FDJ launches a bank account via its Nirio app

FDJ continues its new year full of novelties with the announcement of the launch of Nirio Premio, a bank account based on the Nirio application. The aim is to offer an account equipped with management and expense-tracking tools to help people who are regularly overdrawn. Nirio Premio's ambition is to become the benchmark player in local services in France, in conjunction with the FDJ network, and thus compete head-on with Nickel.

FACTS

• Nirio, FDJ's payment services company, launches Nirio Premio, a bank account with a payment card. Available from today, the account can be accessed via the Nirio mobile application.

• The Nirio Premio account, billed at €2.99 a month, includes several services:

• Nirio Go services (already freely available), which enable point-of-sale bill payments by cash, card and partial payment;

• a bank account with a French RIB ;

• a Visa payment card with systematic authorization, plus virtual cards;

• advanced budget management tools.

• For banking approval, Nirio relies on Xpollens, a subsidiary of the BPCE group, which also handles account, transfer and card management.

CHALLENGES

• An account designed to help individuals manage their personal finances: Nirio Premio is aimed above all at a fragile clientele. With this bank account, Nirio wants to offer people who are regularly overdrawn a simple solution, equipped with management tools to help them better manage their spending. In this sense, it is the first French player to offer a genuine alternative to Nickel, based on the same network of tobacconist outlets. While Nickel has the advantage of its age and the size of its network (7,000 tobacconists, compared with 5,000 for Nirio), FDJ remains a strong competitor, thanks to its brand and the success of initiatives launched several years ago to enhance the value of its network.

• A wide range of management tools: to provide added value in budget management, Nirio Premio is equipped with a number of tools, including automatic categorization of expenses, expense analysis, and a budget personalization tool. As a result, account holders have everything they need to optimize the management of their income.

MARKET PERSPECTIVE

• The Nirio app was launched in January 2023 with the aim of enabling social housing tenants to pay their rent more flexibly, in cash or card, at the 10,000 FDJ-approved sales outlets. From June, it will also be possible to pay tolls in tobacconists via Nirio, following a free-flow freeway crossing.

• According to FDJ, of the 10,000 retailers offering Nirio, half have already opted for the Premio version. In addition, FDJ records 2 million public bill payment transactions each year in its network.