Bank fees: these new increases which will weigh heavily in 2025

Increased account maintenance fees, more expensive bank cards… in 2025, your bank will weigh more on your budget. A study by the CLCV consumer association highlights the most affected profiles and the alternatives to favor.

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While the interest on your regulated savings accounts fell a few days ago, bad news is looming for 2025. According to the annual study by the consumer association CLCV, your bank will cost you more this year. This prize list indicates that consumers will see their bills increase compared to 2024 rates, with increases that vary depending on their profile and their banking establishment.

In detail, it is “small consumers” – a single person with a limited set of services – and so-called “average” consumers – a couple with two bank cards including loss and theft insurance – who will suffer the most increases. important. For these customers, services will increase by 5.46% and 5.29%* respectively, representing an average annual cost of 69.78 euros for “small consumers” and 134.94 euros for so-called “average” consumers.

If you are a “heavy consumer” of banking services according to the CLCV criteria – two “high-end” cardholders with a Gold or Visa Premier card, making numerous withdrawals and having at least 14 permanent withdrawals per month – l The increase will be limited to 3.88%, i.e. a average annual cost of 214.87 euros. As for overseas banks, they are following the same upward trend, with differences that vary depending on local establishments.

Which bank to choose according to your profile?

After having analyzed the rates in force on February 1, 2025 in 110 banks in mainland and overseas, the CLCV mentions that Cooperative Credit is more competitive in all market segmentswhile LCL is more advantageous for “small consumers” and BNP Paribas for so-called “average” consumers. On the other hand, the latter is not recommended for customers who use banking services very little.

SG, a merger of the retail banking networks of Société Générale and Crédit du Nord, is one of the most expensive banks across all three CLCV standard profiles. Like any area where there is competition, the CLCV therefore recommends comparing the offers of different banks : “With price differences on the same basket of services which can range from simple to double, the consumer has every interest in comparing the offers of establishments after having listed their needs“. As the French Banking Federation reminds us, customers can also refer to the official site for comparing the main rates bank by bank. The Federation adds that it remains essential to “contact your bank advisor who will be able to provide insight into existing offers“.

Which banking rates are expected to increase the most in 2025?

Among the operations which will become more costly in 2025, the CLCV mainly notes: account maintenance feesbank cards, ATM withdrawals, in comparison with data from February 1, 2024.

Bank charges

Among the significant increases, account maintenance fees will climb on average of 8%, or around 23 euros per year. In total, the CLCV estimates that these increases affect 60 of the 91 metropolitan establishments. However, there are disparities between departments and banks. For example, the association mentions that these bank charges “remain free only in Crédit Agricole Anjou and Maine, Normandie Seine and Crédit Coopératif“.

Bank cards

The preferred means of payment for the French, the bank card will see its cost increase this year. For example, the immediate debit Visa or Mastercard will be more expensive by 3.4% compared to the previous yearwith an average cost of 47.24 euros. The bank charging the most for this service is LCL (51.60 euros this year), while the cheapest is Crédit Mutuel Maine-Anjou Basse-Normandie, with a rate of 43 euros.

Reduction in the number of free out-of-network withdrawals and increase in associated fees

Depending on your banking establishment, the CLCV emphasizes that with an international Visa or Mastercard card with deferred debit, the number of free withdrawals decreases in 2025 if you make withdrawals at a bank other than the one where your account is opened. For example, these so-called “displaced” withdrawals go from 4 to 2 for customers of the Crédit Agricole Atlantique Vendée, Champagne Bourgogne, Lorraine and Pyrénées Gascogne banks. Beyond this threshold, the average cost of “displaced” withdrawal will increase by 2.90% for holders of a classic Mastercard or Visa card with deferred debit.

The study also specifies that payment and withdrawal operations from an ATM outside the euro zone will cost more: +18.4% with an international card with deferred flow and +17.3% with a Visa Premier or Gold card. The consumer association recommends paying attention to the packages offered by banking establishments. In practice, these bundles are often more expensive than individual services. According to the report, these services are “rarely interesting for a consumer who uses few services”the package is to be preferred in only 40% of cases for the “average consumer” and only for one in two profiles for “heavy consumers”.

Online banks, an economical alternative?

Online banks offer competitive rates, although they are subject to specific conditions. Far from being the majority, they are gradually gaining ground – already having 6 million customers at the start of 2024 – and allowing them to avoid many fees. However, you should remain vigilant about the offers, because not all of them include, for example, the delivery of a checkbook. Likewise, not all types of bank cards are systematically offered.

*The French Banking Federation points to an “inconsistency” because the cost of the “average consumer” profile of the CLCV appeared in 2024 at 147 euros, but is reduced to 134 euros in 2025. However, the CLCV, contacted by “Capital”, specifies that to take into account the evolution of consumer practices, the profiles have evolved for the 2025 ranking. “The calculations were therefore redone on 2024 to compare costs on an identical basis in 2025,” assures the association.