French bank won’t accept my UK mobile number to confirm purchases

Reader question: I cannot use my UK mobile phone number to receive alerts from my bank in France when making purchases online. A manager in the bank explained to me that the banking system does not support 11-digit phone numbers. Does this mean that I have to get a French SIM-card just to receive alerts from my bank?

The president of consumer association France Conso Banque told The Connexion this kind of problem also affects anyone without a mobile, or simply with a mobile deemed too old, which he said is around 30% of the population.

‘Too old’ often means an operating system older than Android 5 or Apple’s iOS 11, he said.

He said that legally in such cases an alternative must be given.

One is to call a phone number which will deliver a single-use code to authenticate the purchase.

Another possibility is a special box linked to your internet box, which can be charged at around £30.

He asked readers to flag up any banks not offering such options to the association by making an inquiry through their website or calling them directly.

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