It’s the end of the month, the salary transfer has not yet arrived, but a direct debit goes through… and the account goes into the red. Sometimes it even exceeds the authorized overdraft. A dreaded situation and which, however, approximately 13% of French people live almost every month. In certain cases, overdraft can be a lifesaver, allowing you to continue using your card even in difficult times. However, this banking facility is in reality a loan, and one of the most expensive there is.
“The overdraft is not calculated in the same way as a real credit. Interest is only paid for the period when the account is actually in negative territory, and the rate is reduced over 365 days. It’s more of a one-off credit facility”recalls Marie Rialland, deputy director of the comparator MoneyVox.fr. But in practice, this operation is rarely to the advantage of the client. Nearly four out of ten overdraft holders would regularly go beyond the authorization granted by their bank, according to the study Panorabanks 2025. At this point, costs pile up quickly.
The flat-rate minimum trap
You should know that in addition to the fees calculated on the duration and amount of the overdraft, many banks charge a fixed minimum per quarter: a fixed amount, deducted as soon as the account goes into the red, regardless of the duration or size of the overdraft. An overdrawn account of 50 euros for three days should theoretically cost a dozen cents at the maximum legal rate. If the bank applies a fixed minimum of 10 euros per quarter, 10 euros will be taken instead.
“This is a practice that is clearly criticized”explains Marie Rialland. “We end up with amounts that have nothing to do with the rate that should be applied, it’s sometimes abusive. » Which makes the situation even worse: this fixed minimum does not enter into the calculation of the APR, the overall effective annual rate. It is therefore invisible in comparisons, and customers cannot measure its real impact. The amounts charged vary greatly depending on the establishment.
Fortunately, a European directive, currently being transposed into French law, will ban this practice from November 20, 2026. Fixed costs will now have to be integrated into the APR, which amounts to making them impossible to apply: they would mechanically explode the rate beyond the usury threshold.
When costs cascade
An unauthorized overdraft does not only trigger an increased rate. He can chain multiple charges simultaneously : intervention commissions of 8 euros per transaction, direct debit rejection fees, debit account information letters invoiced. It all can add up quickly, sometimes for just one day in the red.
And regarding the agios rates themselves, we may be surprised by the difference between a traditional bank and an online bank. BoursoBank and Fortuneo charge a rate of 7% per year for the authorized overdraft, when the rates range from 14% to almost 20% at traditional banks, according to the MoneyVox comparison. This is two to three times more than a traditional consumer loan, which is around 5 to 7% depending on the profile.
But the real advantage of online banks is above all on intervention commissions. For example, Fortuneo, BforBank and Hello bank do not apply them. In traditional banks, these commissions amount to 8 euros per operation, capped at 80 euros per month. They apply as soon as the account enters an overflow situation, that is to say beyond the authorization granted. “This will be a real breakthrough »underlines Marie Rialland.
Get out of the red without sinking
Marie Rialland warns against a reaction which may seem logical but which aggravates the situation: taking out credit to cover an overdraft. “It would be entering a spiral of bad debt. It can only be a temporary solution, and then again. » To get out of the overdraft spiral, the first step is the simplest to state… but also the most difficult to put into practice: review what goes in and what goes out of the account. “Sort between necessary expenses and expenses that could be avoided”lists the expert.
“We can also reduce constrained expenses : change telephone operator, electricity supplier, car or home insurance »she lists. A few dozen euros saved each month can be enough to stay in the green. The Crésus association offers free budgetary support to help households regain control of their finances.
For more complex situations, solutions exist without using credit. Personal microcreditnot to be confused with the instant mini-loans offered on the web (which display very high rates), is a supervised system allowing you to borrow minimal capital under controlled conditions.
