What is the most common payment method in France?
The bank card. Cards made 62.7% of non-cash transactions in 2025, and most French cards are co-badged with the domestic CB scheme and Visa or Mastercard. In stores, 72% of card payments are contactless.
In detail
The bank card. Cards made 62.7% of non-cash transactions in 2025, and most French cards are co-badged with the domestic CB scheme and Visa or Mastercard. In stores, 72% of card payments are contactless.
Payment by card in France
Card payments keep growing. They made 62.7% of non-cash transactions in 2025, and the Banque de France reported a historic drop in the card fraud rate. Costs follow the EU interchange fee caps. France also has a card type of its own: meal vouchers (titres-restaurant), now mostly issued as payment cards that run on a separate network, Conecs, at restaurants and food stores.
Payment by bank transfer in France
Transfers carry 89% of the value of non-cash payments in France, and instant transfers are where the growth is. In 2025, instant transfers rose 78% in number and 118% in value, and one transfer in six was sent as an instant transfer.
Payment by digital wallet and X-Pay in France
Phones are now a common way to pay in French stores. Mobile wallets carried more than 19% of in-store card payments in 2025, up from 15%, and the Banque de France counted 38% more card payments by mobile.
More detail in our #PayWorldTour guide Payment methods in France.