Facilitating competition in the banking sector by allowing users to change establishments quickly, such was the objective of the "banking mobility assistance service" set up in 2017 by the Macron law.
Thus, if you request it, your new bank will be responsible for changing your bank address free of charge with all the organizations that carry out direct debits and transfers from your current current account (electricity, telephone, rent , taxes, insurance, etc.).
All transfers of operations must then be carried out within 22 working days.
Similarly, still at your request, the establishment of arrival can manage the closure of your previous bank account, taking care to repatriate its balance to your new account, and this, at the earliest within 30 calendar days or at later date indicated.
To benefit from this optional service, all you have to do is sign the banking mobility mandate offered by your new branch and provide it with a bank account statement (RIB) from your old account.
Please note, however, that this device only works for deposit and payment accounts.
If you want to close your savings books and securities accounts, you will have to do this yourself with your old bank.
Always long delays
While the banking mobility service promised greater fluidity in the sector, the reality is more nuanced.
Indeed, only 20.3% of users used this device in 2020 according to a survey by the Prudential Control and Resolution Authority (ACPR) published very recently.
Moreover, although transaction transfer deadlines are respected, only one account in ten is closed on time.
It therefore takes an average of 53 days to obtain the effective closure and transfer of the credit balance (compared to 93 days in 2019).
To justify these delays, the establishments then reject the responsibility on their customers because of the persistence of an overdraft, the non-return of the means of payment or even the holding of an account or an associated product which complicates the procedure.
Worse, 8.9% of mobility requests made in 2020 were refused by the original establishment, certainly for legal reasons provided for by legislation but not always well known to users.
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Consequently, the ACPR notes a general lack of information on the part of the banks, which do not explain the system sufficiently and sometimes even forget to put ad hoc documentation in the branch, even though it is compulsory.
In other words: not all establishments play the game!
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