France
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is available at all SG branches in France, the potential market is not completely tapped into. The anti-money-laundering (AML) regulations and regulations combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) impose additional constraints on the occasional client who wants to deal in cash, especially when the immigrant’s identity is not formally established with French administration identifying papers, which is the standard of identification usually required by banks. Money-laundering risks are also perceived to be higher with cash transactions. As a result, instruments offered to immigrants are mainly traditional wire transfers from an open account in the bank books. SG is the only French bank that offers a low-cost transfer product for small transactions within its own large network, which includes subsidiaries in Africa. Banque d’Escompte (BdE), with only a few branches in France, developed a commission-based money transfer business model, thanks to partnerships with African banks and regional MTOs. This bank is unique in the formal sector because it has developed a money transfer instrument especially for migrants, called “BdE Cash” (box 10.2). BdE also seeks to develop loyalty among the remitters and add value to its remittances services by linking remittances services to financial products offered by its African partners, including savings accounts and mortgages loans. Caisse d’Epargne Ile-de-France also recently launched a new, low-cost money transfer service in partnership with Ecobank.
Box 10.2
The BdE Experience: Developing Agent Networks BdE recently introduced an automatic cash transfer machine (collecting cash) for direct transfers and is developing a program to hire 50 agents in France. Through the program, agents in migrant communities can be provided with a cash transfer machine and a specific identification and fidelization process providing the migrants an identification smart card to facilitate its transfers. With its card, a migrant can designate up to three preferred beneficiaries, and the money (up to €3,000) deposited at a cash machine or by debit card is transferred directly into a selected beneficiary’s account or remit in cash. Migrants must be registered by the BdE but do not need bank accounts with BdE. Source: Author.