Instant bank transfers grow in popularity following EU fee removal

Instant bank transfers are becoming a staple of daily life in France, driven by increased speed and recent regulatory changes. Following a European Union decision, these transfers became free of charge starting January 9, 2025, removing the previous fees that often discouraged their use.

The Banque de France reported a 78% increase in instant transfers between 2024 and 2025, with one in six transfers now being processed instantly. Among specific banking groups like Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale, the proportion is even higher, with 21% of transfers being instant, including one in five via the Wero platform.

While instant transfers are growing rapidly among individuals for urgent payments or peer-to-peer transactions, credit cards remain the dominant method for commercial exchanges. In France, credit cards accounted for 63% of the €36.264 trillion in commercial transactions in 2025. New technologies like Wero, which allows transfers via phone numbers, are seeing significant adoption, with usage quadrupling in certain sectors over an 18-month period.