# France — payment codes and schemes

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/FR
> extracted at 2026-10-06
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

## Summary

- **Wero** launched October 2024, replacing Paylib (35 million users transitioned)
- **STET** operates CORE (retail) and instant payment infrastructure for French banks
- **Lyf Pay** provides QR code payments combining loyalty, vouchers, and payments
- Connected to **TIPS** for pan-European instant payments
- **EPI founding member** with Germany, Belgium, Netherlands

## Banking landscape

### Central Bank
- **Name:** Banque de France
- **Website:** https://www.banque-france.fr/
- **Role:** Payment systems oversight, monetary policy, CORE(FR) oversight

### Major Banks (2024)

| Rank | Bank Name | Total Assets (EUR) | Market Share | Type |
|------|-----------|-------------------|--------------|------|
| 1 | BNP Paribas | 2,704,910 M | 20.84% | Global |
| 2 | Crédit Agricole S.A. | 2,309,780 M | ~18% | Mutual/Cooperative |
| 3 | Groupe BPCE | ~1,500,000 M | ~12% | Mutual/Cooperative |
| 4 | Société Générale | ~1,500,000 M | ~12% | Global |
| 5 | Crédit Mutuel | ~1,000,000 M | ~8% | Mutual |
| 6 | La Banque Postale | ~800,000 M | ~6% | State-owned |

### By Customer Base (2023)
- **Crédit Agricole:** 54 million customers (#1)
- **Crédit Mutuel:** 37.8 million customers
- **Groupe BPCE:** 35 million customers
- **BNP Paribas:** 30+ million customers

### 2024 Financial Performance
- **Top 3 Aggregate Net Profit:** €22.98 billion (+16% YoY)
- **BNP Paribas:** €11.69 billion net income
- **Crédit Agricole S.A.:** €7.09 billion net income

### STET Ownership
Six major French banks jointly own STET:
- BNP Paribas
- Groupe BPCE
- Crédit Agricole
- Banque Fédérative du Crédit Mutuel
- La Banque Postale
- Société Générale

---

## Payment infrastructure

### National Payment Systems

| System | Operator | Type | Status |
|--------|----------|------|--------|
| CORE(FR) | STET | Retail clearing | Active (2008) |
| SEPA(EU) via STET | STET | Instant payments | Active |
| TARGET2/T2 | Eurosystem | RTGS | Active |
| TIPS | ECB/Eurosystem | Instant settlement | Connected |

### CORE (COmpensation REtail)
- **Operator:** STET
- **Launch:** January-October 2008 (replaced SIT)
- **Type:** Multilateral netting system
- **Settlement:** Once daily in central bank money (TARGET2)
- **Status:** SIPS (Systemically Important Payment System) since 2014
- **Oversight:** Banque de France (ECB Regulation 795/2017)

### STET Instant Payments
- **Connection:** TIPS and RT1
- **2024 Volume:** 36+ billion transactions processed
- **Daily Value:** €25+ billion average
- **Cross-border:** 50+ million real-time transactions (2024)
- **Growth:** Expected 50%+ increase in 2024

### EU Instant Payments Regulation
- **February 2024:** New regulation passed
- **Mandate:** PSPs must offer instant payments
- **Pricing:** Must match standard transfer fees

---

## QR code standards

### Wero QR (Primary - 2024+)

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| **Standard Name** | Wero |
| **Type** | European digital payment wallet |
| **Operator** | European Payments Initiative (EPI) |
| **France Launch** | October 14, 2024 |
| **App Available** | Standalone + banking app integration |
| **Users (France)** | ~16 million active |

#### Current Features
- **P2P Transfers:** Via phone number, email, or QR code
- **Speed:** Within 10 seconds
- **Settlement:** Instant via TIPS/RT1
- **Cross-border:** Germany, Belgium, Netherlands

#### QR Code Features (2025+)
- Individual QR code generation for payments
- No phone number disclosure required
- Payment requests via QR
- E-commerce integration (pilot December 2024)

#### Roadmap
| Date | Feature |
|------|---------|
| October 2024 | P2P transfers launched |
| November 2024 | First online retailer |
| December 2024 | E-commerce pilot |
| 2025 | QR payments, merchant services |
| 2026 | NFC point-of-sale |

### Paylib (Discontinued)

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| **Status** | Discontinued early 2025 |
| **Users at Transition** | 35 million registered |
| **Successor** | Wero |
| **Transition** | Simple switch offered to all users |

### Lyf Pay QR

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| **Type** | Multi-purpose mobile wallet |
| **Backed By** | Crédit Mutuel, BNP Paribas |
| **QR Support** | Yes (unique code per transaction) |
| **Features** | Payment + loyalty + vouchers + coupons |

#### Lyf Pay Capabilities
- QR code payments at point of sale
- Loyalty card integration
- Meal voucher acceptance
- Coupon and discount management
- P2P transfers
- Charity donations

### EPC QR Code

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| **Standard** | EPC 069-12 |
| **Type** | SEPA credit transfer initiation |
| **Adoption** | Growing, supported by major banks |
| **Use Case** | Invoice payments |

---

## Mobile payment apps

| App Name | Bank | Wero | QR | Instant |
|----------|------|------|-----|---------|
| Mes Comptes | BNP Paribas | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ma Banque | Crédit Agricole | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| L'Appli SG | Société Générale | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Banxo | BPCE/Banque Pop/Caisse d'Épargne | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Crédit Mutuel | Crédit Mutuel | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| La Banque Postale | La Banque Postale | Yes | Yes | Yes |

### Wero Integration
All major French banks have Wero functionality integrated directly into their mobile banking apps since October 2024.

### Participating Banks (20+)
- BNP Paribas (and subsidiaries)
- Groupe BPCE
- Crédit Agricole
- Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale
- Crédit Mutuel Arkéa
- La Banque Postale
- Société Générale
- And their respective subsidiaries

---

## Third-party payment apps

| App Name | Type | QR Support | Status |
|----------|------|------------|--------|
| Wero | Digital wallet | Yes (2025) | Active |
| Lyf Pay | Payment + loyalty | Yes | Active |
| Apple Pay | NFC Wallet | No | Active |
| Google Pay | NFC Wallet | No | Active |
| PayPal | E-wallet | Yes (PayPal QR) | Active |

### Wero Standalone App
- Available on iOS and Android since October 14, 2024
- Can be used independently of banking apps
- Currently serves 43.5+ million users across EPI countries
- €7.5+ billion transferred since launch

---

## Schemes

| Scheme | Type | Symbology | Adoption | Technical standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Wero](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/FR/wero) | Payment wallet | QR/Phone/Email | 16M France | [`wero`](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/wero) |
| [Lyf Pay](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/FR/lyf-pay) | Multi-purpose wallet | QR Code | Growing | [`lyf-pay`](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/lyf-pay) |
| [EPC QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/FR/epc-qr) | SEPA QR | QR Code | Major banks | [`epc-qr`](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/epc-qr) |

## Sources

- [BNP Paribas - Wero Launch](https://group.bnpparibas/en/news/wero-a-new-european-instant-payment-solution)
- [Wikipedia - Wero Payment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wero_(payment))
- [Société Générale - Wero France](https://www.societegenerale.com/en/news/press-release/epi-launches-wero-its-european-digital-payment-wallet-france)
- [STET - Homepage](https://www.stet.eu/en/)
- [Banque de France - Payment Systems](https://www.banque-france.fr/en/financial-stability/financial-stability-mandate/oversight-payment-systems-infrastructures/how-payment-systems-work)
- [TheBanks.eu - France Major Banks](https://thebanks.eu/countries/France/major_banks)
- [Stripe - Wero Guide France](https://stripe.com/resources/more/wero-guide-france)
- [Crédit Mutuel Arkéa - Wero](https://www.cm-arkea.com/arkea/banque/assurances/pa_29325/en/wero-the-new-european-digital-payment-wallet-arrives-in-france)
- [NORBr - Payment Methods France](https://web.archive.org/web/20240419002701/https://norbr.com/library/payworldtour/payment-methods-in-france/)
- [European Payments Council - EPC QR](https://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/document-library/guidance-documents/quick-response-code-guidelines-enable-data-capture-initiation)
- [CFONB - Brochure Le virement SEPA, version 10.0 (January 2023)](https://cfonb.org/sites/www.cfonb.org/files/documents/Brochure%20virement%20SEPA%20SCT%20V10.1.pdf)
- [Generali - RIB paiement par virement (November 2025)](https://www.generali.fr/sites/default/files-d8/2025-11/RIB-paiement-par-virement.pdf)
- [MSA Beauce Cœur de Loire - Comment payer votre facture de cotisations sociales](https://bcl.msa.fr/lfp/documents/98845/79351518/BCL+Annexe+%C3%A9ditique+BCLDP+comment+payer+facture.pdf)
- [Legalstart - Preuve de virement](https://www.legalstart.fr/fiches-pratiques/banque/preuve-virement/)

## Full country report

[FR-france.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/FR)