Comparing online banks based solely on the price of the bank card is no longer sufficient. The French market has changed in recent months, with the implementation of new European rules on digital resilience and the acquisition of national banking licenses by some players. These developments directly alter what a customer can expect in terms of security, deposit coverage, and services offered.
Bank fees and cards: comparative table of major online banks
Price differences remain the first reflex for comparison. Here is a summary of the conditions observed in the standard offers of the most visible players in the French market.
| Online Bank | Monthly Cost (standard offer) | Free Card | Income Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monabanq | Starting from 3 euros per month | No (included in the package) | None |
| Fortuneo | Free | Yes | Yes, depending on the card range |
| BoursoBank | Free | Yes | Yes, depending on the card range |
| BforBank | Free | Yes | Yes |
| Hello bank! | Free (basic offer) | Yes | Yes |
| Revolut | Free (Standard plan) | Yes | None |
The advertised free service often hides access conditions. The free card is frequently subject to an income threshold or a minimum amount of monthly spending. Monabanq is an exception by removing any income condition but charges a monthly subscription.
For those looking to delve deeper into the differences between institutions, it is possible to learn more at assurances-banque.com before making a decision.
Banking license and deposit guarantee: what Revolut’s status changes in France
Revolut obtained its French banking license in August 2026. This change of status has direct consequences for customers residing in France.
With a credit institution license issued by the ACPR, funds deposited with Revolut are now covered by the French Deposit Guarantee and Resolution Fund. Previously, coverage depended on the company’s Lithuanian license.
A Revolut account now benefits from the same protection as a BoursoBank or Fortuneo account. This harmonization reduces one of the main arguments that hindered the adoption of the neobank as a primary account.
The transition to French regulation also means that the ACPR directly monitors Revolut’s compliance with anti-money laundering and consumer protection standards, a more stringent framework than that applied through the European passport.
Digital resilience of online banks: the DORA regulation as a selection criterion
The European DORA regulation (Digital Operational Resilience Act) is fully applicable since January 17, 2025. It imposes a strict operational resilience framework on all online banks, neobanks, and payment institutions.
Specifically, each institution must document all its contracts with IT service providers (cloud, hosting, outsourcing) in an ICT information register. This register must be submitted to the regulator by March 31, 2026.
The ACPR has announced enhanced controls on the quality of this data in 2026. For a customer, this means that the technical robustness of an online bank is no longer a marketing promise: it is verified by the regulator.
- Extended application outages and cybersecurity incidents must be reported and documented comprehensively.
- Institutions that massively outsource their infrastructure (which is the case for most neobanks) are subject to particular scrutiny regarding their IT subcontractor management.
- Service continuity, including in the event of a cloud provider failure, must be regularly tested.
DORA transforms technical reliability into an auditable criterion, not just a commercial argument. Before choosing an online bank, checking if it communicates about its DORA compliance signals its maturity in risk management.
DSP3 and opening of banking data: impact to anticipate
The European legislative package DSP3, accompanied by the new regulation on payment services (PSR), is being finalized. It will replace the DSP2 directive that currently governs access to account data by third parties (aggregators, payment initiators).
The PSR aims to expand the scope of accessible data and strengthen banks’ obligations regarding information sharing with authorized providers. For online banks, this implies additional technical investments in their application programming interfaces (APIs).
For customers, the effect will be gradual:
- Multi-bank aggregation services will become more reliable and faster, facilitating the management of accounts spread across multiple institutions.
- The explicit consent of the customer will remain the cornerstone of the system, with strengthened control mechanisms.
- The institutions that are best prepared technically (robust APIs, clear documentation) will offer a smoother experience to their users.
The choice of an online bank will also depend on its ability to integrate into an open ecosystem. Players who invest in their APIs today will be better positioned tomorrow.
Online banking and customer service: a persistent gap
The quality of customer service remains the most frequent point of friction in user feedback. First-generation online banks (Fortuneo, BoursoBank, Monabanq, Hello bank!, BforBank) generally have telephone support with advisors based in France.
Neobanks like Revolut have long offered support exclusively via chat, with variable response times. The acquisition of the French banking license could accelerate the strengthening of this service, as the ACPR is attentive to complaint handling.
Monabanq is regularly recognized for the quality of its customer service, a parameter that compensates for its paid model for users who prioritize human support. In contrast, free offers without income conditions tend to come with more standardized support.
The choice between free card and quality support remains the main trade-off. Regulatory data from DORA and the rise of Revolut under French license add a new comparison parameter: technical robustness and compliance are no longer givens, but measurable differentiators.