Compare Business Banking in France

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What is business banking in France?

Business banking (compte professionnel) provides the accounts, payment tools and financing that companies, freelancers and self-employed micro-entrepreneurs need to operate. French companies (SARL, SAS and similar) are legally required to hold a dedicated business account to deposit share capital and separate company money from personal funds; sole traders often need one too depending on turnover.

How the French market works

Two camps compete. Traditional banks — BNP Paribas and Société Générale — offer full-service relationships with dedicated advisers, lending and cash management. A strong wave of French néobanques and fintechs — Qonto, Shine, Finom and Memo Bank — provide fast online onboarding, French IBANs, integrated invoicing and expense tools, while infrastructure players such as Treezor and Stripe France power payments and embedded finance for other businesses. France's large population of micro-entrepreneurs (auto-entrepreneurs) and small SAS companies created strong demand for low-cost, admin-light accounts, which the neobanks met with tools tailored to French obligations such as URSSAF declarations and VAT. Traditional banks remain important where a business needs financing lines, merchant card acceptance (TPE), or the credibility of a long-standing relationship with an adviser.

Benefits

Clean separation — Keeps company and personal finances distinct, which is essential for accounting and required for many company types.

Built-in admin tools — Neobanks bundle invoicing, receipt capture, VAT tracking and accountant access.

Fast setup — Digital providers open accounts in days, useful for registering a new company and depositing capital.

How to choose

Match the provider to your structure: a néobanque suits freelancers and small SAS/SARL wanting low fees and automation, while a traditional bank suits firms needing credit lines, cash handling or physical branches. Compare monthly fees, card allowances, transaction limits, cash-deposit options, and whether the account can receive share-capital deposits with a certificate (attestation de dépôt).

Leading providers in France

Qonto and Shine are the best-known French business neobanks for freelancers and SMEs; Finom and Memo Bank target growing companies with richer features and, in Memo Bank's case, lending. BNP Paribas and Société Générale remain the anchors for full-service corporate banking, while Treezor and Stripe France underpin payments infrastructure.

What it costs

Pricing is usually a monthly subscription tiered by features — from budget plans for solo entrepreneurs to richer tiers with multiple cards and higher limits. Traditional banks price per service and relationship. Watch for charges on cash deposits, out-of-plan transfers, and physical cheque handling, which neobanks may limit or exclude. A solo freelancer might pay a low monthly fee for a simple account with a card and integrated invoicing, while a growing company with several employees, multiple cards and higher transaction volumes moves up to a richer plan. The real comparison is total cost for your actual usage: a cheap headline subscription can become expensive if you frequently deposit cash, need physical cheques, or make many transfers beyond the plan's included allowance.

Protections and regulation

Business accounts at banks and payment institutions are supervised by the ACPR. Deposits held at a licensed bank are covered by the FGDR guarantee up to €100,000 per company per bank; funds at payment institutions are instead safeguarded in segregated accounts, which works differently from the deposit guarantee. Providers must apply KYC checks, which is why company documents (Kbis, statutes) are required at onboarding.

Common questions

Do I legally need a business account? — Companies must have one for share capital; micro-entrepreneurs need a dedicated account above a turnover threshold.

Can a neobank hold my share capital? — Several can issue the deposit certificate needed to register a company; confirm before choosing.

Are neobank funds guaranteed? — Only if the provider is a licensed bank; payment institutions safeguard funds separately instead.

Business Banking in France — FAQ