Being blacklisted by the Banque de France: how to get a bank account number and a Mastercard in 5 minutes

Being blacklisted in the FCC (Fichier Central des Chèques, France's central cheque register) is a measure issued by the Banque de France following a payment incident: a bounced cheque or improper use of a payment card. The restriction can last up to five years and effectively bars the affected person from most standard financial services. The legal procedure known as the "right to a bank account" (droit au compte), while it exists and is enforceable, requires contacting the Banque de France, waiting for an institution to be designated, and then waiting several more weeks before a basic account is actually opened. Against this administrative burden, an electronic money account offers an immediate and lawful alternative, accessible without income requirements and without any query to incident registers. This is precisely the framework that Veritas provides: a systematically authorised Mastercard prepaid card linked to a payment account with a dedicated IBAN, issued by PFS Card Services Ireland Limited, an authorised electronic money institution.

The FCC does not apply to electronic money institutions

Electronic money institutions are not credit institutions within the meaning of European Directive 2013/36/EU. This legal distinction has a direct practical consequence: they are neither required to consult the FCC nor the FICP (the register of personal credit repayment incidents) before opening a payment account. No scoring algorithm and no history of past incidents plays any role in the account-opening decision. A person who has been blacklisted for six months or three years is treated in the same way as a new customer with no prior record.

This is made possible by the very nature of the service. An electronic money institution does not issue credit, does not offer an overdraft facility, and therefore takes no counterparty risk on its customers. It has no regulatory reason to consult registers related to credit incidents or bounced cheques.

Identity verification: a non-negotiable legal requirement

The absence of any query to incident registers does not mean that accounts are opened without any checks. European anti-money laundering regulations, transposed into French law under Articles L. 561-1 et seq. of the Monetary and Financial Code, require every payment service provider to carry out rigorous identity verification before entering into a business relationship. This procedure, known as KYC (Know Your Customer), requires the submission of a valid official identity document.

A proof of address may also be requested in accordance with the provider's internal procedures. However, no proof of income, no payslip and no tax return form any part of the documents required to open an electronic money account. The applicant's professional or financial situation has no bearing on eligibility for the service.

A dedicated IBAN to send and receive money

Once identity verification has been completed, the account holder receives a dedicated IBAN in their name, immediately available for all standard transactions. This European bank identifier can be used to receive a salary, family allowance payments, unemployment benefits or any transfer from a third party. It also allows outgoing transfers to any bank or payment account within the SEPA zone.

For someone subject to a banking ban, access to this IBAN represents an immediate lever for financial reintegration. There is no longer any need to rely on a third party's account to receive a salary, or to resort to informal payment systems. The financial address exists, it is personal, and it is operational.

The systematically authorised card: zero overdraft, zero risk of making things worse

The Mastercard issued by Veritas is a systematically authorised prepaid card. This technical description reflects a very concrete reality: before authorising each transaction, the system checks in real time that the available balance in the payment account is sufficient to cover the requested amount. If it is not, the transaction is simply declined. It is structurally impossible to spend more than the funds previously loaded onto the account.

This mechanism is particularly significant for people who are already in financial difficulty: using the card cannot under any circumstances generate new debt. There is no overdraft facility, no interest charges and no penalty fees for exceeding a limit. The account holder spends only what they actually have. This reassuring framework is equally useful for managing a tight daily budget, regardless of any blacklisting situation.

The service involves usage fees, detailed in the Veritas pricing conditions, which should be factored into monthly budget management.

What an electronic money account does not replace

An electronic money account is not a full substitute for a traditional bank account. It does not allow cheques to be issued, gives access to no credit products and offers no authorised overdraft. It does not lift the FCC registration either, which runs its legal course until it expires. Its role is different: it allows a normal financial life to be maintained during the blacklisting period, by providing access to everyday payments, a functional IBAN and a card accepted on the Mastercard network, without any risk of making the existing situation worse.

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