The rules French founders actually run into
Each year thousands of freelancers, micro-entrepreneurs and small company owners hit the same moment: client payments start mixing with grocery runs on a personal statement. French law is more forgiving than most people assume, and stricter than others expect.
A dedicated account is compulsory from the start for commercial activity, whatever the turnover. For service and craft work under the micro-entreprise regime, the requirement applies once revenue passes €10,000 over two consecutive years. Under that threshold you may legally keep the personal account, though most accountants still push for separation, because a URSSAF check is much easier to answer when the flows are clean.
The second change is electronic invoicing. Since 1 September 2026, every VAT-registered business in France must be able to receive invoices through an approved platform, and large and mid-sized companies issue through them as well. Small and micro businesses follow from 1 September 2027. A PDF sent by email no longer counts as an invoice. That is why account providers started bundling invoicing tools: Qonto, Shine and Indy all hold approved-platform status.
Then comes the everyday side. Branch banking still works, but opening an account can take a week or two and appointments happen on the bank's schedule. Online providers check documents remotely and often deliver a French IBAN within a few business days. The trade-off is a narrower service: cash deposits are limited or impossible, and there is no loan officer who knows your street.
Friction usually appears in four places. Cash-heavy trades such as florists, market sellers or tabac owners need a deposit route. Founders forming a company need a capital deposit certificate before the account even exists. Freelancers invoicing foreign clients need multi-currency handling. And small teams need several cards without paying for each one separately.
What the main providers charge
| Provider | Entry price per month | Best suited to | Strengths | Points to watch |
|---|
| Shine | €0 (Start €11, Plus €25, Business €80) | Freelancers, auto-entrepreneurs, very small firms | Approved invoicing platform included, 5 SEPA transfers in the entry tier (€0.40 excl. VAT after), cash deposits via the tabac network | Not a bank, licensed payment institution; cash deposits cost 2 to 5% of the amount |
| Qonto | €9 excl. VAT with a 12-month commitment (€11 without), Smart €19, Premium €39 | Growing teams, all legal forms including associations | Multi-user permissions, unlimited virtual cards on upper tiers, overdraft facility in its own name | No cash deposits, ATM withdrawals capped around €1,000 on the entry plan |
| Revolut Business | €10 (Grow from €35) | Importers, exporters, cross-border work | More than 35 currencies, interbank rate within a monthly allowance, one card per authorised user included | 2% withdrawal fee on the entry plan, weekend exchange rates differ |
| Indy | €0 | Solo independents and auto-entrepreneurs | French IBAN, transfers included, invoicing built in, no capital deposit fee for one-person SASU or EURL | Lighter tooling for teams and larger payrolls |
| Hello bank! Pro | €10.90 | Traders who still need a branch | BNP Paribas network, cash and cheque handling at ATMs, credit lines for established clients | Credit access usually requires several months of relationship |
Published rates move often, so treat the table as a starting grid rather than gospel. One detail worth knowing: professional tariffs are quoted excluding VAT, and part of the fees is VAT-exempt. At Hello bank! Pro, only a small slice of the €10.90 is subject to VAT, so do not add 20% by reflex. Qonto's annual commitment saves roughly €24 across the year compared with the rolling monthly price.
Where the small print hides
Currency is the first trap. Qonto charges 0.8% with a €5 minimum on transfers outside SEPA on its entry tiers. Revolut Business applies the interbank rate only inside a monthly allowance, and weekend conversions follow a different table. Cash handling is the second trap: Shine routes deposits through the tabac network at a percentage of the amount, while Qonto has no cash route at all. ATM limits are the third. Employees and extra cards are billed separately on almost every plan, which quietly doubles the cost for a four-person studio.
Protection matters too. Licensed banks in the EU, including Revolut Bank UAB and the BNP Paribas group behind Hello bank! Pro, sit under deposit protection up to €100,000. Payment institutions such as Shine and Qonto hold client funds in segregated accounts rather than covering them through that same scheme, which is a different promise and worth understanding before you park a large balance there.
A practical path through the decision
Camille, a graphic designer in Lyon on a micro-entreprise, built her first year on a plan at no monthly cost. When a client asked to pay by SEPA direct debit, she needed a creditor identifier from her bank and moved to a mid-tier plan at €19. The upgrade cost less than the late payment she had been chasing.
Théo runs a Bordeaux e-commerce shop with two staff. He keeps a branch-backed account for cheque deposits from local resellers and a second online account for supplier payments in dollars. Two accounts, one accountant, no month-end archaeology.
Nadia, a consultant in Marseille billing clients in three currencies, tested an entry tier for a quarter before committing. Her rule: never sign an annual plan before you have run a full invoicing cycle through it.
The steps that work, in order:
- Confirm your legal status and whether a dedicated account is mandatory for your activity.
- List your monthly operations honestly: cash, cheques, foreign currency, number of cards, direct debit collections.
- Gather an identity document, proof of address under three months, your SIRENE notice, and company statutes if you have them.
- Start on the cheapest tier that covers your operations, then upgrade once you hit the limits twice in a month.
- Connect your accounting tool and confirm the provider's invoicing platform before the 2027 deadline reaches you.
Local resources worth knowing
Experts-comptables in Lyon, Nantes and Toulouse increasingly bundle an account with bookkeeping, which is convenient for a first company but limits your choice later. Founders in Paris can handle the capital deposit through a notary or an online provider, with Qonto and Shine charging €69 excl. VAT for the certificate and Indy waiving it for single-shareholder structures. Local chambers of commerce and the French Tech network run regular sessions on company formation, and your regional URSSAF office publishes plain-language guides on the dedicated account rule.
Before you sign anything, run one month of real transactions through the entry plan. If transfers clear, cards work and your accountant can read the exports, the tier is probably right. If you find yourself paying surcharges twice in a row, the upgrade has already paid for itself.
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