TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key indicators
- Payment methods share in France
- Which payment method do French consumers prefer to use when shopping online?
- French Payment Market Overview
Key indicators
Population: 67.4m
Population 15+: 55.6m
Online Population: 62.2m
Currency: EUR
GDP: 2,940.4bn USD
GDP per Capita: 43,620 USD
Payment methods share in France
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Which payment method do French consumers prefer to use when shopping online?
Cards dominate French e-commerce payments, led by the ongoing popularity of the domestic Cartes Bancaires brand. They are used in most e-commerce transactions. The Cartes Bancaires network is well known in France. It also operates 46,000 ATMs and the Carte Bleue cards can be integrated with other card issuers’ products, including Visa® and Mastercard®. Digital wallets are the next most popular method, occupying 20.9 percent of the market. Of the digital wallets, PayPal® is the most popular in France, taking up 17-19 percent of the additional payments space. This may be because security remains a concern for e-shoppers and PayPal has a strong reputation in this area. New entrants to the additional online payments space will have to prove they can offer similar levels of shopper protection. |  |
Meanwhile, bank transfer e-commerce transactions are now worth €10.8 billion, making them the fastest-growing additional payment method in France currently. However, bank transfers are predominately used for high ticket items and in terms of volume, this payment method is far less significant. This method has received increased support in France from major e-commerce merchants.
French Payment Market Overview
France is a major consumer market in Europe and an important e-commerce market in terms of internet penetration, percentage of e-commerce consumers, and average expenditure. In France, e-commerce was worth US$150 billion in 2021. Today, the average French e-commerce consumer spends US$2,219 with online merchants.
In 2021, French e-commerce sites totalled more than 2.1 billion individual transactions. Cross-border shopping already accounts for 15% of all e-commerce in France. The countries where French consumers prefer to shop online are China (44%), the UK (13%) and Germany (13%).
Fashion is the largest segment in France and accounts for 29% of the eCommerce revenue in France.
Click-and-collect delivery is a major feature of the French e-commerce experience. France has become an enthusiastic adopter of the service, where goods are delivered to local shops and public spaces rather than to homes. E-commerce click-and-collect options are growing rapidly.
Kindly contact your Account Manager if you would like to enter the French market.