How banking in France is

How banking in France is going digital Changing customer expectations and new technology is transforming the face of banking, the experts at Credit Agricole Britline explain how… Banking has a long history. Historical documents suggest that a form of banking dates from Ancient Greece and the Roman empire, with money loaned out and kept safe. In France, Napoleon Bonaparte established the Banque de France, with the first currency issued in 1800. The very first mutual bank in France was Crédit Agricole, founded in February 1885 in the Jura region. Today, innovative technology and shifting customer expectations are changing the face of banking, with new services and new ways of working. We consider why this digital evolution is happening – and the benefits for customers. Why are banks going digital? Innovation in financial services is not new. In the 1970s, French engineer Roland Moreno invented a portable memory device leading the way to the world’s first smart payment card. During the 1980s, this invention revolutionised banking. In the mid-1990s, the world’s first online banking services started up. In 1999, Crédit Agricole Britline was born. Today the pace of change is increasing, and the massive growth in the use of mobile phones and development of high speed internet are the key drivers. The smartphone revolution An estimated 48 million smartphones are currently in use in France. And, not just used for social and search purposes, users are increasingly using phones for banking too, with apps driving this