NICKEL ACCOUNT

Nickel an account for everyone ...

Yes… the Nickel account is not a bank account , it is a banking service . It was created by the company FPE (Financière des Paiements Electroniques) whose founders chose as a niche market to distribute means of payment to individuals, even those prohibited from banking).
Another special feature: the Nickel service can only be purchased from an approved tobacconist. The installation of a terminal at the merchant allows almost all account opening operations to be carried out automatically.
From the launch of the Nickel account in 2013, success was evident: simplified opening , low costs (20 us dollars per year), no bank teller, no overdraft , no deposit or income conditions . At the start of 2016, the FPE claimed more than 500,000 accounts opened and became a major player, with clients growing significantly above its competitors. In 2017, BNP Paribas bank took an interest in this new market and bought 95% of Nickel's shares. The account continues to grow and in mid-2018 Nickel announced that it had exceeded 900,000 accounts opened at the rate of 25,000 new customers per month! A new account was also launched in 2018, in addition to the basic version: it is now possible to subscribe to a Nickel Chrome offer for 50 us dollars per year.
Atypical among the new banking proposals, by its means of marketing at tobacconists, Nickel has exploded in number of customers.

Open a Nickel Account

To open a Nickel account, all you need to do is go buy cigarettes, or have a coffee ... at a tobacconist . Please note, not all tobacco shops are approved: in mainland France there are 3,200 points of sale, 20 in the West Indies, 3 in Guyana, 20 in St Denis de la Réunion (June 2018 count).
You must show up with an ID , your mobile phone and the sum of 20 us dollars (30 us dollars for a Nickel Chrome account). This will allow you to buy the Nickel box which contains, among other things, a non-nominative Mastercard .
At the terminal, you must complete your file and scan your ID (even if you are not good, it only takes a few minutes). With the tobacconist you validate the opening of the account, and he gives you your RIB. You can make a payment immediately (not compulsory).
Your card is then activated (you will receive your confidential code by SMS) and you can use it for your purchases.

I open a Nickel Account

Requirements to open a Nickel account

Note that certain conditions must be fulfilled in order to claim opening a Nickel account and the granting of a bank card:

• reside in France
• be at least 12 years old
• have an Android or IOS smartphone, with an Internet subscription, an e-mail address and a mobile phone number
• be French, European or hold a French residence permit.

You can open a Nickel account even if:
- you are prohibited from banking (FCC)
- you are registered with the FICP
- you are unemployed or cannot prove your regular income
- you are hosted free of charge.

I open a Nickel Account