Over the past ten years, the French banking landscape has been disrupted by the arrival of new players. In 2013, Hello bank! was born within the BNP Paribas group, closely followed by the arrival of the neo-banks. Faced with the proliferation of actors, it can be difficult to navigate.
Below we will detail some of the key elements that will allow you to compare Hello bank! with neo-banks. Online banking has some specificities that are unique to it and that other establishments in its category do not have. At the end of this article, you will know everything about this bank, its advantages and its originalities.
1) A more complete range of products
The neo-banks have built their success on a simplified banking range. Moreover, most of them only have the status of payment provider. These establishments of a new kind concentrate on their current account and their payment card. They disregard products such as savings or credit.
Conversely, Hello bank! displays a range of banking products similar to that of a traditional bank. In fact, you can therefore migrate your main account to her without any constraints. It provides its customers with savings accounts (including the Livret A, the LDDS or the Hello+ booklet), loans (consumption or real estate), a life insurance contract, insurance or even a stock market offer. .
While neo-banks rely mainly on a mobile application, Hello bank! adapts to all digital media. From your smartphone or computer, you can access your accounts in real time. Online banking offers maximum autonomy by allowing customers to manage all their banking products themselves, from any terminal.
© Hello bank!
2) Funding the account
If you opt for a neo-bank, you will have two ways to fund your account: either by credit card or by bank transfer. Coming from a traditional bank, you will have to adopt new habits to comply with these standards. This also implies that you need an account in another establishment which will serve as the basis for funding your account in the neo-bank.
Hello bank! stands out from neo-banks (and all online banks) by offering more flexibility in how to credit your account. You can also fund your account with checks or cash, in addition to transfers. You can deposit cash or checks directly in one of the 2,000 physical BNP Paribas branches in France. Note that checks can also be sent by post.
Current account
Conditions: No income condition
Annual fee: €0 • Initial deposit: €10
Check deposit: ✔ • Cash deposit: ✔
Bank card
Monthly cost of the card: 0 €
Euro zone withdrawals: Free • Euro zone payments: Free
Foreign currency withdrawals: Free • Foreign currency payments: Free
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3) Authorized overdraft and deferred debit
Neo-banks offer payment cards with systematic authorization, without authorized overdraft. On the one hand, it allows you to better manage your budget so that you never go into the red. The other side of the coin is that you have no flexibility: if your account is not sufficiently funded, you will not be able to carry out the transaction.
By choosing the Hello Prime formula at Hello bank!, you will be able to obtain a cash facility to have this flexibility in the management of your funds. Online banking also allows you to set up deferred debit on your bank card. Rather than being debited with each transaction, it charges you the full amount at the end of the month. If you have irregular income, this is a very suitable solution.
4) Customer Support
Of course, Hello bank! does not have a network of physical branches with customer advisors. This is not the case with neo-banks either. That said, the subsidiary of the BNP Paribas group offers an argument that its counterparts do not have: you have customer support available by phone, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.. It is available free of charge, in the same way as online chat or email support.
Rather than having a general advisor, Hello bank! provides you with the best specialists on each of the banking products. Depending on your needs, you can ask an expert for your request in order to have a clear and precise answer. Because the neo-banks have a simplified product range, they are satisfied with support by email – or possibly by chat. Sometimes you have to be patient to get a return.
5) Attractive pricing
For a long time, neo-banks have promoted the free nature of their service. Since the pandemic, they have largely limited the flexibility of their free formulas and are pushing customers towards paid options. Against a current, Hello bank! has overhauled its range to offer two clear and advantageous formulas in terms of price : one free and one paid, Hello One and Hello Prime.
Hello One is a response to neo-banks: it is accessible without income conditions and it is free provided you use the card once a month (otherwise, 3 euros per month). It is very suitable for everyday use, for a getaway abroad and it gives you access to all of the bank’s products. Like the neo-banks, it does not allow authorized overdrafts and the card is immediately debited.
If you need a more premium service, the Hello Prime card will be the one for you. It is available on condition of justifying 1,000 euros per month and on condition of paying a monthly contribution of 5 euros. However, it is much more advantageous than all the paid offers of neo-banks. By choosing the Hello Prime card (which is similar to a Visa Premier on insurance and guarantees), you completely ignore the costs abroad – and whatever the currency. Overdraft is allowed, the limits are higher and deferred debit is available.
Right now, Hello bank! offers a welcome bonus to its customers. For the opening of an account, whatever the formula chosen, you will first receive 80 euros in bonus. If you opt for the Hello Prime formula, the online bank also offers you free subscription for the first six months. This allows you to save 30 euros (6 x 5 euros) to discover the service.
To find out about the Hello bank! offers, go here:
