Shops in France could soon scrap their minimum spending limits for using a debit or credit card. 

Finance minister Michel Sapin wants to abolish the fixed-rate commission that banks charge each other to process card payments, which apply regardless of the transaction amount. 

Only variable commission 

Only the variable commission - the advalorum rate, based on a percentage of the purchase amount, will remain. 

Sapin feels that the commission fee discourages shopkeepers from accepting cards for small amounts. Many stores apply limits such as €15 before a card can be used. 

Mr Sapin said: "I don't want there to be any obstacles any more to paying by card. We will pass a law." 

He also announced plans for a new independent price comparison site for banking fees, which will compare 11 day-to-day banking operations such as withdrawals from another bank's cash machine. - 

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CTMfile take: Payment card usage could be significantly higher, particularly when contactless payment cards become much more wide spread. The time and admin saving from a contactless card payment is huge and, if Sapin’s change is implemented, it will a real cost saving as there will no longer be the additional minimum bank charge.