Digital Banking

France · EMI (établissement de monnaie électronique)

Digital banking for e-money institutions in France

Before authorising an EMI, the ACPR asks the Banque de France for its opinion on the security of your means of payment. Show it an app that already runs, in your brand and in French, rather than a set of mock-ups.

  • Web, iOS and Android apps in your brand
  • Customer journey fully in French
  • Two-factor login and payment checks
  • Technical file for the ACPR portal
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Back-office dashboard with accounts and balances
Mobile banking app in your brand

Case Studies

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Multipass is a financial services provider offering global business accounts, multi-currency payments, and cross-border transaction solutions.

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Multipass Case study
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Paysend & Crassula - a banking solution for international companies

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LuxPay is at the forefront of providing advanced financial services, designed to meet the needs of modern businesses and consumers alike.

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Wickie offers secure and scalable fiat and cryptocurrency payment solutions, providing users with digital wallets and seamless financial services across multiple platforms.

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What an ACPR-authorised EMI can put in customers' hands

A payment account on e-money

Account opening from the phone, an IBAN, SEPA transfers and direct debits. The balance is e-money, and the terms say so plainly.

Cards managed in the app

An instant virtual card, a plastic card later, limits, temporary freeze and PIN in the app. The issuer contract and the choice of network stay with you.

Verified instant transfers

SEPA Instant from the app, with the name and IBAN data used for Verification of Payee.

Mobile banking app with a branded Visa card added to Apple Wallet
Mobile banking app home screen with balance, Add money and Send buttons

Vaults for putting money aside

Vaults to separate holiday or tax money, with no interest paid and a notification for every movement.

A business offer

Onboarding for small companies and sole traders, several users with roles, batch transfers with approval and exports for the accountant.

Aggregation and payment initiation

PSD2 consent screens so customers can link their budgeting or invoicing tools to their account.

What this licence does not cover

  • A deposit account. E-money is not covered by the French deposit guarantee fund (FGDR), and your marketing must not imply otherwise.
  • Interest on e-money, vaults included.
  • Credit funded from money collected from customers.
  • An EU passport if you choose the simplified EMI authorisation, which is limited to average outstanding e-money below EUR 5 million.

What the regulator asks about your IT

Each requirement, what the platform gives you for it and who owns it after launch.

A description of the apps' architecture, hosting, two-factor authentication, roles and audit trail.

Crassula drafts, you sign off

A map of accounts and flows between the app, the ledger, your safeguarding account and your providers.

You, with our input

Outstanding e-money per customer at any moment, exportable for the match against the safeguarding account.

Your finance team, on platform data

Service description, subcontractors, audit and access rights and an exit plan.

You, with our input

Questionnaires per customer type, identity checks through connected providers and per-customer limits. Reports to Tracfin stay with you.

Your AML officer

Interface, notifications and in-app documents in French, with your own terms and fee schedule.

You, with your lawyers

Two-factor login and payment confirmation on web and mobile.

Crassula
Compliance documents card with created, sent, verification and accepted steps

Payment rails and providers

Rails your customers can use

SEPA Credit TransferSEPA InstantSEPA Direct DebitSWIFTCard paymentsInternal transfers
24/7
real-time processing, no batch window
60+
payment and provider integrations connected
150+
companies run on Crassula
15+
languages the platform speaks

Dates to plan around

Rules that change what you have to build, in the order they apply.

17 Jan 2025

DORA applies to EMIs: ICT risk management, reporting of major incidents and a register of ICT providers.

9 Oct 2025

Verification of Payee becomes mandatory for every payment provider in the euro area, EMIs included, on all credit transfers.

9 Apr 2027

Euro area EMIs must be able to send and receive SEPA instant payments.

10 Jul 2027

The EU AMLR applies and harmonises the due diligence you now run under the French Monetary and Financial Code.

Preparing an EMI application to the ACPR? Name us in your file.

The file is filed in French through the ACPR authorisations portal, and annexes on internal organisation may be in English. We prepare the technical annexes with you and give you an environment to show the ACPR and the Banque de France.

01

A platform you can demonstrate

A configured environment to show the regulator, not slides.

02

The technical part of your application, prepared

Payment security, outsourcing, ICT risk under DORA and business continuity sections of your ACPR file.

03

Providers lined up

Banking, safeguarding and KYC providers from our network, matched to your licence.

Talk to us about your application

Crassula provides technology and documentation support. We do not provide legal or regulatory advice and cannot guarantee the outcome of an application.

Policy document prepared for a licence application
Card over euro, pound and dollar balances

How a launch usually runs

Take a team in Lyon that wants to offer a mobile account to students and young professionals. Before its presentation meeting with the ACPR authorisation department, we set up an environment in its brand and draw the flow of funds with it: app, ledger, safeguarding account, card issuer.

Once the file is in, the ACPR comes back with questions and the Banque de France looks at payment security. The team answers from what already runs: two-factor login, limits, fund reconciliation on test data. On authorisation, the same platform opens to the first customers.

For the regulatory side, read our ACPR licence guide and the overview of e-money institutions in the EU.

Read the licence guides

FAQ

The ACPR decides within three months of receiving a complete file. The clock only starts once the file is complete, which often follows several rounds of questions, so build the app during the review.

Authorisation is granted after the Banque de France gives its opinion on the security of your means of payment. It looks at authentication, incident handling and protection of payment data. The platform supplies the technical description, and your team defends it.

The simplified route is for average outstanding e-money under EUR 5 million and gives no EU passport. For a mobile bank that wants to grow or serve other countries, full authorisation is usually the right choice. See our small PI and EMI guide.

Wero replaced Paylib in the apps of the large French banks from October 2024. Joining Wero and co-badging cards with CB both depend on agreements you sign yourself. The platform is not connected to either.

EUR 350,000 of initial capital for full authorisation, plus own funds that track outstanding e-money. Our ACPR guide covers the amounts.

No. Many clients start with a licensed partner. This page is for teams that hold or are applying for an EMI authorisation from the ACPR.

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