Banking Glossary French-English terms

Banking Glossary French-English terms

What is the origin of the word « bank »? It goes back to Italian. In Medieval Italy a moneylander set up a bench in the town square and sat down behind it to do business. The word for « bench » in Italian is banca. When the banker ran out of money he smashed his bench, it was then a broken bench or banca rotta. Doesn’t that sound like bankrupt? (makes one think of « rupture », interestingly in French the word is banqueroute)

Here is a set of the most commons terms used in banking/finance in France along with their English equivalents to form a banking glossary French English.

Actions : Shares
ADI (Assurance Décès Invalidité) : Death and invalidity insurance
Agios : Interest paid on loan or overdraft
Annuité : Annual payment
Apport :  Down payment or deposit you bring for loan or mortgage
Approvisionner : To credit funds to your account
Argent liquide/espèces : Cash
Avis d’opération : Transaction receipt
Avis à Tiers Détenteur : Notice to third party holder

Bénéficiaire : Beneficiary

Carnet de chèques/Chéquier : Checkbook
Caution : Guarantee
Chèque de banque : Bank check/draft
Chèque sans provision : A ‘bounced’ cheque, colloquially in French this is said « chèque en bois »
Code personnel/confidentiel : PIN number
Compte courrant : day to day bank account with checking
Compte débiteur : Overdrawn account
Compte destinataire : Account receiving money
Compte joint : Joint account
Compte titres : Account grouping stocks and shares and where the account holder can buy and sell
Courtier : Broker
Crédit hypothécaire : Mortgage
Cryptogramme: Security code on a credit card (last 3 digits on back side)

DAB (Distributeur Automatique de Billets) : ATM/Cash Dispenser
Date d’expiration : Expiry date
Date d’opération : Date transaction recorded
Date de Valeur : Date when amount debited or credited
Débit différé : Deferred credit on a card
Débit Immédiat : Credit card is immediately debited
Découvert : Overdraft
Déposer (de l’argent) : To deposit on an account
Dépôt / Versement : Deposit
Devise : Foreign Currency
Droits de garde : Broker fees

Echéancier : Payment schedule for a bill or loan
Endosser : To endorse (a check)
Espèces : Cash

Frais : Fees
Frais de rapatriement : Commission on receipt of international currency

IBAN: International Bank Account Number. France has transitioned to a new European system called IBAN. RIBs (23 digits) are often still used for transfers between accounts within the country and you will still hear many people refering to RIBs when they really mean IBANs. An IBAN is an International Bank Account Number composed of 2 letters and 25 digits plus a BIC Bank Identifier Code and is used for all transactions national and international. Although international here pretty much means Europe – the United States and many other places do not use IBANs.
Impôt : Tax

Monnaie : Currency

Opposition : Cancellation of payment

Placement : Investment
Prêt : Loan
Prélèvement automatique : Direct debit
Prêt garanti : Secured loan
Procuration : Power of attorney

Relevé de compte : Bank statement
Relevé d’Identité Bancaire (RIB) : Bank account identifier codes. See IBAN
Remboursement : Reimbursemnt, repayment
Retirer (de l’argent) : Withdrawal of funds

Saisie Attribution : Seizure of funds
Solde bancaire : Account Balance

Tableau d’amortissement : Monthly repayment schedule
Taux : Rate of interest
Taux de change : Exchange rate
TEG : Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
Titulaire : Account holder

Valable : Valid
Virement bancaire: Bank transfer/Direct deposit

Banking Glossary

15 avril 2020 10 h 11 min

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