European Payment Cards Yearbook

France - Summary

Market Overview

  
Payment Organization Groupement des Cartes Bancaires ÒCBÓ
   
Domestic Card Brand ÒCBÓ
   
Market Structure

ÒCBÓ is the domestic bank card brand and system.
Most bank cards are debit and deferred debit cards. Issuing and acquiring is by individual banks.

Card use is high, with more than four times as many ÒCBÓ payments as cash withdrawals. There were 98 payments per capita in 2008.

Credit cards are mainly private label cards issued by companies such as Cetelem, LaSer Cofinoga and Sofinco, all of which are now largely bank-controlled.
   
Major Issuers CrŽdit Agricole, BNP Paribas and SociŽtŽ GŽnŽrale.
   
Consumer Finance The market is tightly-regulated, with usury ceilings on consumer loans. Total outstanding credit was Û141.7 billion at end-2008, 3% higher than at end 2007, with personal loans accounting for over half.
   

Key Statistics 2008

  
Population 63.6 million
Cards ÒCBÓ cards: 57.5 million, private label cards 27.2 million

 

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Purchase Profile

 

 

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