The French banking sector is undergoing a period of simultaneous changes. Rising fees, the implementation of new European regulations on digital resilience, and the gradual regulation of artificial intelligence in credit decisions: the topics reshaping the relationship between banks and their clients are multiplying. This article highlights the key facts of 2025-2026 and identifies areas where available data still leaves open questions.
Digital resilience of banks: what DORA and NIS 2 are changing concretely
Before discussing fees or savings products, a less publicized regulatory shift deserves attention. The European regulation DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) came into effect on January 17, 2025. It imposes strict requirements on financial institutions regarding IT risk management, incident notification, and stress testing against cyberattacks.
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On the French side, the NIS 2 directive on cybersecurity has seen its transposition finalized through the “Resilience” bill. The first compliance audit has been postponed to June 30, 2026, and formal audits will become mandatory as soon as the text comes into force.
For clients, the impact is indirect but real. These standards require banks to invest in the security of their information systems, which may potentially affect operating costs. Field reports vary on this point: some institutions absorb these expenses into their margins, while others partially incorporate them into their pricing structures.
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To delve deeper into the various aspects of daily banking relationships, you can consult the banking section on Crédit Infos, which covers both credit and everyday services.
Bank fees in 2026: a rise that exceeds inflation
According to the Banking Fees Observatory (2026 report), account maintenance fees have increased by 3.71% year-on-year. This item is among the most dynamic for individuals, and this increase significantly exceeds the general inflation rate.
The overall rise in banking fees reaches about 2.7% in 2026 across all categories. The expense lines affected cover a wide spectrum:
- Account maintenance fees, charged even in the absence of specific transactions, represent the item with the most significant increase.
- Commissions on payment methods (cards, instant transfers) vary by institution, without a uniform trend.
- Account packages or agreements, which bundle several services, see their pricing adjusted annually, often in a way that is not clear to the customer.
Meanwhile, the net banking income of the sector has increased by 5.6% according to ACPR data. This discrepancy between the growth of banking revenues and the fees charged to clients suggests an improvement in the efficiency of banks’ business models. Margins are improving, but the portion of this improvement that comes directly from fees remains difficult to isolate precisely.
Artificial intelligence and credit decisions: a tightening framework
The European regulation on artificial intelligence classifies AI systems used for credit scoring and assessment in the “high risk” category. Starting in 2026, an impact assessment on fundamental rights will become mandatory before any deployment of these tools.
This classification brings concrete obligations for banks:
- Document the functioning of scoring algorithms and ensure their traceability.
- Implement effective human oversight on automated credit denial decisions.
- Conduct regular tests to detect discriminatory biases in the models used.
ACPR has also begun examining AI governance practices in French banks. The available data does not yet allow for conclusions about the actual compliance level of the sector, but the direction is set: automated credit will no longer operate as a black box.
Consequences for borrowers
An individual whose loan application is denied by an algorithm should, in the long term, be able to obtain a comprehensible explanation of the criteria that motivated this denial. The practical implementation of this right will need to be observed over the coming months, as institutions still have room for interpretation regarding the level of detail to provide.
Digital euro: where is the ECB project
The digital euro project is progressing in stages. The ECON committee of the European Parliament has taken a key step towards launch, and large-scale tests are planned. According to published information, 36 European banks will test the digital euro in September 2027, including BPCE in France.
The digital euro differs from cryptocurrencies by its nature as central bank money, guaranteed by the ECB. It would not replace cash but serve as a complement, usable for everyday payments online and in-store.
Many questions remain open. The individual holding limit, the conditions for remuneration (or lack thereof), and the relationship with traditional bank accounts are still under discussion between the ECB, commercial banks, and national regulators. The timeline itself contains uncertainties: the testing phase in 2027 does not imply immediate deployment for the general public.
Reading banking developments: distinguishing facts from projections
The banking sector produces a considerable amount of institutional communications. Annual reports, press releases on CSR commitments, announcements of digital transformation: the volume of information sometimes makes it difficult to distinguish between what is already in effect and what pertains to intentions.
Rising banking fees are a measurable fact. The implementation of DORA is effective. The regulation of AI in credit is established in a published regulation. In contrast, the digital euro remains in the preparation stage, and the actual impact of the new cybersecurity standards on fees will only be quantifiable in the coming accounting periods.
Maintaining this framework allows for evaluating each banking announcement at its true value, without overestimating upcoming changes or underestimating those already in effect.