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 Historical documents suggest that a form of banking dates from Ancient Greece and the Roman empire , with money loaned out and kept safe .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