Fortuneo was founded in 2000 as an online broker. This net player diversified into life insurance in 2002, banking in 2009 and insurance in 2010. Online banking now offers a wide range of products, including mortgages.
What banking products does Fortuneo offer?
Fortuneo Banque is one of the most dynamically developing divisions of Crédit Mutuel ARKEA: since the launch of the bank, 365,000 people have become its clients, and the volume of accumulated assets has reached billions. The online bank aims to become one of the leaders in France and Europe.
Fortuneo has expanded its range of services to offer a full range of banking products, integrating deposit accounts, savings solutions, lending, insurance and stock market transactions.
Fortuneo and its services
- Budget Management: Fortuneo offers you a free tool to manage your personal finances. The Budget application brings together all your accounts, even external ones, in a single interface. Banking transactions are automatically categorized and graphs provide an overall picture. This mobile app is especially useful for budget management.
- NeoChange: This is a service that makes it easy to change banks. The goal is to enable new customers to quickly transfer funds to their account online (transfers, direct debits, salaries). This makes it even easier to make Fortuneo your primary bank! Simply fill out the RIB of your old account and the new online bank will take care of the repatriation of your recurring banking transactions. Using this tool, you can also close an old account, check the status of current transfers, find all standing orders and outstanding checks. To ensure that the payment does not lead to the closure of the account, you should leave a small reserve of cash during the transfer.
- Limit Management: Increasing your bank card limits can be helpful for large unexpected expenses. However, it is also possible to lower your limits if you use your bank card less frequently. To access this practical option, go to your bank's customer area.
- Apple Pay with Fortuneo: This is the first French online bank to offer Apple Pay to its customers. With Apple Pay, you can synchronize your MasterCard with your iPhone or Apple Watch. You can then make contactless payments by directly bringing your smartphone to an electronic payment terminal. Payment security is ensured by Touch ID technology.
- Secure Payment: There is a secure payment procedure for online shoppers. Fortuneo provides a virtual card number. This number is unique and makes online payments secure, reducing the risk of fraud. In addition, you can set up SMS alerts and be aware of your account transactions. You will receive SMS alerts for all large transactions or transactions abroad.
- Online Checks: With Fortuneo's Online Checks service, you can send a check from your customer account. All you need to do is fill in the standard check details, select the method of sending it and confirm the sending. This online check can be used to pay for all your expenses. Bonus: this is a bank check, so you can use it for large expenses such as buying a car.
- Order cash: do you need cash for a vacation or foreign currency for a trip abroad? With wireless banking, you can order euros or other currency from the comfort of your own home. Be sure to check delivery times before placing your order!
Fortuneo Mobile App
With the development of the mobile app, Fortuneo has gotten even closer to its customers. Customers have 24/7 access to information about their accounts, whether they were opened to use the bank's products or for stock market transactions.
Fortuneo's mobile app can be downloaded to a variety of mobile devices, including iPads, iPhones, Android phones and tablets. For the iPad in particular, the tool provides access to features specific to that device. For example, you can view world indices on the world map.
Regardless of the mobile device used, the Fortuneo app allows customers to manage their entire account wherever they are. It is now easy for them to check their balance or place an order to buy shares.
Fortuneo Client Area
Fortuneo's client area is fairly standard, but it is particularly efficient. You log in by entering your username and password. The window that opens displays information about your accounts, including your current and savings accounts. The summary suggests making Fortuneo your primary bank, and the banking mobility tool is just a click away. If you, are a savings bank customer only, a bank card subscription message appears on the home page. In the summary, you'll find an overview of all your accounts, your account balances, and online banking offers. In particular, the bank highlights its home equity loan and a message about phishing prevention. The personal profile details all of the bank's banking products and services, and we must say that the presentation is quite informative.
What are Fortuneo's rates?
Fortuneo is different in that it charges virtually no fees for managing your bank account. Day-to-day online account management operations are free: account opening, no account maintenance fees, internet access, etc. Depending on income or savings, a number of free bank cards (classic, top class, prestige) are available. The bank advertises about 15 free everyday banking services including transfers, direct debits and withdrawals.
Account opening, maintenance and control
Opening, closing and managing a bank account is completely free of charge. Fortuneo does not charge any account maintenance fees and provides a free monthly online account statement. However, there is a €6 fee for a duplicate statement and a €10 per page fee for document retrieval. The cost of settling an inheritance case is €300.
Remote banking
There is no charge for the use of remote banking services, including subscription to email alerts. SMS alerts are free for the first 10 months, after which the cost is EUR 2.50 for every 10 months thereafter.
Your payment methods and transactions
Bank Cards
Fortuneo bank cards are free, but some have income requirements. In addition, free use of the card is subject to monthly usage (at least 1 payment per month).
All withdrawals and payments in euros are free of charge. Withdrawals and payments in foreign currency are charged 1.98% of the transaction amount on a standard card.
The cost of replacing the card ranges from €10 to €50 depending on the type of card. Similarly, not using a payment card for four months will cost €10. Replacing a bank card costs €30 and there is a €7 fee for returning a PIN.
Transfers
Online transfers are free of charge. However, phone transfers are subject to a €5 fee.
SEPA Direct Debit Payments
Fortuneo sets up all SEPA direct debits free of charge and does not charge a termination fee for direct debits.
Checks
Checkbooks are issued free of charge, but there is a charge of €3.50 for sending them by registered mail.
Issuing a bank check online is free of charge. Cancellation of a check request costs €5.
Payment violations and incidents
For rejection of any payment order, a fee of €20 per transaction will be charged (+ €12 for a preliminary information letter for a check with insufficient funds). A check rejected due to insufficient funds will be charged €10 if written for less than €50 and €50 for any larger amount. The cost of an official notification sent by registered mail is €10, and the cost of reporting misuse of a bank card to Banque de France is €21. Prohibiting the issuance of checks at the Banque de France costs €30. Seizure, notification of a third party holder, administrative opposition or opposition to a third party holder costs €69.
Overdrafts and loans
Interest charges on authorized overdrafts are 7% per annum. Interest charges on unauthorized overdrafts are 16%.
Rates for home equity loans and consumer loans are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Savings solutions
A wide range of savings accounts are available at no charge. Only brokerage fees are subject to certain terms and conditions, depending on the amount of your orders and the market in which the trades are made. Closing or transferring a PEA costs €85. Transferring a depo account to another institution costs €12 per line.
Insurance and personal protection
Fortuneo insures your payment instruments against loss or theft free of charge. The online bank also offers car insurance.
Finally, Fortuneo offers a wide range of life insurance products at very attractive terms.
Fortuneo on social media
On Twitter, the bank has almost 10,000 followers. The bank is not shy about sharing innovative news from the fintech world. Fortuneo also shares news about its Fortueno-Oscaro cycling team. Finally, he makes sure to respond to internet users when they need information or have a technical problem.
On Facebook, the online bank publishes beautiful infographics and news. Less popular is Youtube, where you can find the brand's advertising saga, videos about cycling and interviews about life insurance.
This online bank is one of the only ones that offers insurance for individuals, drawing in particular on the expertise of Surowenir Assurances, a subsidiary of the banking group. Fortuneo thus offers a full range of banking products and services in France and Belgium.
Fortuneo aims to position itself as the cheapest and most popular bank for its customers. To this end, the bank has created easy-to-use tools to help customers become more independent. Tariffs are presented visually so that customers can better understand how their online account works. Because of this professionalism, Fortuneo Online Bank was recognized in 2017 as the best in customer service.
Fortuneo's innovative approach improves the customer experience, particularly with a budget management tool that fits all types of bank accounts from all brands. Secure data centralization. This synchronization makes it easy to view one's assets and manage spending by category. Even users who are not Fortuneo customers can benefit from this practical service.
Fortuneo is a true institution of the French financial world. Although its structure has undergone significant changes since its creation, it is one of the oldest Internet banks in France.
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