Gone are the days when a bank's customers just put their money in it or made loans.. Today, just buying shares in a bank, it is possible to be part of the decision-makers of this one.

On the other hand, it is not just any bank that offers this possibility to its customers, it is above all the mutual banks, such as the Banque Populaire, where you can go from a simple customer to a member. We will see, in this article, how to become a member and above all, what are the advantages of doing so!

The member, a customer like no other!

A member is quite simply a customer subscribing to a banking contract who owns shares in his bank. It is generally mutual banks that offer their customers become members, and this, by buying their shares.

A member can also be a member if he contributes to a membership contract with one of the many mutual banks found in France. To buy shares and become a member of a bank, you must, above all, be a natural or legal person to be able to participate in votes and decision-making.

On the other hand, it is not because a member owns several shares that it gives him more importance for decision-making. For each member, it is one vote, no more. This status was created to allow bank customers to be able to manage, organize or even structure it, together, by mutual agreement. In exchange, each of the members will receive remuneration each year and will benefit from certain advantages on the services and products offered by the bank.

Why become a member of the Banque Populaire?

Becoming a member means, above all, being able to finance the local and regional economy, but also being able to be more involved in the decisions of your bank. Be member at Banque Populaire has several advantages:

  • by becoming a member, you become co-owner of the bank, with all the other members. In addition, the Banque Populaire has no shareholders, which means that it has no stock market shares;
  • the shares purchased can allow the bank to finance more projects and therefore improve the local economy;
  • the money deposited can be used to finance various projects in the territory. This is called the short circuit of money, where all the savings that are collected are used to finance projects locally;
  • the members have their own meetings and can vote to choose their future representatives. They can also talk about the choices that have been made by the managers and ask them questions;
  • with the commitment of members, the bank will be able to anchor itself more comfortably in the region and thus maintain jobs in certain rural areas. It's a way like any other to value the suppliers of your region, to recruit locally and not to relocate your activity;
  • become a member, it also means allowing your bank to get involved with associations that have a relationship with entrepreneurship, education or culture. These associations will even be able to obtain subsidies.

In conclusion, the People's Bank allows its members to be just as useful to the community as to the bank itself.

How to become a member of a bank?

Become a bank member is much easier than you think. Obviously, you must already be a customer of the bank of your choice and buy shares in the bank. You must own one or more shares with a value of 1,50 to 450 euros.

But most of the time, the shares of a bank cost, on average, 20 euros, no more! As a general rule, you cannot subscribe to an unlimited number of units. According to banking institutions, the limit of shares to buy can vary between 200 and 100 euros. As far as the Banque Populaire is concerned, it is when a loan is granted that the bank will register shares with its customers in their favour.

People's Bank also gives its customers the possibility of choosing the number of shares they want to buy. You just have to go to your branch or the regional branch of your bank.

It is important to specify that anyone can become a member of a bank. It is even a gesture that is encouraged, because it is, above all, a militant gesture and it allows important decisions to be made for one's bank.