The volume effect is offset the price effect

While they will soon announce record annual results, the French banks seem to indeed resolved to demonstrate moderation on the rate front. Already net last year, the new brake on prices observed early January kick takes in some cases even the look of a reverse.

In the three large centralized networks (BNP Paribas, Société Générale, LCL), decreases reach over 10 on several products and services which are related to (opposition fees) payment incidents and clients among the smaller range of alternative means of payment (bank check).

"We have focused on a few points particularly experienced by customers and especially consumer associations, namely the transfer fees of the PEL - CEL to another establishment or the cost of rejection of cheques," explains Jean-Robert Sautter, Director of marketing at Société Générale. "We presented more asperities from our large compétiteursmais we wanted to strengthen our tariff restraint and, in some areas, improve our positioning", said Yves Martrenchar, responsible for retail France of BNP Paribas Bank.

Stability side mutual

For their part, mutual banks in Ile de France the only taken into account in our sample simply rates stable or slight increase. This is the case of the Fund of savings Ile-de-France. "We do not seek to be the cheapest but among the lowest best", says Frédéric Monssu, Director policy audiences and the National Fund of the crates of d'Epargne (CNCE) offer. The CIC Paris, part of the Crédit Mutuel group, on the other hand displays significant increases on several products. Other mutual (Credit Agricole Ile-de-France, BRED Banque Populaire, Credit Mutuel Ile-de-France) and La Banque Postale and Société Générale (for the rest of the grid) chose not to change their rates before the month of July.

"The tendency to tariff moderation is the conjunction of several factors", analyzes Marc Oppenheim, the new Director of marketing of LCL. First, the political and competitive environment does not lend to the tariff wow.

Then, some banks say they are sensitive to the situation of the smaller clients and are deliberately choosing to reduce their prices, especially with regard to incidents of payment or the opposition fee.

Finally, networks use more in more their tariff policy as a tool to promote certain behaviours on the part of their clients. "In our new package, we have adopted a billing mode to reduce commissions and we offer overdraft permission to secure clients and thus avoid releases and incidents into account," said the head of LCL.

Atrract new customers

In addition to external pressures, tariff moderation also responds to a strategy of long-term institutional development. "Clients are more attentive than previously to rates of banks." It is therefore important for the conquest of new clients, including young people, said Yves Martrenchar. "To be well positioned on the price of a benefit does not necessarily competitive advantage determinative, that is sufficient to significantly increase the volume." "By contrast, would be consistently among the most expensive be penalizing in terms of image", should be Jean-Robert Sautter. Not question to be firing a bullet in the foot.

"Our guideline in tariff matters, it is the value perceived by the client, explains Marc Oppenheim." It is in a win-win relationship where the client, as the Bank, found their account, the first paying certain services at a price which it considers just, the second conqueror of new customers and developing the relationship by the sale of new products. "The volume effect is offset the price effect.

This movement of moderation, or even decline, there then a chance of last Election year mandates, banks have certainly more that year last wanted show white paw to the two candidates stars. One, Nicolas Sarkozy, they were asked, when he was in the Ministry of economy and finance, net effort of transparency and moderation. The other, Ségolène Royal, did not fail, in recent months to berate some of their practices. "We are in a competition." This will depend on the market. "For years to come, we are building on a tariff moderation but steps on a new decline," said the head of BNP Paribas. The fierce competition between different networks is still the safest insurance against significant tariff escalation.