money from friends. e.g. when you share the bill. Almost each and every person in Europe will have such a number as well as any company. So paying for work at your hours is easily done. I can easily transfer money to e.g. my sister who lives in a different country. And there are no costs involved. If you need to transfer larger amounts, you might need to ask you back to unlock the amount. This amount can change per bank. With mine it is 10 000 EUR. Not something I do every week, so not an issue.
A little off topic, but I recently learned that when I move to France the company that manages my IRA (individual retirement account) can no longer do so because I won't have a U.S. address, or residence. Has this affected you and do you have any advice?
@@elizabetheyma-davies8584 British Banks using IBAN, so you can make an international transfer easily. It's just costly. Plus high street banks charge you for using your card abroad. This is why I use Revolut abroad. I pay some bills in Hungary and regularly send money to a Slovak bank account. They are free with revolut. In addition you get a UK account number, sort code and IBAN.
Now that Wise does not provide debit cards to anyone who's in the U.S., how do you make the transition...like when you land in France and have no debit card, what do you do? Also, when in the 2nd part of the video you refer to "French bank", it sounds like you are referring to something different than Wise/Revolut. It sounds like you are talking bric/mortar, even though you don't say that. Could you confirm or clarify this? I may be reading between lines wrong. Thanks very much :). So appreciated!
Another super helpful video! Thank you both so much. I really find Wise very easy to use and it’s been great using it to pay Benoit for lessons! His money arrive instantly. I like using their debit card for travel as well.
You have the right by law to oppose a prélèvement up to 1 year after it occurred. So prélèvement automatique does not mean it’s open bar to charge whatever they want !
LMAOOOOOO.... as if 'oppose-ING' something will actually ever work. France is the last circle of hell. If you give them a dime you will NEVER get it back, and you know it.
Thanks for another great video Can you talk about what you did about your retirement and/or investment accounts in the US once you decided to stay in France? I hear horror stories of US financial companies freezing and/or closing expat accounts when they find out that they left US.
I'm a US citizen, living in France, and I have no issue with my retirement, bank and other financial companies. I kept a US address via virtualpostmail - as some of these companies require a US postal address - but they all know I live in France and never had an issue.
Some US banks will close your account if you do not have a genuine residential address in the US; I had this experience with Wells Fargo. No problem maintaining investment accounts for retirement, but international financial regulations prohibit giving financial planning advice to anyone outside their jurisdiction. There is more to say on this but ask your consultant at the investment firms. I found it extremely difficult to start drawing income from retirement savings and ultimately had to travel to the US to get it done.
I plan on moving to France in June 2025. My financial adviser told me this week that they can not manage my IRA account because I won't have a valid U.S. address. This is a legal issue. I've started research to see what my options are. @Sonorus52
Great video, as usual. As you probably know, many French people bank at La Poste. My husband’s 🇫🇷 sister who was a government employee always has. My husband keeps an account there just st to have a footprint in France. I’m curious to know if you considered La Poste. To your point about regional outposts, his account is in a village on the Provençal coast. We decided to travel from the DC metro area to Paris for a few days before heading south last May & weren’t allowed to withdraw € because th Paris branch couldn’t access his account information. Unbelievable.
Good question. Because we only go to France 2 or 3 times each year, my husband never got around to getting a card. It wasn’t sent automatically when the account was opened. I’ll make him go to the branch when we return in November.
Coucou a vous deux encore une belle videos j'ai de la chance j'ai une appli pour traduire donc j'arrive a peu près a suivre mais c'est compliqué vive la France vive les usa profiter de notre bonne gastronomie la meilleure au monde a la prochaine vidéo 😊
Great info as usual! One question, a bit off topic: regarding your long term stay visitor visa application, did you have a full 12-months rental agreement in hand at the time of your application or a did you have a shorter term arrangement? So much conflicting info out there on this question, I thought you may be able to shed light with your experience. Thank you!
They aren't answering, they want you to pay them for that service, that's their business they set up in FR. I too have found many conflicting reports in doing my own research. It seems BB did not have a year lease set up before they moved, if you watch all their videos in order. Which some experts (who are French immigration businesses and claim 10-20 years of providing these services) say that a short-term rental proof is not technically compliant, but that since each consulate makes independent decisions, people might slip through in one and not in another. I also have seen conflicting info on what type of healthcare plan is required, and the ones BB recommended wouldn't meet those requirements either (because they are Schengen-area travel plans) but they seem to have been allowed if they used on of those too. They got in on their first try. This seems to be the facts of life of France - everything is administratively difficult, and there's no consistency between different consulates and prefectures. So I'm just going to err on the side of being over-prepared, pre-paid, over-insured based on compliance terms I've heard, and documented, as long as I can afford to.
WEIRD? WHEN i NEEDED TO MOVE ? i JSUT HAS TO SEND A LETTER TO MY BANK TELLING THEM THAT i WAS MOVING TO A NEW ADRESSE AND THAT WAS ALL; i DIDN4T NEED TO CLOSE THE ACCOUNT AND MAKE A NEW ONE; aLSO IF YOU ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH YOU CURRENT BANK ? YOU CAN JUST GO TO ANOTHER AND THEY4LL MAKE THE TRANSFER FOR YOU; yOU DON4T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO;
Unfortunately Americans are subject to strict regulations in Europe, due to USA laws My bank here in 🇨🇭 won't even talk to you unless you are 1. High net worth or 2. Have a residence permit Even in case 2 they really don't want the hassle of dealing with Americans
Sigh. Because we are stubborn. But you knew that, yes? 😁 I was in grade school in the 60s. We were all ready to convert to metric, but no, the adults in the room (and I use that term facetiously) decided we had to stay with US customary units. Nothing has budged since.
If you are living in France for more then some months...why not using a French bank account, most are not expensive and follow the Europe rules why would you live in France and still use an American bank ? Why would you use french medical care but not french bank ? Even if you got a business in the US, you can convert dollars to your euro account when it's beneficial for you.
Lots of reasons. We go back & forth & have accounts in both countries. Others might still have property in the US & need a U.S. bank account for that purpose, while living F/T in France.
Personaly, As a french i have to say that Banks here absolutely sucks, i'm done with them for years and been using Cryptos, i'm gonna create a Revolut account for obvious reasons and because it's a lituanian bank, but as digital banks like revolut works very well and everything is easy to do by yourself, you have no reasons to go to a french bank, the services are bad, they are liars and robbers, the employees have no power over anything and will not help you on anything.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Very thorough video on banking. I’d add La Banque Postale to your list, they will not refuse to open an account on the basis of FATCA reporting requirements and they are ubiquitous throughout France; fees are very low and I’m happy with the service. There are also some issues with some services to be aware of, such as limits on savings accounts. By the way we pay some utilities directly from our bank in Ireland, but there are cases where a service provider or landlord might insist on a French bank.
French subscriber (living in the Loire valley) saying "hi" !
I'm (almost) fluent in english so I'm having fun following you from time to time.
Glad to hear you mention Wise. I’ve been using it for travel to Europe and Japan for a couple years now. super convenient, great rates, and the euro IBAN number.
Another informative and nicely presented video. Many thanks!
Another advice is to make sure people understand that Wise is a payment company authorized by Belgium central Bank while Revolut is a Bank, though under Lituania regulation and accredited by France's financial organization.
It doesn't matter. Lithuania is in the EU and the euro zone, so under the supervision of European Central Bank.
@@budapestkeletistationvoices You missed the point. One is a bank, the other isn't. You don't have the same guarantees. Banks accredited by ECB are accountable on local rules (i.e the EU country you are in), outside EU, it will need further researches.
As far as I know, Belgian credit/debit cards work more or less like American ones.
In the sense that the card company manages your money movements from and to your card. You can attach any account to that card.
In France, not sure if France is the only country doing this, but card companies manage card issues and customer services, but your bank or credit company order the card for you, with limitation according to their operation rules. All credit or debit limits and problems are regulated by the bank, but card issues and services are kept and paid to the card companies.
To end that note, it's important to know and keep in mind that funds in banks and payment companies are not regulated nor protected the same way. Bank are obligated to reimburse you in full in case of fraud, disappearance or loss of fund unrelated to you or risky investments. Payment companies are accountable for what insurance you contracted, not what you entrust them.
I don't know about France but Revolut will offer Belgian IBAN numbers starting in 2025.
@@TheEstampe Like I said, Revolut is a bank while Wise isn't.
So Revolut will be covered by bank regulations anywhere in the EU as it is accredited by the ECB. With the higher standard between either national and EU regulation.
@@Belaziraf My comment was about Revolut which will soon offer local IBAN numbers in Belgium. I found an article on Le Monde saying Revolut now offers French IBAN numbers starting with FR. Can anyone confirm?
Great and informative video as always. We are moving to France on October 9th, and have started off with Wise. As for the bank account in France, we got our apartment insurance through AXA and they also have a French bank. So we set up an appointment for a few days after we arrive to open the bank account, and they already have all the passport info and the marriage certificate on file. You guys are great and just thought you might like to know another path.
Some companies in France still require a French IBAN, not just an EU IBAN. With Revolut you can get a French IBAN, Wise offers a Belgian one as I recall, which can be a problem in some cases.
Another consideration, for something like a house purchase, you will usually be better off using a currency broker. Rate is generally better and overall you get a better result than with Wise or Revolut. For smaller transactions, Wise or Revolut work great.
I am not in France yet, but have been using Wise for a few years now for when I travel there.
@@derbygagnant7458 I am well aware of that, it does not seem to stop some places from doing so.
Fantastic informations. Thank you
Other than opening or closing an account, applying for a loan or other unique transactions, how often do you need to physically visit a bank branch?
ETA: Also, I think it would have been helpful to include the most common requirements for opening an account. Citizenship is not required, so you will need your passport. An appropriate visa (not 90 day tourist or student) is USUALLY required, so you will probably need a titre de sejour (sticker OR carte) which implies that you already have a "permanent" address (which can be changed later if you move). Other commonly required documentation is monthly bills, such as electric (EDF) service and/or your apartment/home lease, proof of income, and your most recent tax filings. You need to have all of this in your dossier anyway.
BB already did a video on what is required to open a bank account in France.
@@1CelloOne All the more reason to either revisit that or reference/link to the episode.
@@tinyhands7651 you can look for it too.
Thanks, as always, for a great topic and info! (Sue)
Thanks for the video, very informational. I was a bit surprised you used WISE for paying the house and not something like International Broker.
I can't wait to live here I'm readyyyy
A somewhat related information that might be of interest: When you declare your income for the "Impôts sur le revenu", you are expected to declare if you own a bank account outside of France with the additional 39-16 form that you have to demand… (I'm writing this half from memory and from a post-it note… this was accurate information when I wrote my note a few years ago, I don't know about the details now but i'm 100% confident that it's still needed to declare your foreign accounts)
Yes it’s still necessary to declare all financial accounts and trusts and there are substantial fines for failing to do so ; changes get reported from year to year. My tax accountant also advises reporting Wise’s « cash back » as interest earned (not treated as interest income in the US however)
Pointless pointless pointless.
I own a secondary residence in Lille and only spend 180 days in France, 90 days at a time. So far, I have avoided getting a French bank account and have only used Wise. I used Xe to send the majority of my home payment, and Wise for the smaller payments. For a payment of over €100,000, I’d recommend Xe because you work with a live person in the process and they have several layers of security. But I use Wise for all utility and insurance payments. If I do decide to become a long-term resident of France, I’ll get a French bank account, but as long as I’m going back to the U.S., I don’t really need one.
Great info! How much you charge for personal consulation? Do banks have something akin to FID insured?
Such a good video and very informative. Thank you. My only question is how hard is it to change banks. Say you start with Wise and then later when you settle in a more long-term place you open a regular bank account. Do utilities and healthcare insurance + the supplemental, and mobile phone services have websites that allow you to easily change the bank info?
I know that BNP Paribas is one that will open accounts before you move.
I didn’t know Wise and Revolut came with an IBAN! Good news.
I just tried signing up at Basic Fit and had this exact problem! Even though I was paying with a CC, the system was set up for that IBAN and there was no work around. I could pay for a limited package but not a full on membership. Lesson learned!
Quick question about the Wise debit card, does it have an expiration date?
How do you pay your Gas bill with Wise?
Bonjour. Thank you for the video. I was able to set up a non-card Wise account while still in the US. I hope to be able to change it to a debit card account with a France address once we arrive next month. Has anyone else done this? BNP wants $20,000, so WISE is a better option for now. I heard that Crédit Agricole was reasonable and accessible. How does Societe Generale compare? Your thoughts? We plan on renting in the Perpignan area. Merci. Dean & Cindy
Automatic Payments are very strictly regulated. The company can not just take whatever it wants. Also blocking an automatic payment does not mean you do not have to pay. And there are a LOT of advantaged of the IBAN banking system. You can easily transfer AND receive money from friends. e.g. when you share the bill. Almost each and every person in Europe will have such a number as well as any company. So paying for work at your hours is easily done. I can easily transfer money to e.g. my sister who lives in a different country. And there are no costs involved.
If you need to transfer larger amounts, you might need to ask you back to unlock the amount. This amount can change per bank. With mine it is 10 000 EUR. Not something I do every week, so not an issue.
A little off topic, but I recently learned that when I move to France the company that manages my IRA (individual retirement account) can no longer do so because I won't have a U.S. address, or residence. Has this affected you and do you have any advice?
I wonder if it is similar for uk citizens moving to France
I live in the UK and I have a revolut account. Revolut is a Lithuanian Bank. They used to have their hq in London but they relocated it before Brexit
@@budapestkeletistationvoices Thanks for that
@@elizabetheyma-davies8584 British Banks using IBAN, so you can make an international transfer easily. It's just costly. Plus high street banks charge you for using your card abroad. This is why I use Revolut abroad.
I pay some bills in Hungary and regularly send money to a Slovak bank account. They are free with revolut.
In addition you get a UK account number, sort code and IBAN.
Now that Wise does not provide debit cards to anyone who's in the U.S., how do you make the transition...like when you land in France and have no debit card, what do you do? Also, when in the 2nd part of the video you refer to "French bank", it sounds like you are referring to something different than Wise/Revolut. It sounds like you are talking bric/mortar, even though you don't say that. Could you confirm or clarify this? I may be reading between lines wrong. Thanks very much :). So appreciated!
Another super helpful video! Thank you both so much. I really find Wise very easy to use and it’s been great using it to pay Benoit for lessons! His money arrive instantly. I like using their debit card for travel as well.
What about taxes ? US and French.
You have the right by law to oppose a prélèvement up to 1 year after it occurred. So prélèvement automatique does not mean it’s open bar to charge whatever they want !
LMAOOOOOO.... as if 'oppose-ING' something will actually ever work. France is the last circle of hell. If you give them a dime you will NEVER get it back, and you know it.
Thanks for another great video Can you talk about what you did about your retirement and/or investment accounts in the US once you decided to stay in France? I hear horror stories of US financial companies freezing and/or closing expat accounts when they find out that they left US.
I'm a US citizen, living in France, and I have no issue with my retirement, bank and other financial companies. I kept a US address via virtualpostmail - as some of these companies require a US postal address - but they all know I live in France and never had an issue.
Some US banks will close your account if you do not have a genuine residential address in the US; I had this experience with Wells Fargo. No problem maintaining investment accounts for retirement, but international financial regulations prohibit giving financial planning advice to anyone outside their jurisdiction. There is more to say on this but ask your consultant at the investment firms. I found it extremely difficult to start drawing income from retirement savings and ultimately had to travel to the US to get it done.
I plan on moving to France in June 2025. My financial adviser told me this week that they can not manage my IRA account because I won't have a valid U.S. address. This is a legal issue. I've started research to see what my options are. @Sonorus52
Great video, as usual.
As you probably know, many French people bank at La Poste. My husband’s 🇫🇷 sister who was a government employee always has. My husband keeps an account there just st to have a footprint in France.
I’m curious to know if you considered La Poste.
To your point about regional outposts, his account is in a village on the Provençal coast. We decided to travel from the DC metro area to Paris for a few days before heading south last May & weren’t allowed to withdraw € because th Paris branch couldn’t access his account information. Unbelievable.
This may happen if you try to withdraw money at the desk, but why not withdraw from the ATM then?
Good question. Because we only go to France 2 or 3 times each year, my husband never got around to getting a card. It wasn’t sent automatically when the account was opened. I’ll make him go to the branch when we return in November.
Coucou a vous deux encore une belle videos j'ai de la chance j'ai une appli pour traduire donc j'arrive a peu près a suivre mais c'est compliqué vive la France vive les usa profiter de notre bonne gastronomie la meilleure au monde a la prochaine vidéo 😊
pffft....
Great info as usual! One question, a bit off topic: regarding your long term stay visitor visa application, did you have a full 12-months rental agreement in hand at the time of your application or a did you have a shorter term arrangement?
So much conflicting info out there on this question, I thought you may be able to shed light with your experience. Thank you!
They aren't answering, they want you to pay them for that service, that's their business they set up in FR. I too have found many conflicting reports in doing my own research. It seems BB did not have a year lease set up before they moved, if you watch all their videos in order. Which some experts (who are French immigration businesses and claim 10-20 years of providing these services) say that a short-term rental proof is not technically compliant, but that since each consulate makes independent decisions, people might slip through in one and not in another. I also have seen conflicting info on what type of healthcare plan is required, and the ones BB recommended wouldn't meet those requirements either (because they are Schengen-area travel plans) but they seem to have been allowed if they used on of those too. They got in on their first try. This seems to be the facts of life of France - everything is administratively difficult, and there's no consistency between different consulates and prefectures. So I'm just going to err on the side of being over-prepared, pre-paid, over-insured based on compliance terms I've heard, and documented, as long as I can afford to.
@@arborealscout4252 Thank you! Appreciate your insights.
Online banks do not provide real estate loans. If you need one, then you should definetly go to a regular bank in France.
WEIRD? WHEN i NEEDED TO MOVE ? i JSUT HAS TO SEND A LETTER TO MY BANK TELLING THEM THAT i WAS MOVING TO A NEW ADRESSE AND THAT WAS ALL; i DIDN4T NEED TO CLOSE THE ACCOUNT AND MAKE A NEW ONE; aLSO IF YOU ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH YOU CURRENT BANK ? YOU CAN JUST GO TO ANOTHER AND THEY4LL MAKE THE TRANSFER FOR YOU; yOU DON4T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO;
sorry , there is a bug and couldn't see what i was writing , and just realised it was in caps...
Unfortunately Americans are subject to strict regulations in Europe, due to USA laws
My bank here in 🇨🇭 won't even talk to you unless you are 1. High net worth or 2. Have a residence permit
Even in case 2 they really don't want the hassle of dealing with Americans
this is not a criticism but why for weight, speed measurements... the Americans do not use the international standard????
they are as exceptional as the Brits
They are living in the stone age....
Sigh. Because we are stubborn. But you knew that, yes? 😁 I was in grade school in the 60s. We were all ready to convert to metric, but no, the adults in the room (and I use that term facetiously) decided we had to stay with US customary units. Nothing has budged since.
If you are living in France for more then some months...why not using a French bank account, most are not expensive and follow the Europe rules why would you live in France and still use an American bank ? Why would you use french medical care but not french bank ? Even if you got a business in the US, you can convert dollars to your euro account when it's beneficial for you.
because their salary, pension, life insurance are paid by US institutions
Lots of reasons. We go back & forth & have accounts in both countries. Others might still have property in the US & need a U.S. bank account for that purpose, while living F/T in France.
Coucou.
Personaly, As a french i have to say that Banks here absolutely sucks, i'm done with them for years and been using Cryptos, i'm gonna create a Revolut account for obvious reasons and because it's a lituanian bank, but as digital banks like revolut works very well and everything is easy to do by yourself, you have no reasons to go to a french bank, the services are bad, they are liars and robbers, the employees have no power over anything and will not help you on anything.