Not very used in others countries, the check remains a means of payment widely spread in France.

You will find here some useful advices to make cheques or to receive one.

How to order and to keep your chequebook?

• When you receive a new chequebook, note the numbers of check forms in order to be able to find quickly in case of loss or of theft.
• Keep your chequebook in a safe place, avoiding keeping it with identity cards; do not leave your chequebook in a vehicle, even locked.
• Do not sign cheques in advance without an amount or beneficiary.

When and how to pay by cheque?

• Avoid making out cheques for small amounts (less than 30€). With the CB, payment is faster and easier and you do not risk running out of cheques.

• Use payment by transfer, direct debit or TIP (Interbank Title of Payment) every time it is possible.
• If you pay by cheque, note on the stub of your chequebook the details of the cheque (amount, date, name of the beneficiary).
• When you pay by cheque in a shop, you will be asked to produce proof of identity (art. L 131-15 of the “Code Monétaire et Financier”).
• Ensure that you have the appropriate funds on your account (or overdraft facilities) when you write a cheque. Otherwise the cheque could be refused by the bank.
• Avoid issuing cheques abroad, even in €. Payement by card or by transfer is preferable and more economical especially within the European Union.

How to fill in your cheque?

• Use a ball-point black pen; do not make either deletions or alterations. Don’t leave a space in front of the sums in figures ans in letters and draw a line to complete any blank spaces.
• Avoid submitting a checque without the name of the beneficiary, if you do not fill it in yourself; watch that the beneficiary completes it in front of you.
• If the cheque is filled in by a machine, verify that the machine has completed it correctly and that it is legible, and then sign it.
• Do not forget to fill in the date and the place of emission and to sign you cheque.

When and how to stop a cheque?

• In case of loss, theft or fraudulent use of a cheque, you should stop the cheque by contacting your bank as soon as possible.
• Attention: legally, you cannot stop a cheque for any other reason than the above. Please note that it is illegal to stop a cheque because of a discord of commercial order.
• If you don’t manage to get hold of your bank, you can declare the loss or theft of checks (by indicating the address and phone number of your account.
• National Center of Calls Lost or stolen Cheques, service of the Bank of France, open 7 days a week and 24 hours a day by calling the following number: 08.92.68.32.08 (0.337€/min).
• This declaration is not enough; you must confirm with YOUR bank as soon as possible in writing.

If someone gives you a cheque, what should you verify?

• Verify that all the sections of the cheque are completed.  
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• Be attentive to the changes (colours, deletions, stain, mark of scratching or wash, different writing…)
• In cae of doubt, note that all the lines under the amount in letter and the name of the beneficiary are actually micro letters only visible with a magnifying glass. In the case of a photocopy, the text of these micro letters becomes illegible.
• It is advisable not to accept a foreign cheque, even in €. It presents risks of non-covering in case of outstanding payment and further more, it costs more. A transfer is preferable.
• Verify that the amount in figures corresponds to the amount in letters (in case of incoherence, it is the amount in letters that take precedence) and that these two indications are legible.
• Write the name of the beneficiary if it is not already indicated (do not leave in blank and endorse it as soon as possible by writing on the back of the cheque your banking references, the date and your signature.
• Verify that it is not a cheque emitted over one year and one week ago, in which case it would be out-of-date and of no value.

What should you do if you don’t know the person who gives you a cheque?

• Make sure of the identity of the person who gives you the cheque by asking him/her for an ID card with photo (card of identity or stay, passport, driving licence, etc…
  • Verify the coherence between elements concerned this ID card and characteristics of the holder (size, sex, date of birth, etc)
  • Verify that the signature of the cheque corresponds to the one on the presented ID card

• In case of doubt, ask a second ID card.
• Write on the back of the cheque the type of ID card, its number, the date, the place and the authority of delivery.
• Be attentive to the possible tracks of scratching or changes, even to the replacement of photo on the presented ID card.

What should you do if you receive a large sum?

• Transfer is the safest method to be paid. If it is not possible, it is better to obtain a banker’s cheque than a personal cheque.
• The banker’s cheque is emitted and signed by a bank, at the request of his/her customer, with deposit of funds in guarantee. The beneficiary is thus certain about the reserve during the legal deadline of validity of the cheque (one year and one week).
• If you are paid with a banker’s cheque, verify however its authenticity by phoning the bank which issued the cheque (look up in the phone directory rather than appearing on the cheque to avoid calling an accomplice if the presented cheque is a fake).

Source: www.fbf.fr


see our article "How to fill out a french cheque Part II"

Marseille selected as the city to host the 2012 WORLD WATER FORUM

The World Water Council selected Marseille, France as the city and country to host the 2012 World Water Forum. The selection followed a rigorous process for evaluating the candidates and a final vote from the Council’s Board of Governors.
The World Water Forum is the world’s largest water gathering that brings together over 20,000 political leaders, NGOs, government officials, water professionals, and scientists every three years

The French candidacy of Marseille showcased a will to engage people regionally in the global debate around water, but at the same time made it clear that debate is not enough.

Through its candidacy, France and Marseille committed to making the World Water Forum in 2012, “the Forum of Solutions”, drawing from the many concrete successes that France has had in the environmental domain.

Eventually, when Marseille was selected, it extended an invitation to Durban, South Africa to be a full partner in the years running up to the Forum.

Thank you for your confidence and for this important challenge you have given us !

For any further information : http://www.worldwatercouncil.org

(Sources : Press Release- World Water Forum 2012)