Bank fees: here's how much your bank will charge you in 2025 (the cheapest and the most expensive)

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According to the Panorabanques study for Le Monde, network bank rates will increase by an average of 1.1% over one year, which represents a significant slowdown compared to the 2.4% increase observed in 2024. This trend is in line with inflation, which slowed to 1.2% at an annual rate in October 2024, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.

For the seven customer profiles analyzed, the annual cost of banking services will vary between 34 euros and 256 euros in 2025. Anna Meylacq, spokesperson for Panorabanques, sums up the situation by stating that “prices are now stabilizing at a high level”. The study also highlights that 86 out of 101 banks now charge account maintenance fees, compared to almost none a dozen years ago. These fees, averaging €21.40 per year (up 2.4% over one year), allow traditional banks to partially offset the high cost of their branch network.

Online banks remain the least expensive

Unsurprisingly, online banks continue to offer the most attractive rates. BoursoBank, Fortuneo and Hello Bank! form the top three for most of the profiles studied.Hello Bank!, BNP Paribas' online bank, makes a notable entry into the top 3 for four of the seven profiles analyzed. These online players maintain their low price policy, which is their main sales argument. As Anna Meylacq points out, “they do not increase their rates, because low prices are their trademark”.

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As for traditional banks, Crédit Agricole stands out as the least expensive establishment for executive, senior executive and senior profiles. The study highlights significant differences between the different banks. For example, an executive will pay on average 209 euros per year if he is a client of Crédit Agricole, compared to 282 euros at BNP Paribas, a difference of 35%.

Beyond rates, choosing a bank also depends on the range of services offered. Online banks that are subsidiaries of large national banking groups seek to combine the benefits of low rates with a full range of products and services.

BforBank, for example, plans to expand its offering in 2025 with the launch of life insurance and a new premium banking package. Similarly, neobanks like Revolut and N26 are expanding their range of services, with Revolut even announcing its intention to offer mortgage loans in France in 2025.

Closures galore

While online banks are enjoying dazzling success, not all of them have managed to find the right recipe. The year 2024 was marked by the closure of several players in the online banking sector. Orange Bank has ceased its activities, while Ma French Bank, a subsidiary of La Banque Postale, is in the process of closing until mid-2025. These movements are part of a trend towards market concentration, already observed with the closure of ING in 2022.

This consolidation benefits the major players in the sector. BoursoBank reached the 7 million customer mark in November, while Fortuneo reached 1.3 million customers in the first half of 2024. Nickel, the unconditional account distributed by tobacconists, is approaching 4 million customers.

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