From 20 November, French consumer-credit rules cover mini-loans, pay-in-instalments and loans up to €100,000. What changes, which borrower rights already apply, and what to do if you can't pay

France's consumer-credit reform takes effect on 20 November 2026. Service-public.gouv.fr flags it in a news item updated on 27 October 2026. The reform is built from several texts: ordonnance no. 2025-880 of 3 September 2025, which brings EU directive 2023/2225 into French law, and three 2026 decrees (nos. 2026-105, 2026-643 and 2026-719). The stated aim is better consumer protection and preventing surendettement — debt a household can no longer carry.

Which loans are now covered

The protective consumer-credit rules extend to loans that used to sit outside them:

• free loans, or loans with negligible charges;
• mini-loans under €200;
• short loans of under 3 months with negligible charges, in the form of instalment or deferred payment;
• loans between €75,000 and €100,000;
• leases with an option to buy (LOA).

Deferred-debit cards (débit différé) remain excluded.

In practice: splitting a purchase into instalments or paying later is also credit, and it now falls under the rules on information and creditworthiness checks.

What changes for borrowers

• Advertising. It must be "clear, fair and not misleading" and carry the line "Attention ! Un crédit coûte de l'argent et doit être remboursé !" ("Warning! Credit costs money and must be repaid!"). Highlighting how easy a loan is to get is banned.
• Pre-contract information. Its content and form are more tightly framed: the total cost of credit, the consequences of missed payments, and the routes for redress.
• Creditworthiness. Lenders may, on an optional basis, consult the national register of repayment incidents, small loans included. Under the August 2026 decree, a bank must be able to show how it assessed the borrower's situation.
• Help in difficulty. A lender may warn a client about financial trouble; clients in difficulty are directed, free of charge, to debt-advice services independent of the bank.
• Withdrawal and early repayment. The withdrawal period is extended if the lender failed its information duties, and early repayment gets preferential terms. The news item gives no figures for either.

What already applies: 14 days to withdraw

According to service-public's page on consumer-credit contracts (checked on 7 August 2024):

• the loan offer is free, and its terms are guaranteed for 15 days from the day you receive it;
• after signing, you have 14 calendar days to withdraw; a detachable withdrawal form comes with the contract;
• withdrawing also cancels linked contracts such as loan insurance, and the lender cannot demand any payment during that period;
• if the money has already been paid out, it must be returned no later than 30 days after you send the withdrawal, with interest for the time you had it — and no extra penalty;
• for amounts over €3,000, the creditworthiness form must come with ID, proof of address and proof of income.

That last point often trips up newcomers: proof of a French address and income is worth gathering in advance.

If repayments become impossible

Service-public's page on repayment difficulties (checked on 5 December 2025) lists the options:

1. Loan insurance. If the policy covers the cause (illness or job loss, for example), the insurer may pay the instalments. Contact it straight away: some contracts set deadlines for claims.
2. Negotiating with the lender — a pause, a temporary reduction or a longer term. The lender does not have to agree, and the contract may charge for it.
3. A court-ordered grace period. The tribunal judiciaire can suspend or reduce payments for up to 2 years; no late-payment penalties accrue during that time.
4. A surendettement file with the Banque de France commission, for serious and lasting difficulties. Once the procedure opens, creditors cannot pursue enforcement.

If payments are missed, the lender can demand the whole outstanding balance at once, plus a penalty capped at 8% of that balance. From the first missed payment, it must tell the borrower about the risks, the amount owed and the ways to settle. Consumer questions go to the DGCCRF's RéponseConso: 0809 540 550 (not a premium-rate number).

This is a general overview of the rules, not personal advice. The terms of any given loan should be checked against the contract itself and the service-public pages.