BNP Paribas Personal Finance in the era of social responsibility

BNP Paribas Personal Finance has formalized a corporate approach based on 4 key themes:

1/ Act in favour of responsible lending®

As a credit provider, BNP Paribas Personal Finance studies customers’ own personal situations, keeps them informed and helps them to optimise their borrowing capacity, be that for consumer credit or mortgage financing ends. BNP Paribas Personal Finance’s objective is to propose a reasonable solution tailored to suit each customer’s budget, and to accompany and guide each customer every step of the way, even if problems arise.

Promote responsible growth

Since 2004, BNP Paribas Personal Finance has been laying down the foundations of its commitment in terms of “responsible lending” and stepping-up its initiatives:

  • 2004: Cetelem, BNP Paribas Personal Finance’s sales brand, explains its profession, its commitment and its main strategic lines: "promote access to credit for the masses whilst actively pushing for responsible lending and clear information". It publishes “Question of Responsibility” to explain what its commitment involves and communicates on its responsibilities vis-à-vis the general public with an advertising campaign whose theme is “Because it can be in your interests to do so, Cetelem also knows how to say no when it has to.”



  • 2006: Cetelem undertakes to publish 4 “responsible lending” indicators each year: the rejection rate, the percentage of loans that have been fully repaid, the percentage of loans that have been repaid with no default in payment, and the risk rate.
  • 2008: Creation of the first ever informative website on credit, totally dedicated to providing information and 100% non-commercial: www.moncreditresponsable.com
  • 2009: Launch of the first ever information service dedicated to credit, available to all, irrespective of whether or not they are Cetelem customers. This service, which is also 100% non-commercial, is run by a team of dedicated advisors who can be contacted:

             - Via the www.moncreditresponsable.com website
             - By e-mail.

  • 2010: Cetelem France is the first specialist company to set up corporate mediation in consumer finance. Marie-Pierre de la Gontrie holds the position of independent mediator for Cetelem. The aim of this initiative, which is in line with Cetelem’s approach in the development of responsible lending®, is to continue to improve the quality of its customer services.

    The Cetelem mediation has two main roles:
    • to cross a new milestone in terms of customer relations, by offering the possibility to call upon an independent third party, for unsolved complaints, to arbitrate and deliver advice on pending affairs.
    • to identify and carry out improvements, on the strength of the decisions taken by the Cetelem Mediation, so as to reduce the number of disputes

    How to request the Cetelem Mediation
    If you are a Cetelem France customer, and haven’t found a solution to your problem after contacting your customer service... you can request the Cetelem Mediator.
    To request the Cetelem Mediation, send your request by post to the following address:

    La Médiatrice auprès de BNP Paribas Personal Finance / Cetelem
    FCL 9065
    92595 Levallois Perret Cedex


    An independent viewpoint on customer relations
    The Cetelem Mediator has complete leeway to examine Cetelem files and the company will have to comply with her decisions. The information collected for a mediation case cannot be used for legal procedures. The company and the customer are informed of the Mediator’s decisions.
    Read the BNP Paribas Personal Finance Mediation Charter – Cetelem
    See the press release

2/ Helping those who help

More than just an economic player, BNP Paribas Personal Finance provides support to associations such as ADIE (Association for the right to economic initiative), CRESUS (Social overindebtedness regional chambers) and FACE (Acting against exclusion foundation). Via these partnerships it is possible to grant loans to people to whom traditional loans are normally refused. 

Through the Cetelem Foundation, BNP Paribas Personal Finance also supports a number of associations which strive to reduce social inequalities: ADIE, ATD Quart monde, FACE, Secours catholique, Secours populaire français, SNC (New solidarities against unemployment). The support provided is either financial or via skills’ sponsoring.

Finally, the ‘Coup de Pouce’ (helping hand) program, supports BNP Paribas Personal Finance staff extra-professional solidarity initiatives.

3/ Encouraging diversity

Diversity is a symbol of openness, a basis for creativity and a source of vibrancy which is why BNP Paribas Personal Finance has made this issue one of its Human Resources Policy priorities. The result has been the launch of a program of practical action built around 4 key project themes: equality of opportunity between the sexes, a managed age range, the inclusion of disabled people in the workplace and the eradication of discrimination.