Banking · Retail bank
Nickel: a payment account opened at a tobacconist's, a French payment institution
A simple payment account with no income requirement, issued by a payment institution authorised in France. It requires a postal address in France and excludes US citizens and residents.
Please note
Characteristics
- Family
- Retail bank
- Regulator
- Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution
- Regulator country
- France
- Deposit guarantee
- No
- Remote opening
- Partly
- Currencies
- EUR
- Services
- Current account · Payment card · International transfers
- Accepted residencies
- Not provided
- Refused residencies
- United States
- Home country
- France
For the French account, you must be a tax resident of a European Union or EFTA country, have a valid postal address in France and hold an original official identity document; US citizens and residents are excluded. According to press reports, Nickel is also present in other European countries, under conditions not reviewed here.
Entities and regulatory status
| Entity | Jurisdiction | Status | Regulator | Protection of funds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financière des Paiements Électroniques (FPE)holds the accountAuthorised payment institution; the number was taken from the general terms and conditions and fee schedule. Membership of the BNP Paribas group was not verified on any page read during this update. | France | Payment or e-money institutions | ACPRLicence 16598 R |
Who can open or keep an account
| Country of residence | Case | Status | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | Opening | Conditions apply | Tax residence in the European Union or EFTA and a postal address in France are required.nickel.eu |
| United States | Opening and keeping | Refused | US citizens and residents are excluded, unless a person born in the United States provides proof that they do not hold US nationality.nickel.eu |
| France | Keeping after a move | Conditions apply | Any change to the information provided at opening must be reported; otherwise, Nickel may close the account. Moving away from France is not expressly addressed.nickel.eu |
A country missing from this table is neither accepted nor refused: the information is not published.
Published figures
- Account fee€20nickel.eu · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
- Brokerage feeNot provided
- Deposit guarantee ceilingNot provided
- Entry ticketNot provided
Which entity, which status
Nickel is the brand of Financière des Paiements Électroniques, a payment institution authorised under number 16598 R and supervised by the ACPR, according to its general terms and conditions and fee schedule (Nickel general terms and conditions and fee schedule). It is not a bank: it holds payment accounts, with no overdraft or credit.
The REGAFI record was not consulted; the entities and statuses of Nickel in Spain, Belgium, Portugal and Germany were not verified.
Who can open an account
For the French account, you must be a tax resident of a European Union or EFTA country, have a valid postal address in France and present the original of a valid official identity document. Minors can open an account from age figure being updated, with a legal representative. US citizens and residents are excluded.
The account can be opened, in particular, at a partner tobacconist. Keeping the account after leaving France is not expressly regulated: the customer must report any change to the information provided, failing which Nickel may close the account. A French address is still required.
Account, card and currencies
The euro account, with RIB, card and transfers, costs €201 per year for account maintenance in the fee schedule consulted; a premium card is charged in addition.
The version date of the fee document was not noted; withdrawal and payment fees outside the eurozone are not included.
Protection of funds
As a payment institution, Nickel must safeguard its customers' funds under the rules on the segregation of funds; the funds are not covered by the bank deposit guarantee.
The general terms and conditions consulted do not describe the safeguarding method or the institution holding the funds.
Points to check
- The postal address in France, an opening condition that weighs on an expatriate.
- The version of the general terms and conditions and fee schedule currently in force, to be requested from Nickel.
- For a person born in the United States, the proof of not holding US nationality.
Sources and verification dates
- 1.
Account fee : €20
« Tenue de compte : 20 € annuel »
Financière des Paiements Électroniques, « Conditions Générales et Tarifaires »Verified on Nov 2, 2026Verified source