Direct Écureuil – Savings Bank

Caisse d’Épargne customers can freely use Direct Écureuil. More than just an interactive site, it is an online banking account. It allows you to pay for groceries securely and make money transfers very easily. Here is everything you need to know about this platform.

The Direct Écureuil platform of the Caisse d’Épargne

Created in the 1950s, the Caisse d’Épargne mascot has always been able to adapt with the times. In the era of digital transformation, the iconic animal is crossing the threshold of digital banking. To connect to Direct Écureuil, the account holder must go to the official caisse-epargne.fr portal. Then, they must click on personal space and enter their membership number. A password secures your session.

Once on the Caisse-epargne.fr website, the customer can view their balance as well as the history of fund movements. The digital service also allows it to make various payments or make money transfers. Mobile friendly, but also available on computer, the interface remains simple. Intuitive features make personal finance easier. This payment solution is subject to end-to-end encryption. In other words, it is a reliable platform.

Direct Écureuil is designed to pay for groceries without any hassle. It allows you to make a transfer at any time and all year round without interruption. The amount entered is instantly debited from the Caisse d’Épargne current account. Furthermore, the holder receives a confirmation by email.

Many advantages with Direct Écureuil-Caisse d’Épargne

Simplicity is the main advantage of Direct Écureuil. Indeed, the Caisse d’Épargne’s fee-free current account can suit all holder profiles. To open it, you just need to be 18 years and over. Subscription entitles you to a free credit card. It allows you to make unlimited withdrawals from ATMs in the MasterCard network. This is convenient for those who travel a lot.

Movements via Direct Écureuil are not subject to any commission. The user can also receive money from a third party from this platform. The security of any transaction is ensured thanks to Transferwise (Wise). This partner is an international money transfer specialist.

Fully-fledged bank account, Direct Écureuil – Caisse d’Épargne offers its holder an annual remuneration rate of 1.50%. The maximum amount authorized greatly exceeds that of certain regulated savings accounts. This ceiling is set at 20,000 euros and you have to let the money grow for a while to benefit from significant interest. Otherwise, the user also has access to various additional services completely free or at lower cost.

Among the additional services, there is budget management using Mint and Linxo tools. The customer also benefits from legal assistance if the payment is the cause of a dispute. Advisors in Caisse d’Épargne branches are available to answer all users’ questions regarding this digital service of the bank.

Rather positive opinion for this financial platform

Overall, Direct Écureuil is practical and complete, without being perfect. The service is not deployed in smaller French towns. The Caisse d’Épargne mainly promoted it in the largest metropolises in France. Then, the functionalities are far from easy to understand for people who know nothing about online banking.

From time to time, the portal freezes or experiences technical problems. The 404 error sometimes appears on the screen when trying to open the site. It’s quite unpleasant when you have to make a payment quickly. A mobile application dedicated to this platform would also be welcome. Internet users mainly connect from their mobile phones.

Regardless, this system has the merit of existing. For a bank operational since 1818, Caisse d’Épargne lives in tune with the times. The customer may even urgently object to a payment without waiting for office hours. In any case, the services are cross-channel, meaning that the account holder can continue to go to an agency if they want.

Furthermore, the fact that the current account can be opened without income conditions remains appreciable. The subscriber is not required to transfer his salary even though he benefits from a free bank card and checkbook. Whatever the detractors say, this platform is suitable for students and people who don’t have much time for queues at physical agencies.

What more can I say about Direct Écureuil Caisse d’Épargne?

This service would be even better with a simpler interface. The functionalities may also be reworked, in particular with the addition of commands to control expenses. Many services are free or at a lower cost on this platform. This is the case for checking balances and histories.

Making transfers and paying bills also become less stressful with Direct Écureuil. It would be better if these services are completely free. Then, 3D Secure encryption reassures about the security of transactions. However, multi-factor authentication would make the system much more reliable.

In addition to Direct Écureuil de la Caisse d’Épargne, other providers offer a similar service. The market for money transfers, online payment and digital banking has been booming since the advent of Web 2.0. So, the last word always goes to savers who can freely choose among the 725 financial establishments in France.