Payment methods in France
By 2022, French consumers made 16% of all purchases online - a 23% increase in the space of just the last three years.
Market takeaways
- By 2022, French consumers made 16% of all purchases online - a 23% increase in the space of just the last three years.
- French e-commerce is worth a massive US$173 billion. And by 2027, that figure will have grown to US$235 billion.
- French consumers use digital payment methods in almost half of all online purchases. Popular payment methods include PayPal, Sepa Direct Debit, and Cashway.
- The French buy 17% of all online purchases worth US$27 billion, from e-commerce sites based in other countries.
- The average French online shopper spends US$2,572 a year on e-commerce. By 2027, that figure will be as high as USD$3,441.
Population
68M
Online population
60.9M
B2C e-commerce
$80B
Banked population
99%
Credit card population
70%
E-commerce of total retail
12%
Payment method breakdown
- Card52%
- Cash2%
- Bank Transfer11%
- E-Wallet27%
- Other8%
Card scheme breakdown
- Visa3%
- Mastercard5%
- American Express3%
- Local schemes85%
- Other4%
Cross-border e-commerce
Cross-border shoppers
64%
Share of e-commerce
17%
Cross-border value (est.)
$27.2B
Featured payment methods in France
Popular options based on coverage and prominence in this market.
Scalapay
European 3-installment BNPL at checkout. Growing in French fashion and lifestyle e-commerce.
Wero
Pan-European instant payment wallet launched in 2024, backed by France's major banks. Built on SEPA Instant. Primary launch markets are France, Germany, and Belgium. Rapidly growing as a domestic PayPal alternative.
FLOA Pay
French BNPL provider (BNP Paribas subsidiary) offering instalment and deferred payment at checkout across 7 European markets.
Carte Bancaire (CB)
France's national interbank card network, present on virtually all French bank cards alongside Visa or Mastercard co-branding. Processes ~85% of French card transactions. The "carte bleue" — synonymous with bank cards in France — runs on the CB network.
Paysafecard
Prepaid voucher payment for online purchases without a card. Widely used in France for gaming and digital content.
All payment methods in France
Discover 5 payment methods from around the world
Featured banks in France
Major institutions operating in this market.
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC)
Beijing, China
ICBC is the world's largest bank by total assets and the largest of China's 'Big Four' state-owned banks. It offers retail, corporate, and investment banking globally.
HSBC Holdings
London, United Kingdom
HSBC is one of the world's largest banks by assets, headquartered in London with a dominant presence in Asia. It offers retail, commercial, and investment banking in over 60 countries.
JPMorgan Chase
New York, United States
JPMorgan Chase is the largest US bank and one of the world's largest financial institutions, offering consumer banking, investment banking, commercial banking, and asset management globally.
BNP Paribas
Paris, France
BNP Paribas is France's largest bank and a global top-10 financial institution, providing retail, corporate, and investment banking, insurance, and asset management across 65 countries.
Bank of America
Charlotte, United States
Bank of America is the second-largest US bank by assets, providing consumer banking, wealth management (Merrill Lynch), and global banking and markets services worldwide.
MUFG (Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group)
Tokyo, Japan
MUFG is Japan's largest bank and one of the world's largest financial groups, offering retail, corporate, investment, and trust banking globally.
All banks in France
Showing 31 of 31 banks
