Check Payment in France

The Payment by check is widely used from French small businesses and from private people.

70 % of the in the EU issued Checks are coming from France.

A French person issues more or less 37 Checks a year

The main reason is that a check payment is easy and very cheap

– The Banks provides Check forms for zero cost
– Issuing a Check is free of charge
– To cash in a check is also free of charge as long as you cash it in on a French bank account.
If the Check is not covered the Bank is obliged to inform within 2 days the French national bank the “Banque de France”, and this has massive negative influence on the solvency of the debtor.

Every French bank has an access tot the Banque de France and can check before any new credit is given, if the customer had or not unpaid checks.

The green light for a credit is nearly impossible to get, if the creditor is registered on this list.

The debtor can avoid the registration on this list if he sends back to his Bank the original of the check form. In case of an unpaid check some debtors call the creditor asking him to send back the check form promising that they will wire the amount of money as soon as the check comes back.

You should never do this; ask for the transfer and then commit yourself to send the check back immediately.

Don’t forget that a check which is unpaid twice is under French law considered as a verdict and with the support of a bailiff and the proof that the check was unpaid two times you can seize the debtor.