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Hard blow for 11 million customers

La Banque Postale, one of the major banking establishments in , is preparing to implement a new price list which is causing concern among its 11 million customers. This unprecedented overhaul, scheduled for January 2025, will affect all banking services with spectacular increases, with some fees even being tripled.

A general increase in bank fees

La Banque Postale plans a complete revision of its pricing for the year 2025. This decision comes after a first wave of significant increases in 2024, where the establishment had already stood out with particularly high increases, of up to 21.4% for certain services.

Here is an overview of the main planned increases:

  • Standard account maintenance fees: +11.76% (from €20.40 to €22.80 per year)
  • Occasional branch transfers: +10% (€5.50 per transaction)
  • Overdraft fees: +10% (€6.60 for periodic fees)
  • Intervention commissions: +15.94% for the daily ceiling (€32) and +5.40% for the monthly ceiling (€80)

Bank cards are not spared from these increases. The Visa card will see an increase of 5.71%, reaching €33.30 per year. Premium cards will also experience increases: +3.65% for Visa Platinum (€204.40) and +0.73% for Visa Infinite (€329.60 annually).

A tripling of postal costs which provokes reactions

The most spectacular increase concerns postal service costs. The cost of returning mail sent to an incorrect address will increase by a staggering 166.67%. The NPAI return costs (no longer living at the address indicated) will increase from €7.50 to €20, i.e. a tripling of the current price.

This unprecedented increase in postal costs raises many questions among La Banque Postale customers. Many question the justification for such an increase and fear that it will particularly penalize the most vulnerable people, who still largely depend on traditional postal services.

Service Current price New price Augmentation
Return NPAI 7,50€ 20€ 166,67%

The reasons given by the Postal Bank

Faced with the growing concern of its customers, La Banque Postale is trying to justify these price increases by invoking several economic factors:

  1. Persistent inflation which affects the entire French economy
  2. A significant drop in activity volumesdirectly impacting the profitability of the establishment
  3. The need to maintain a quality level of servicepresented as essential to ensure the sustainability of services

It should be noted that Banque Postale recorded a drop in its net profit in 2023, which could partly explain this decision to revise its price list upwards. On the other hand, many observers and customers question the proportionality of these increases in relation to the economic difficulties cited.

The impact on customers and possible alternatives

These new pricing risks having a significant impact on purchasing power of the 11 million customers of La Banque Postale. Some may be tempted to turn to other banking establishments offering lower fees or more advantageous online services.

Faced with this situation, customers have several options to consider:

  • Compare offers from different banks to find more advantageous rates
  • Opt for online banks, often cheaper in terms of banking fees
  • Negotiate with the Postal Bank to obtain more favorable conditions
  • Reduce the use of the most expensive services, such as branch transfers

This announcement from Banque Postale also raises broader questions about the evolution of the French banking sector and the place of traditional banks in the face of growing competition from neobanks and online financial services.

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