It is not necessary to make a request every time you are overdrawn: the banking sector puts in perspective the measure that will tighten the rules in 2026, but recognizes that “it will complicate the lives of many households”

The president of the French banking federation (FBF), Daniel Baal, estimated this Thursday that the tightening of the rules on bank overdrafts next year “will complicate the lives of many households.” The rules for granting bank overdrafts will be tightened, in application of a European directive, with the possible consequence of liquidity difficulties for certain clients.

Until now, each bank sets the conditions of duration, amount and interest rate that allow a client to have a debit balance, that is, to be temporarily “in the red.”

In exchange, the customer must pay interest to his bank, an important source of income for a banking establishment. However, starting November 20, 2026, the bank will have more requirements when it comes to studying the customer’s solvency before granting them a bank overdraft.

A “completely inadequate and disproportionate” text

More customers could be denied or limited in their overdraft authorization. Daniel Baal, also president of Crédit Mutuel, considered in a post on LinkedIn that this text, “which comes from above”, is “completely inadequate and disproportionate.” In addition to homes, it will “complicate the lives” of “bank advisors” and will be “detrimental to the customer experience,” considered Daniel Baal.

The French banking federation also denied in a press release that this new order would force customers to make a banking request every time they need an overdraft. Bercy denied on Wednesday any “overtransposition of the European directive” and assured that the new rules will not “undermine the conditions of access for the French to bank overdrafts.”