Central Cheque Register (FCC)
A register kept by the Banque de France listing cheque-writing bans and bank-card withdrawals for misuse. Consulted by banks, an FCC entry weighs heavily on credit approval. The broker anticipates its impact from the very start of the file review.
Key points
- Register kept by the Banque de France listing persons subject to a banking ban.
- Fed by financial institutions after a bounced cheque or abusive card use.
- Consultable by all banks when a credit application or account opening is requested.
- The FCC entry is lifted once regularized, with a maximum legal registration period.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an FCC entry last and how can it be cleared?
The maximum duration of an FCC entry is set by regulation and varies according to the nature of the incident; it can be shortened if the borrower regularizes their situation (repaying bounced cheques, returning the card). The bank that originated the incident notifies the Banque de France of the lifting of the ban.
What is the difference between the FCC and the FICP?
The FCC concerns incidents related to payment instruments (bounced cheques, cards), while the FICP records credit repayment incidents and over-indebtedness cases. An individual can be listed in one without being in the other, but an entry in both weighs very heavily on any financing application.
Can a broker consult the FCC on behalf of their client?
No, only the account holder can request to consult their own data at the Banque de France. Credit institutions, however, have access to the register as part of their verification obligation. The broker must therefore ask the question directly to the client during the initial file review.
In practice
A client reveals during the interview that they had a bounced cheque two years ago, regularized the following month; the broker verifies that the regulatory registration period has lapsed before submitting the file, to avoid an automatic rejection linked to a residual trace.
Put it into practice with CourtImmo
See how CourtImmo software helps brokers on this topic:
Official sources
- The central cheque register (FCC) · Banque de France
- Obtaining a mortgage loan · Service-Public.gouv.fr
- Mortgage credit (official guide) · Service-Public.gouv.fr