Click, swipe, send: ways to pay in France

France is a huge country. It is the largest nation in the European Union (EU) by size, and lags only behind Germany in terms of its population. Its highly diversified economy mirrors its size, with its output ranging from aerospace components and luxury goods to a booming service economy and a thriving tourist trade. 

Its richly varied topography anchors an agricultural sector justly famous for producing some of the most iconic products in the world, including celebrated wines and cheeses. As the fount of a rich culture of intellectualism, knowledge, and innovation, it takes great pride in its own history and achievements and has its own way of going about things. 

It stands to reason that its payment landscape would be diverse, and its culture would have an effect on how the French choose to pay. Read on in this installment of our popular series, where we look at how people pay in places as diverse as Brazil, Australia, the US, and India.

Cash is still of value

A recent study published by the central bank, Banque de France, pointed to how “the vast majority of French people continue to value cash and recognize its many advantages.”¹ It went on to state that 60% of French consumers felt it was “important to have the option to pay with cash.”²

The study further noted that cash usage tended to increase with age; older people are more likely to use cash for their transactions. There was also a correlation with value of transaction: the smaller the transaction, the more likely it was that it would be settled in cash. Cash was also preferred for “day-to-day” items, and when shopping at street markets, farmers’ markets, and the like.³

However, there is a discernible shift at point-of-sale (POS) terminals.

Payment cards trending upward at POS

In 2022, cash accounted for 50% of all transactions at POS in France. In 2024, it had come down to 43%, and payment cards had risen from 43% to 48% over that same period.⁴

French consumers are avid users of their payment cards. This is due at least in some part to the ubiquity of the domestic payment card network, Cartes Bancaires (CB, or GCB, from the group that runs it). As Philippe Delanoue, CEO G+D ePayments France, pointed out, this is also due to a strategic decision that stakeholders in French banking made decades ago. With the strong backing of the government at the time, the leading French banks came together to found a domestic network in 1984. 

Domestic network rules in France

Since its inception, CB has gone from strength to strength. “There are about 76 million CB cards in circulation,” said one report, adding that two-thirds of all customer transactions were being routed through the CB network.⁵

Delanoue explained the situation with a personal analogy: “I have played basketball and coached and managed teams. To compete, you must first have a strategy. Cartes Bancaires was born of a strategic political decision for France to have its own network.” He smiled: “We like to make our own things. It helps us be resilient.” 

According to the European Central Bank, card payments are the main electronic payment method in the larger EU, with the international networks accounting for 61% of card transactions in the area.⁶ The opposite is true in France. 

Resilience is a point of difference

“Thanks to the outstanding work carried out by CB, both physical and digital banking cards are now widely regarded as reliable by the public,” Delanoue noted. CB is cheaper to use than its international counterparts, and it is exceptionally resistant to fraud. This is due to the robust infrastructure it relies on. Part of that robustness comes from the technical expertise its clearing and settlement partner, STET, provides. 

“STET is the engine room of Cartes Bancaires,” Delanoue stated. It is owned and operated by major French banks (who are also partners in CB). Again, resilience is key. Let’s keep this in mind as we consider an ever-growing sector, the online market.

E-commerce and Click to Pay

French consumers have been steadily increasing their online consumption. In 2019, 12% of all transactions were online. By 2024, that number had grown to 25%.⁷ 

As it grows, so do opportunities for fraudsters. Securing the customer and merchants should ideally go hand-in-hand with improving the user journey. 

Click to Pay in France is a secure instant payment system based on payment card infrastructure. The Click to Pay system addresses consumer concerns about online payment security by leveraging EMVCo standards, which are critical for driving e-commerce adoption.

It gives the users the ability to have their payment cards be available across devices with just one click, without having to constantly re-enter information. The appeal to the user is obvious in terms of experience. The appeal to the merchant comes from better cart conversion and the like. The challenge for the financial service providers involved is securing everyone, and every process, in the transaction.

Card rails are well-protected, and the many payment systems and networks that sit behind them have been around for decades. As a decades-old player that enjoys the backing of the major players in the French payment ecosystem and the technical robustness of its offerings, STET is well-placed to power CB’s expansion into this new field. The established international systems are mammoths in the sector, but the French predilection for home-grown systems and resilience in critical infrastructure could play a significant role in how the market develops, felt Delanoue.

Looking ahead

In the medium to long term, it looks like card payments in France will continue to be hugely significant. As digital payments develop, events there are likely to follow this pattern. Even when people are paying with their phones, noted Delanoue, it is because they’ve got their cards saved there. 

There is also a reassuring physicality about a payment card. To take just one example, international travelers will know that issues can crop up with acceptance of digital wallets. Being able to pull a card out of your bag or back pocket provides a sort of safety net. In another vein, parents everywhere will recognize the rite of passage of giving their child their first card as they head off to college.

For banks as well, there is a compelling reason to keep issuing payment cards. As branches dwindle and footfalls to physical locations decline due to the rise in mobile banking and the like, the card with the bank’s name embossed on it becomes the last “link” between the issuer and the holder. Not much else remains that reminds the holder of their relationship with their bank.

Published: 16/12/2025