Accept payments in France

French Payment Market Overview

France is the second-largest e-commerce market in Europe and sales have been buoyant in recent years. The country’s business to consumer e-commerce market is an €81.7 billion industry, accounting for 15.3 percent of overall European e-commerce.

French e-commerce shoppers still largely prefer to shop online from the home or office, with 79 percent using laptops or desktops, rather than smartphones. This preference, however, has been changing. The mobile commerce market is projected to grow at a far higher rate than e-commerce in general, at 25 percent between 2017 and 2021, to reach €41.9 billion in value.

Payment Methods in France

Key Market Indicators in France

Banks in France

Mobile Carriers in France

Integrate French Payment Methods

Cards are the dominant payment method for French e-commerce, accounting for 53.9 percent of transactions. Online spending via card is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 15.8 percent to 2021.

Meanwhile, bank transfer e-commerce transactions are now worth €10.8 billion and are expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 24.5 percent, making them the fastest-growing additional payment method in France currently. Bank transfers will also be further supported by the Single Euro Payments Area Instant Credit Transfer scheme, which was launched in November 2017 and is currently live in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and other markets.