TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF WELCOME ACCOUNT SERVICES

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF WELCOME ACCOUNT SERVICES

 

Framework contract for payment services

 

Welcome!

General Conditions of Use" ("GCU") are often long and difficult to understand.

So we've written our own to explain the rules that apply to you when using Welcome Account services simply, clearly and transparently.

To facilitate your reading, we offer in each green box below a short explanation of the content of the GCU and the obligations imposed on Welcome Place and you, as a Customer or User of the Services.

If, despite all our efforts, you still have doubts or misunderstandings, we recommend that you write to our advisors, who are available to answer all your questions by e-mail to [email protected]., or directly in the Application.

 

 

GENERAL

  1. Terms of use

To provide its services, Welcome Place acts as Okali's payment service agent, as an electronic money institution approved by the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR) under number CIB 17448 and authorized to provide payment services.

The Account is a payment account opened in the books of Okali, a simplified joint stock company with capital of €5,660,962.00, registered in the Paris Trade and Companies Register under number 890 111 776, whose registered office is located at 50 rue La Boétie, 75008 Paris, acting as an electronic money institution approved by the ACPR, established at 4, place de Budapest, CS 92459 75436 Paris Cedex 09.

The Account and its associated means of payment are offered to individual customers by Welcome Place, a société par actions simplifiée (simplified joint stock company) with capital of €100.00, registered in the Paris Trade and Companies Register under number 920 756 020, with registered offices at 60 rue François 1er, 75008 Paris, registered with the ACPR as Okali's agent for payment services under number REGAFI 737375.

The commercial offer proposed by Welcome Place combining an Account and associated payment services is called "Welcome Account".

 

  1. Definitions

Subscription(s)

As defined in article L312-1-2 of the French Monetary and Financial Codethe Welcome Account service packages, including an Account and inseparable payment services, offered by Welcome Place and to which the Customer may subscribe.

ACPR

Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution.

Application

Means the Welcome Account mobile or web application - available for free download on mobile application stores - Apple App Store, Google Play Store - through which Welcome Place provides Services to Customers.

Strong authentication

Refers to authentication measures based on the use of two (2) or more elements belonging to the categories "knowledge" (something that only the Customer knows), "possession" (something that only the Customer possesses) and "inherence" (something that the Customer is) and independent in that the compromise of one does not call into question the reliability of the others, and which is designed to protect the confidentiality of authentication data.

Payment Transaction Authorization

A payment transaction is deemed to be authorized when the Customer or a person duly authorized to operate the Account has given his consent to the execution of the transaction.

Card

Refers to the Visa debit card (systematic authorization payment card). Okali, as a principal member of the Visa payment card scheme, provides a systematic authorization payment card linked to the Customer's account. The card is nominative and personal. The amount of each transaction carried out using this card is debited directly and in full from the customer's account, after automatic and systematic verification of the balance (or provision) available on the account.

 

The Card may also be virtual: in this case, one or more e-numbers are provided, exclusively for the purpose of paying for distance purchases of goods or services over the Internet from merchants or service providers (hereinafter referred to as "the Merchant(s)") displaying the "Visa" brand. The Service enables the Customer to make remote purchases without using the number appearing on the plastic Card.

Virtual map

Refers to a Card bearing the Visa payment card scheme mark, issued in dematerialized form by Okali, as Issuer, and associated with the Account. It is used to pay for goods or services purchased remotely over the Internet from merchants or service providers.

Customer

Refers to the natural person of legal age acting for non-professional purposes within the scope of the payment services framework contract concluded with Welcome Place.

Account

Refers to the payment account opened in Okali's books by Welcome Place on behalf of the Customer.

Pricing conditions

Refers to the pricing conditions that apply to the Account, subject to the contract(s) entered into and additional Services subscribed to, except where specifically indicated otherwise. Rates are expressed in euros and include VAT where applicable. They may be modified at any time, subject to compliance with contractual provisions and current regulations.

Contract

Refers to the payment services framework contract between Welcome Place and the Customer as defined in article L314-12 of the French Monetary and Financial Code. It is made up of the following three inseparable documents: the present Terms and Conditions; the Pricing Conditions; and the Special Conditions for Additional Services.

Personal data

Any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.

Customized safety data

Refers to any technical means made available to the customer by Welcome Place for the use of a payment instrument. These data, specific to the client and placed in his custody, are intended to authenticate him.

EEE

Refers to the European Economic Area, comprising all EU member states, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.

SEPA space

Includes EEA member states, Switzerland, San Marino and Monaco.

Unique identifier

Refers to the combination of digits defined by the Customer in the Application to identify the payment account on which the payment transaction is to be made, or to identify the account of the beneficiary of the transaction.

Payment Instrument

Refers alternatively or cumulatively to any personalized device and all procedures agreed between the customer and Welcome Place that enable the customer to initiate a payment order or carry out a payment transaction.

Business day

Means a day on which Welcome Place or the payment service provider of the other Party to the payment transaction carries out an activity enabling a payment transaction to be executed. Days on which payment systems likely to be used for the execution of a payment transaction are closed do not constitute working days.

Partner(s)

Refers to any third-party service provider with whom the Customer has a contractual relationship and who acts as a payment service provider on behalf of the Customer within the framework of a partnership with Welcome Place.

Part(s)

Refers to the Customer and/or Welcome Place.

SEPA Direct Debit

A one-off or recurring payment transaction denominated in euros between a creditor, who initiates the transaction, and a debtor whose account may be located in France or in any other SEPA country.

Payment initiation service provider

Refers to a financial institution approved as a payment service provider and therefore authorized to provide a payment initiation service, i.e. a payment service consisting of initiating a payment order at the Customer's request from the Customer's Account.

Account information service provider

Means an authorized financial institution that provides account information services as a regular activity.

RIB

Refers to a bank statement.

Service(s)

Refers to the basic payment services attached to the Account and provided by Welcome Place as payment services agent, under the mandate of Okali.

Additional service(s)

Refers to payment services, complementary to the basic services attached to the Account, provided by Welcome Place or by Partners, and from which the Client may benefit through Welcome Place.

Sponsor

Refers to any public or private legal entity, partner of Welcome Place, which sponsors the Customer for the creation of his Account, thus enabling him to subscribe to the Services.

Durable support

As defined inArticle L311-7 of the French Monetary and Financial CodeAny instrument that enables customers to store information addressed to them personally, so that they can refer to it at a later date for a period of time appropriate to the purpose for which the information is intended, and which allows identical reproduction of the information stored.

EU

Refers to the European Union.

Customer identity check

Refers to the procedure implemented by Welcome Place and Okali in its capacity as an authorized institution, aimed at ensuring that the natural person identified when subscribing to Services is indeed the person he/she claims to be when opening and using an Account and associated Services. Obligations to identify and verify customer identity are governed by articles L.561-5 et seq. of the French Monetary and Financial Code.

SEPA transfer

A payment transaction whereby Welcome Place transfers, on the customer's instruction, a sum of money from the customer's account to another account opened in the books of a banking, payment or electronic money institution established within the SEPA zone.

 

  1. Object

The present Terms and Conditions, drawn up in accordance with articles L314-1 to L314-16 of the French Monetary and Financial Code govern the conditions under which Welcome Place opens, operates and closes an Account. for the benefit of the Client and/or, in the event of a power of attorney under the conditions of article 12under the client's responsibility.

The Account opened hereunder is an account held in the name of a person, used for the purpose of executing payment transactions. Its operations are carried out by Welcome Place on behalf of the customer. Its operations relate solely to the client's private life, and the client undertakes not to use the Account for professional purposes.

The Agreement constitutes the framework contract for payment services between Welcome Place and the Customer within the meaning of article L314-12 of the French Monetary and Financial Code and the the Order of July 29, 2009 relating to the relationship between payment service providers and their customers with regard to information obligations.

It consists of the following inseparable documents:

  • of these GTUs and its appendices, which form an integral part hereof:
  • Appendix 1 - Withdrawal form ;
  • Appendix 2 - Pricing conditions ;
  • Appendix 3 - Thresholds ;
  • the General Terms and Conditions of Visa Cards.

 

Lhe Contract is drawn up in French, the sole authentic language in relations between Welcome Place and its Customer. To facilitate understanding of the document, a translation of the Contract is provided in several languages for information purposes only.

As Welcome Place is free to accept or refuse any contractual relationship, the latter is only deemed effective after verification of the Customer's identity and final acceptance by Welcome Place of all the constituent elements of the Contract.

The Client acknowledges and accepts that the entire relationship with Welcome Place is dematerialized. Any information or document to be provided to the Client will be transmitted on a durable medium by Welcome Place and made available on the Application.

The Customer unreservedly accepts the Contract brought to his attention by ticking the corresponding box when registering. The Customer may at any time consult, reproduce or store it on his/her computer or on another durable medium. At any time during the contractual relationship and at the Customer's request, the Contract may be sent to him free of charge on paper.

 

Here's what you need to remember:

The purpose of the GTC is to explain the functionalities offered by Welcome Place through the Application (available on the web and downloadable from the App Store for iOS and Play Store for Android), as well as the rules you must respect as a Customer when using the Services.

To finalize your registration, create your Account and start using all the Services, you must accept the T&Cs.

 

SERVICES

  1. Service accessibility

The Application and Services are accessible online from the Application to any Customer, aged 18 or over on the day of registration, acting within the framework of the Contract entered into between Welcome Place and the Customer.

The Services are exclusively reserved for the personal use of the Customer, as a natural person defined as a consumer within the meaning of the introductory article of the French Consumer Code. The Account opened hereunder is intended to record the Customer's transactions relating solely to his private life, to the exclusion of all professional transactions.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Services may also be reserved for professional use, in the specific case of natural persons of full age and capacity carrying on their professional activity as sole proprietors. Sole proprietors are required to open a bank or payment account for all financial transactions related to their professional activity when their sales exceed €10,000 for two consecutive calendar years.

The Customer declares and certifies that he/she is of legal age at the time of subscription to the Services and that he/she has full legal capacity to enter into personal commitments hereunder. The Customer shall retain full legal capacity for the duration of the Contract.

The Client declares and certifies that all information provided to Welcome Place to benefit from the Services is and will remain accurate for the duration of the Contract. The Client also undertakes to respond to any legitimate request to update his/her information made directly to Welcome Place. Welcome Place shall not be held liable for the consequences of failing to update such information.

 

  1. Subscription to Services

Before the future Client subscribes to the Services, the Sponsor provides Welcome Place with a certificate of identity.

Once the certificate has been sent, the future Customer connects to the Application and fills in a registration form with information about his Sponsor, his personal details and a form of identification. The future Customer must also submit to a live identity check, under the conditions set out below in article 11.2.

When the identity check leaves doubt about the identity of the person wishing to become a Customer, or any other reason justifying the non-opening of an Account, Welcome Place sends an e-mail to the Sponsor and to the user of the Application to inform them of the reasons for the refusal to open the Account.

Once the identity verification has been validated by Welcome Place and, if applicable, Okali, the customer can fully access the Application.

The Customer undertakes to keep the username and password secret, and to change the password regularly.

The Customer is entirely responsible for the storage, use and disclosure of his login and password. Their use is strictly personal. In the event that the client wishes to access his or her client area by authenticating via the biometric recognition system integrated into his or her terminal, the client undertakes to be the only person to have registered his or her biometric fingerprint on the terminal concerned. The Client is reminded that Welcome Place has no access to the Client's biometric fingerprint registered on his/her terminal, which remains under the Client's sole control and responsibility. The Customer undertakes to inform Welcome Place of any compromise of his/her password and to change it immediately in the Application.

In the case of persons having received a power of attorney from the Client, the proxy will also be responsible for the use of his/her login and password and for maintaining their confidentiality. Welcome Place accepts no liability in the event of instructions being given by a person who no longer has power of attorney, if Welcome Place has not been informed of the cessation of such instructions, for whatever reason. In the event of loss or fraudulent use (whether proven or not) of the password, the Customer must change the password and contact Welcome Place.

Every ninety (90) working days following the first connection, the security system is reviewed, in particular to enable the strong Customer authentication required by article L.133-44 of the French Monetary and Financial Code. Welcome Place reserves the right to waive strong authentication in cases authorized by current regulations.

The Customer acknowledges that the successive entry of his/her login and password constitute a written document within the meaning of article 1365 of the French Civil Code. This double entry enables the Customer to be identified and proves the latter's consent to the operations carried out (transfer, subscription, direct debit, stock market order, etc.) and the attribution of the latter to the Customer.

It is further agreed between Welcome Place and the Customer that the successive entry by the latter of his login and password will express the express consent of the Customer to the subscription he has wished for any additional product or service offered by Welcome Place.

In addition to passwords and user IDs, Welcome Place has set up various enhanced authentication systems for sensitive transactions (non-exhaustive examples: certain card payments in distance selling, display of card information or PIN code).

Depending on the sensitivity of the transaction, to validate and confirm the transaction, the client must confirm his consent via his Application or the web application. To this end, the client undertakes to download the Welcome Place mobile Application onto their terminal (i.e. hardware compatible with the use of Welcome Account Services) or to connect via the web application. If the Application is unavailable or has not been downloaded, an alternative may be offered by sending an SMS.

 

Warning:

People with malicious intent can develop various types of fraud, including (but not limited to) the following:

  • To false collaborators

False employees of Welcome Place and/or Okali may contact the customer, usurping the identity of Welcome Place and/or Okali, under the pretext of the existence of fraudulent transactions on the account. They may then incite the client to carry out operations such as registering a new beneficiary in order to transfer funds to external accounts, or carry out card transactions.

In such a case, the Customer must hang up immediately and not validate any transaction. A Welcome Place and/or Okali employee will never call a customer to ask him/her to carry out a payment transaction or to give him/her access to his/her Account.

  • To "miracle" offers

The customer may be offered a loan with a very competitive rate, or a savings account with a higher interest rate than the market standard, in order to entice him or her to take up these false offers and divert the sums paid in.

  • Illegal or fraudulent investments

Customers may be offered atypical or very high-yield products/markets. Before investing in these potentially illegal or fraudulent products/markets, it is imperative that the Customer verify that the offer is not fraudulent or illegal. Welcome Place and Okali recommend that you make every effort to verify the seriousness of these investment proposals and consult the list of warnings and blacklists of unauthorized companies and sites on the AMF website.

 

  1. Service description
  1. Credit transactions

Payment transactions at credit which the Customer may benefit are as follows:

  • SEPA Credit Transfers : Transfers made in euros within the SEPA zone and originating from the same zone. The amount of the transaction is credited to the Customer's Account as soon as Welcome Place receives the funds, provided that Welcome Place receives the funds on a Business Day; otherwise, the transfer will be credited at the value of the next Business Day. However, if a foreign exchange transaction is necessary to credit the Customer's Account, the funds will be made available immediately after the conversion transaction.

In order to receive funds on his Account, the Customer must ensure that he has a valid Account (not blocked, suspended or closed).

 

  1. Debit transactions

The following payment transactions can be debited from the Account:

  • SEPA direct debits, including direct debits authorized on a one-off basis; the customer may authorize his creditors to debit his Account directly for certain recurring or one-off payments (electricity, telephone, taxes, etc.);
  • Payment transactions made with a VISA payment card ;
  • SEPA Credit Transfers, including standing orders; according to the characteristics (in particular, the destination IBAN details) previously entered by the customer;
  • Cash withdrawals with a payment card at ATMs.

Payment transactions are subject to the Account usage limits defined in Appendix 2 - Tariff Conditions.

In accordance with the provisions of article L312-1-7 of the French Monetary and Financial Codethese limits do not apply to requests to close the Account in the event of termination of the Contract. The Account closure request will be made directly from the Application and will be effected free of charge by SEPA transfer to the Customer's bank or external payment account (held by the Customer).

 

  1. SEPA direct debits
  1. SEPA direct debit mandate

To authorize a SEPA direct debit, the creditor sends the customer a form known as the "SEPA direct debit mandate", which includes the creditor's identifier.

The "SEPA direct debit mandate" is a dual mandate whereby the debtor :

  • authorizes the creditor to issue European direct debit orders;
  • authorizes Welcome Place to pay these direct debits upon presentation.

The mandate is identified by a unique reference provided by the creditor. The authorization to debit will therefore only be valid for the mandate in question; a creditor can therefore have several mandates with the same customer if he has several commercial contracts.

The debtor customer completes this form, signs it and returns it to the creditor. The creditor verifies the data on the mandate and forwards it to Welcome Place for payment. With SEPA Direct Debit, it is no longer necessary to send Welcome Place a direct debit authorization.

 

  1. Revocation of the SEPA Direct Debit mandate

Customers may revoke their SEPA Direct Debit mandate at any time, or stop one or more payments at Welcome Place . In this case, the revocation or opposition is valid for all direct debits made from the mandate identified by the debtor.

The revocation of a mandate is defined as the withdrawal of consent given to the creditor to initiate all direct debits relating to the mandate. This revocation must be notified in writing to the creditor concerned and may also be brought to the attention of Welcome Place. All direct debits initiated after Welcome Place has been informed of the revocation will be rejected.

 

  1. Opposition

Opposition to a direct debit transaction is a preventive measure whereby the customer refuses (e.g. in the event of disagreement between the customer and the creditor) payment of one or more specific direct debits not yet debited from the customer's Account. The Customer may object to one or more payments via the Application. This objection must be made no later than the business day preceding the day on which the transaction is due to take place.

 

  1. Refusal to execute a SEPA Direct Debit

When Welcome Place refuses to execute a direct debit (lack of funds, blocked account, etc.), it informs the customer and, if there is no objection, gives the reason.

 

  1. Disputes in the event of unauthorized or incorrectly executed SEPA Direct Debits

If the customer becomes aware of an unauthorized debit or an error in the execution of the transaction, he/she must notify Welcome Place without delay. Unless otherwise stipulated by law, no dispute will be accepted after a period of thirteen (13) months from the date the transaction was debited, under penalty of foreclosure.

 

  1. Welcome Place's responsibility

Welcome Place is bound by an obligation to carry out the payment transaction correctly, which will consist of debiting the Account on the direct debit due date indicated by the Customer's creditor. Unless fraud is suspected, unauthorized payment transactions are reimbursed no later than the end of the working day following the dispute. The customer is informed that if the transaction is indeed authorized, Welcome Place may reverse the amount of the initial refund. In the event that the transaction was incorrectly executed by Welcome Place, Welcome Place will refund the amount of the transaction and, if necessary, restore the debited Account to the position it would have been in had the transaction not taken place. Welcome Place may not be held liable in the event of force majeure or when it is bound by legal obligations preventing it from fulfilling its obligations.

 

  1. Refund of authorized SEPA direct debits

The customer may request reimbursement of an authorized SEPA Direct Debit within 8 weeks of the date on which the funds were debited. The refund corresponds to the total amount of the payment transaction carried out.

The Customer is entitled to reimbursement by Welcome Place of an authorized payment transaction, ordered by the beneficiary or by the Customer who gives a payment order through the beneficiary, if the authorization given did not indicate the exact amount of the payment transaction and if the amount of the transaction exceeded the amount that the Customer could reasonably expect, taking into account the Customer's past spending pattern and the circumstances of the transaction.

At the request of the payment service provider, Welcome Place provides all information relating to the requested refund. Within ten working days of receipt of the refund request, Welcome Place either refunds the full amount of the payment transaction or justifies its refusal to refund. Where applicable, the customer may have recourse to the mediation procedure provided for in the Contract. The refund corresponds to the total amount of the payment transaction. The value date on which the Account is credited cannot be later than the date on which it was debited.

 

  1. SEPA transfers
  • One-off SEPA transfers: the customer can initiate transfer orders debited from the Account.
  • SEPA instant transfers (available soon - Welcome Place will inform customers when this service becomes available).
  • SEPA standing orders: the customer can set up standing orders to debit the account.

The conditions for issuing and executing transfer orders and the obligations of the customer and Welcome Place in executing transfer orders are described in this Framework Agreement.

 

  1. Visa cards

The Visa Payment Card associated with the Account is issued under license by Visa International Service Association Visa. Okali is the issuer of the Card as a principal member of the Visa network. This card may be either physical or virtual and entirely dematerialized. In the case of a virtual card, it is a payment card number accessible via the Application. It can then be used to pay on the Internet or in mobile applications.

Visa physical and virtual cards can also be registered with certain compatible contactless payment solutions (Apple Pay, Google Pay) to make purchases. They can then be used to pay in-store, via contactless mobile payment.

Only Clients over 18 years of age are eligible for a Card. The Customer is jointly and severally liable for any damages resulting from the use of the Card by the User(s), and for the reimbursement of any sums due to Welcome Place.

Card operating conditions are governed by the Card Contract, appended to this Framework Agreement.

 

THE ACCOUNT

  1. Account type

The Account is a payment account opened on the books of Okali, as an electronic money institution.

The Account is an individual account, Welcome Place does not allow the opening of a joint account.

The Account is strictly personal. Subject to the establishment of a power of attorney on the Account by the Client, the Client is prohibited from lending or dispossessing himself/herself of the Account. Any assignment or transfer of an Account to a third party is strictly prohibited and will result in termination of access to the Services by Welcome Place.

 

  1. Currencies

Account management, payment instructions, order taking and confirmations are made in Euros, for the Euro zone. Outside the Euro zone, payment instructions, orders and confirmations are made in the currency concerned.

  1. The Customer

The Customer declares and certifies that on the date of opening the Account and for the entire duration of the contractual relationship :

  • That he is not subject to any legal or judicial prohibition or incapacity;
  • That he is acting on his own behalf and in his own interest;
  • That he resides in France.

 

  1. The User

The Account operates under the signature and full responsibility of the Client, as a capable adult, who shall be liable to Welcome Place for all consequences of transactions carried out by the User or by the Client on the Account. In this respect, the Client is advised that any operation carried out by a User in compliance with the contractual conditions entered into between Welcome Place and the Client will be deemed to be an operation carried out by the Client from the point of view of Welcome Place. To this end, the Client authorizes Welcome Place to debit the Account, if necessary.

 

  1. Identification and verification of the Customer's identity
  1. Business relationship due diligence obligations

Okali, as an ACPR-accredited institution, and Welcome Place, as a payment services agent, are subject to strict legal obligations to monitor business relationships in order to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism (LCB-FT), known as the "Know Your Customer" obligations. Know Your Customer ".

In accordance with articles L561-5 et seq. of the French Monetary and Financial Code, they are required to (i) identify the customer and verify the identification details obtained by presenting any documentary evidence in writing (ii) to as well as to collect, and keep up to date, all relevant information relating to the purpose and nature of the relationship established with the Customer.

Should Okali and/or Welcome Place fail to satisfy these vigilance measures, no transaction will be executed and the relationship with the Customer will not be established or continued, without the Customer being able to claim any compensation in this respect.

Before starting the registration and Account opening procedure, the Customer must therefore bring proof of identity and prepare to take a video selfie by following the instructions on the Application.

As part of Welcome Place's verification of his identity in accordance with its legal and regulatory obligations, the Customer must also provide Welcome Place with proof of his nationality and tax residence; additional information may be requested.

The Client must ensure that all information provided to Welcome Place to benefit from the Services is and will remain accurate for the duration of the Contract. The Client also undertakes to respond to any legitimate request from Welcome Place to update its information and, where applicable, to provide additional information. Welcome Place cannot be held responsible for the consequences of failure to update information.

 

  1. Customer identity check

Banking regulations concerning the prevention of the use of the financial system for money laundering and terrorist financing purposes require thatClick here to enter text. financial institutions, such as such as Okali to verify the identity of their customers and, where applicable, their agent(s).

Thus, before entering into a business relationship, and throughout the duration of the relationship, Welcome Place and, where applicable, Okali may ask the client to provide any information it deems necessary to ensure compliance with the aforementioned regulations. The customer must therefore complete the dedicated Identity Verification procedure within the Application. Once this procedure has been completed, the Customer will be able to take full advantage of the Services, and in particular to order the Card associated with the Account. The Account will then be considered as opened by Welcome Place.

The client or, where applicable, the client's agent, also undertakes to provide Welcome Place with any information necessary for Welcome Place to comply with these obligations. Failing this, Welcome Place reserves the right not to execute the transaction or to terminate the relationship.

 

  1. US Person status

The Customer must not be a "US Person", i.e. he must not be identified as a US taxpayer as defined by the US tax authorities. In particular, the Customer must not :

  1. U.S. citizenship, even if residing in France or the EEA;
  1. Have permanent residency in the U.S. or spend a significant number of days in the U.S. each year (more than 183 days over the last three years, including at least 31 days in the current year, subject to certain conditions);
  1. A "US Person" is a person who qualifies as a US taxpayer under US tax law.

US tax law considers a person to be a "US Person":

  1. U.S. citizenship, even if residing in France or the EEA;
  1. any person with U.S. citizenship, including a person born in the U.S. who resides in France or another country and has not renounced his or her U.S. citizenship, or a person who does not reside in the U.S. but has a parent with U.S. citizenship.
  1. any legal resident of the United States: - in particular an American green card holder, - any person residing permanently in the United States or having spent a sufficiently long period of time there over the past three years,
  1. an entity created in the United States of America, or under U.S. federal or state law - an entity in which at least one U.S. beneficial owner holds more than 25% of the rights.

In application of the intergovernmental agreement signed between France and the United States, French financial institutions must presume that any person presenting indications of Americanity as defined by US tax regulations (FATCA - Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) is a US Person, if they have not provided documentation to establish their non US Person status.

Criteria for identifying individuals likely to be considered "US Persons" (Americanity Indices) :

  1. Place of birth in the United States ;
  1. American nationality ;
  1. Address of residence in the United States ;
  1. Known address marked "To the attention of" or "Poste restante" ;
  1. US phone number ;
  1. Power of attorney given to an individual with an address in the United States - Standing order to transfer funds to an account opened in the United States.

 

  1. Power of attorney

Please note that the Account is an individual account, and Welcome Place does not allow the opening of joint accounts. However, the client may give power of attorney to a third party agent to manage and administer the account on his/her behalf and in his/her name. However, only the customer may close the account or terminate the contract.

The authorised representative must not be a bank or court-ordered client. Transactions initiated by the authorised representative are binding on the Customer as if they had been carried out by the authorised representative.

The power of attorney remains valid until revoked by the Customer or his authorized representative. The power of attorney shall also cease to have effect in the event of the death of the client or proxy. Welcome Place must be informed of any revocation of a power of attorney. The client shall remain liable for any transactions carried out by the authorised representative following revocation of the power of attorney until Welcome Place has been notified of such revocation.

The power of attorney does not entitle the proxy to any remuneration.

Welcome Place reserves the right to accept, refuse or withdraw a power of attorney.

 

  1. Credit balance

The Account is a payment account within the meaning of article L. 314-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code, denominated in euros and without overdraft authorization.

Before any payment transaction, the Customer must systematically ensure that the Account balance is sufficient and available to carry out the transaction. The Customer undertakes to honour all payment orders made on his Account. The existence of a dispute between the Customer and a third party, due in particular to the non-conformity of a good or service sold, cannot justify refusal to honor a payment order.

If the Account balance is insufficient to execute the payment transaction, Welcome Place will reject the transaction in whole or in part (to the extent of the available balance). Where applicable, charges may be applied.

 

  1. Right of retention and set-off

Welcome Place may exercise its right of retention on all cash regularly registered in its books in the name of the Client until full payment of all sums, fees, commissions and accessories owed by the latter to Welcome Place.

As a matter of principle, the Client must ensure that sufficient funds are available at all times in all accounts opened with Okali. For this reason, it is expressly agreed between Welcome Place and the Client that Welcome Place may, without prejudice to the independence of the accounts whose operation is separate, set off any certain, liquid and payable claim it may have on the Client against the credit balance(s) of the Client's account(s), regardless of the amount involved. Such offsetting may be carried out at any time, after having informed the Customer, by any means. In the event that the amount remains due by the Customer after offsetting, it is recorded on the Customer's account statement on a specific line corresponding to a debt due.

Customers are reminded that, in accordance with article L111-8 of the French Code of Enforcement Proceduresthe costs of forced execution, undertaken with a writ of execution, for the recovery of the debit balance are to be borne by the Client. Collection costs incurred without a writ of execution remain the responsibility of Welcome Place. However, Welcome Place may justify the necessity of the steps taken to recover its debt and ask the enforcement judge to allow all or part of the costs thus incurred to be borne by the debtor in bad faith.

 

 

BILLING

  1. Fees

Welcome Place's provision of Services to the Customer is subject to pricing as set out in the Pricing Conditions (Appendix 2).

Fees for the maintenance of the Account and the use of Services within the limits of the Account, are billed monthly or annually to the Customer and/or his Sponsor by Welcome Place according to the terms of the Subscription subscribed by the Customer.

The fees payable by the Customer for the provision of Services are paid by monthly debit from the Account.

They may also be paid for in part or in full by the Sponsor. In this context and in consideration of the provision of Services to the Client, as defined in the Agreement between Welcome Place and the Sponsor (certain Services may be included and others excluded), the Sponsor agrees to pay Welcome Place the price determined in its own agreement with Welcome Place, failing which the Client may have its access to the Application and the provision of Services suspended. The Customer also agrees to pay the price of any additional Services not included within the limits of the right to use the Application and provide the Services, as determined in the contract between the Sponsor and Welcome Place.

All amounts payable are in euros. Prices include VAT. Any month started is due. Account charges are debited monthly on the anniversary date of the Account. The anniversary date is the day the Account is opened by Welcome Place.

All transactions requiring special handling, in particular when they result in an irregularity or operating incident on the Account, are subject to specific charges as indicated in the Tariff Conditions. These charges are deducted from the Account in accordance with applicable regulations. No charges will be levied when the operating incident is the result of an error, omission or fault attributable to Welcome Place.

In the event of insufficient or missing funds on the Account, Welcome Place will refuse payment. If the balance of the Account does not allow for the deduction of the fees due by the Client under the Tariff Conditions, the Account will be blocked by Welcome Place after informing the Client. The customer may reactivate the account at any time by providing the necessary funds to pay the fees due.

 

  1. Account statements and annual summary of charges

Welcome Place informs the customer of any provision of contractual information on a durable medium within the meaning of the law and jurisprudence.

Transactions recorded on the Account are accessible via the Application.

Account statements are issued monthly at the end of the month and made available to the Customer on a durable medium within the Application.

At any time during the contractual relationship, and at the customer's request, account statements may be provided free of charge on paper. Customers are advised to keep their account statements for a minimum of five (5) years.

During the month of January of each year, a specific document summarizing all fees received by Welcome Place during the previous calendar year for the provision of the payment services provided for herein will be sent to the Customer on a durable medium.

 

  1. Change

Welcome Place does not charge any fees on the total amount transferred when a payment transaction is carried out in euros or in the currency of an EEA member state and both payment service providers are located within the EEA.

Welcome Place informs the client that, when executing a payment transaction in a currency other than that of an EEA member state or, regardless of the currency in which the transaction is carried out, when one of the payment service providers is located outside the EEA, intermediaries may have deducted fees before Welcome Place receives the funds.

In the case of a payment made with a Card, the applicable exchange rate is that applied by VISA on the date of processing of the transaction concerned by the VISA payment network, and not that in force on the date of authorization of the payment. The VISA exchange rate can be consulted by the Customer at any time by clicking here.

 

 

MODIFICATION, DURATION AND TERMINATION

  1. Modification

Welcome Place reserves the right to modify the Contract, including the Pricing Conditions, at any time.

Any proposed modification to the Contract will be communicated to the Client on a durable medium no later than two months prior to the effective date of the proposed modifications. Welcome Place will inform the customer by e-mail on a durable medium.

The Customer is deemed to have accepted the modification if he has not notified Welcome Place, before the proposed effective date of this modification, that he does not accept it.

If the Customer refuses the proposed modification, he has the right to terminate the Contract without charge, prior to the proposed effective date of the modification under the conditions set out in article 20.1. hereof.

Welcome Place also reserves the right to close the Account of any Client who expressly refuses the proposed modification to the Contract, within the aforementioned timeframe and under the conditions set out in article 20.1 hereof.

If Welcome Place receives no objection from the Customer before the proposed effective date, the Customer shall be deemed to have accepted the amendment to the Contract.

 

  1. Duration and termination
  1. Contract termination

The Contract is concluded for an indefinite period. Unless otherwise provided by law, it may be terminated without cause at any time:

  • Or at the Customer's initiative without prior notice:
  • Directly from the Application,
  • By post or e-mail, dated and signed, accompanied by a copy of a valid identity document (passport with visa, residence permit or national identity card from an EEA member state);
  • Or at Welcome Place's initiative, by e-mail or by registered mail with return receipt, with 2 (two) months' notice, except in the case of provisions to the contrary or serious misconduct on the part of the Customer, which will result in closure without notice (insults or threats made by the Customer against a Welcome Place and/or Okali employee, legal action of any kind taken against the Customer, or in the event of abnormal operation of the account, etc.).

The client must take all necessary steps to ensure that the contractual relationship with Welcome Place is definitively terminated at the end of the agreed term. Once all outstanding transactions have been settled, Welcome Place will return to the client any credit balance and any financial instruments still held that the client wishes to transfer to a third-party financial institution. These returns will be made by transfer to an account held by the customer, the bank details of which have been communicated by the customer in advance.

The Client remains liable to Welcome Place in the event of a debit balance on the Account and must reimburse Welcome Place for any amount paid by Welcome Place on behalf of the Client, including after termination of the Agreement. Fees regularly charged for the provision of Services are payable by the Customer only on a pro rata basis for the period expiring on the date of termination of this Framework Agreement. If they have been paid in advance, Welcome Place will reimburse these costs on a pro rata basis.

 

  1. Cancellation of a Service

Access to a product or service may be terminated at the initiative of either the customer or Welcome Place.

Unless otherwise stipulated for certain products or services:

  • Cancellation can be made at any time;
  • The customer is not required to give prior notice.

Welcome Place will give 2 (two) months' notice. In the event of serious misconduct on the part of the Customer, termination will be effected without notice. Termination of a product or service automatically entails termination of any product or service with which it is associated and which cannot function independently.

Fees regularly charged for the provision of services are payable by the Client only on a pro rata basis for the period due at the date of termination of the Contract. If they have been paid in advance, Welcome Place will reimburse these costs on a pro rata basis.

 

INACTIVITY AND ACCOUNT CLOSURE

  1. Inactive account

An Account is considered inactive within the meaning of the applicable regulations under the following conditions:

  • At the end of a period of twelve (12) months during which the following two (2) conditions are met: (i) the Welcome Place Account has not been the subject of any transaction, other than the recording of interest and the debiting by Welcome Place of fees and commissions of all kinds and (ii) the Client, his legal representative or the person authorised by him has not contacted Welcome Place in any form whatsoever or carried out any transaction on another account opened in his name in the books of Welcome Place; or
  • If the Client is deceased, at the end of a period of twelve (12) months following the death during which none of the Client's heirs has informed Welcome Place of their wish to assert their rights to the assets held in the Client's Welcome Place Account.

When a Welcome Place account is considered inactive, Welcome Place informs the client, the client's legal representative, the person authorized by the client or, where applicable, the client's beneficiaries known to Welcome Place, by any means at its disposal, and informs them of the consequences. Where applicable, this information is repeated annually until the assets are deposited with the Caisse des dépôts et consignations.

Assets registered on the inactive account must be deposited with the Caisse des dépôts et consignation :

  • At the end of a period of ten (10) years from the date of the last transaction, excluding the recording of interest and the debiting by Welcome Place of fees and commissions of all kinds, or from the date of the last manifestation by the customer, his legal representative or the person authorized by him; or
  • At the end of a period of three (3) years after the date of death of the Customer.

In the absence of a request for restitution to the Caisse des dépôts et consignation, the sums are definitively acquired by the French State on expiry of a period of :

  • Twenty-seven (27) years from the date of deposit with the Caisse des dépôts et consignation in the event of the customer's death;
  • Twenty (20) years from the date of deposit with the Caisse des dépôts et consignation in all other cases.

 

  1. Deaths

Sums held by Welcome Place on behalf of the deceased client will, subject to current operations, be blocked by Welcome Place as soon as the death is announced, then released according to the terms of the estate settlement.

Where applicable, the rules applicable to inactive accounts as set out herein will apply.

 

  1. Account closure and mobility

Account closure is free of charge.

The Customer may request the closure of his Account and the transfer of his assets to another financial institution within the SEPA zone.

The institution opening the new account (known as the receiving institution ") offers the Customer, free of charge and unconditionally, a banking mobility assistance service enabling any recurring transfers from the original account to be automatically switched to the new account.

In the event of account closure, Welcome Place informs the customer holding the closed account, free of charge, by any appropriate means and within three (3) working days of the presentation of any transfer on the closed account. This information is provided at least once per issuer involved, for a period of thirteen (13) months from the date of account closure.

Welcome Place transfers any positive balance in the Account to the account opened with the destination establishment, on the date indicated in the Client's formal agreement.

If you open an account with an establishment located in another European Union member state, Welcome Place will provide, free of charge, within six (6) working days of your request to close the Account, a summary of the automatic and recurring transactions that have been carried out on the Account over the last thirteen (13) months.

Welcome Place will transfer any positive balance on the Account, provided it has the necessary information to identify the new institution and the new account. This transfer takes place on the date requested by the customer, at the earliest six (6) working days after receipt of the account closure request.

 

EXECUTION OF PAYMENT TRANSACTIONS

 

  1. Consent and revocation of a payment order

To carry out a payment transaction, the customer must give his consent to the transaction, which is evidenced by Welcome Place's compliance with strong authentication procedures in order to comply with its legal and regulatory obligations (except in the case of exceptions expressly provided for by the applicable regulations).

In accordance with article L131-18 of the French Monetary and Financial Codethe customer may not revoke a payment order once it has been received by Welcome Place, unless otherwise expressly stated in the Application. The order then becomes irrevocable.

Where the payment transaction is initiated by the payee or by the Customer giving a payment order through the payee, the Customer may not revoke the payment order after having transmitted the payment order to the payee or given his consent to the execution of the payment transaction to the payee.

Where the payment transaction is initiated by a Payment Initiation Service Provider, the payer may not revoke the payment order once he has given his consent for the Payment Initiation Service Provider to initiate the payment transaction.

However, in the event of a payment transaction executed on an agreed date and without prejudice to the right to reimbursement under article L133-25 of the French Monetary and Financial Code for direct debit transactions, the payer may revoke the payment order no later than the end of the business day preceding the day agreed for debiting the funds. In the case of a standing order, the Customer's revocation is valid for all future transactions relating to this standing order, unless otherwise specified by the Customer.

In the absence of consent, the payment transaction or series of transactions is deemed to be unauthorized.

 

  1. Strong customer authentication

In accordance with applicable regulations, Welcome Place applies strong customer authentication measures when the customer :

  • Access your online account;
  • Initiates an electronic payment transaction;
  • Carries out a transaction using a remote means of communication likely to involve a risk of payment fraud or any other fraudulent use.

Welcome Place reserves the right to waive the obligation to apply strong authentication measures in cases expressly covered by applicable regulations, in particular the technical regulatory standards concerning authentication and communication.

 

  1. Executing a payment order

The period within which Welcome Place must execute a payment order runs from the time of receipt of the payment order in accordance with the terms and means of communication set out in this Framework Agreement.

Transfer order for immediate execution: It is agreed between the Client and Welcome Place that the time of receipt will be the Business Day on which all the information required to execute the payment order has been received by Welcome Place, subject to the availability of funds to execute the order. If the day on which the order is received is not a Welcome Place business day, the payment order is deemed to have been received on the next business day. Similarly, any payment order made after a cut-off time is deemed to have been received on the following Business Day.

Where the Client and Welcome Place agree that execution of the payment order will commence on a particular day or at the end of a specified period or on the day on which the payer has made the funds available to Welcome Place, the time of receipt shall be deemed to be the agreed day (subject again to all necessary information having been transmitted). If the day of receipt of the order is not a Welcome Place business day, the payment order is deemed to have been received on the next business day.

Payment order cut-off times may apply depending on the payment transaction concerned.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Customer expressly accepts that requests for the recall and return of funds sent by external payment service providers, in their capacity as issuers of SEPA Credit Transfers to the Account (the Customer is the beneficiary of the funds) and accepted by Welcome Place and/or Okali in strict compliance with the rules of the European SEPA payment schemes, may be invoked against the Customer, without the Customer's prior consent being required.

Deferred execution transfer order: The day of receipt is the day specified by the customer for execution of the transfer order (or the next business day if this agreed day is not a business day), provided that the funds are available to execute the order.

 

  1. Refusal to execute a payment order

Welcome Place may refuse to execute a payment order given by the customer.

In this case, Welcome Place will notify the Client of its refusal by any means no later than the end of the first working day following receipt of the payment order. The notification will be accompanied, if possible, by the reasons for refusal, except in the case of a prohibition under another relevant provision of European Union or national law. Where refusal is justified by a material error, Welcome Place will, if possible, inform the customer of the procedure to be followed to correct the error.

If the refusal is objectively justified, Welcome Place may charge a fee for sending the aforementioned refusal notification.

A refused payment order is deemed not to have been received.

 

  1. Contesting a payment transaction

If, upon receipt of his/her account statement, the Client notices a payment transaction that he/she did not authorize or an error in the processing of a payment transaction, he/she must notify Welcome Place without delay. This notification must be made to Welcome Place in the following manner:

  • Directly to your dedicated advisor in the Application;

No dispute may be lodged after a period of thirteen (13) months from the date the payment transaction was debited to the customer's Welcome Place account or from the date on which the payment transaction should have been executed, on pain of foreclosure.

 

RESPONSIBILITY OF WELCOME PLACE

  1. Liability for poorly executed payment transactions

For payment transactions carried out by the customer, Welcome Place is responsible for the proper execution of the payment transaction, i.e. for crediting the account of the beneficiary's payment service provider within the above-mentioned time limits.

If the transaction has not been authorized, Welcome Place reimburses the Client, unless fraud is suspected, the amount of the unauthorized transaction immediately after becoming aware of the transaction or after being informed of it, and in any event no later than the end of the next business day. Where applicable, Welcome Place will restore the debited account to the state that prevailed prior to the unauthorized payment transaction, provided that the transaction concerned has been reported by the customer without delay, and at the latest within the thirteen (13) month period mentioned above, failing which it will be foreclosed.

In the event that the unauthorized payment transaction was initiated by a Payment Service Provider providing a payment initiation service, the Customer agrees to provide Welcome Place with all information necessary for the reimbursement of fraudulent transactions.

In the event that the transaction was poorly executed due to Welcome Place's fault, Welcome Place will refund the amount of the transaction to the Client and, if necessary, restore the debited Account to the situation it would have been in had the transaction not taken place. Any charges or interest levied as a result of non-performance or poor performance will be reimbursed to the Client.

However, Welcome Place cannot be held responsible:

  • in the event that the customer disputes having authorized the transaction: if Welcome Place is able to justify that the transaction has been authenticated, duly recorded and accounted for and that it has not been affected by a technical or other deficiency;
  • in the event that the customer notices an error in the execution of the transfer: if Welcome Place is able to justify that it has indeed transmitted the funds to the beneficiary's payment service provider;
  • if the transaction was carried out incorrectly or could not be carried out due to the Customer providing incorrect or non-existent bank details.
  • in the event of force majeure or when Welcome Place is bound by legal obligations that prevent it from fulfilling its obligations.

Please note that transfer orders are executed by Welcome Place in accordance with the Unique Identifier communicated by the customer for transfers issued or by the originator for transfers received by the customer, notwithstanding any other indication, such as the Unique Identifier of the beneficiary's account for example.

If the Unique Identifier provided to Welcome Place is inaccurate, Welcome Place shall not be liable for the non-execution or improper execution of the transfer order. Welcome Place will, however, make every effort to recover the funds involved in the payment transaction and will notify the Client of the results of its investigations.

By virtue of legal and regulatory provisions, Welcome Place may be required to carry out verifications, including the implementation of strong authentication measures, or request authorizations before executing a payment transaction. In this case, Welcome Place cannot be held responsible for delays or non-execution of the payment transaction.

 

  1. Liability for unauthorized payment transactions

In the event that the Customer disputes having authorized a payment transaction, Welcome Place is responsible for proving by any means that the transaction has been authenticated, duly recorded and accounted for and that it has not been affected by a technical or other deficiency.

In the event that the transaction has been initiated via a Payment Initiation Service Provider at the Customer's request, it is the Payment Initiation Service Provider's responsibility to prove that the payment order has been received by Welcome Place and that, as far as it is concerned, the payment transaction has been authenticated and duly recorded and correctly executed, that it has not been affected by a technical or other deficiency in connection with either the service it provides or the non-execution, poor execution or late execution of the transaction.

In the event of an unauthorized payment transaction reported without delay by the Client, and at the latest within the thirteen (13) month period mentioned above, Welcome Place will (i) reimburse the Client for the amount of the unauthorized transaction immediately upon becoming aware of or being informed of the transaction and, (ii) restore the Welcome Place Account to the state it would have been in had the payment transaction not been executed, unless Welcome Place has good reason to suspect fraud by the Client. In the latter case, Welcome Place will inform the Banque de France.

All of the above provisions also apply in the event that the unauthorized payment transaction was initiated via a Payment Initiation Service Provider.

In the event of unauthorized payment transactions carried out using a payment instrument with Personalized Security Data that has been lost or stolen, the Customer will bear the losses incurred prior to notification for the purpose of blocking the payment instrument, up to a maximum of fifty (50) euros.

The Customer is not liable if the unauthorized payment transaction was carried out without using the Personalized Security Data or by misusing the payment instrument or related data without the Customer's knowledge.

Nor shall the Client be held liable in the event of loss or theft of the payment instrument that cannot be detected by the Client prior to payment, loss due to the acts or omissions of an employee or agent of Welcome Place or of an entity to which its activities have been outsourced, or where the payment instrument has been counterfeited and, in the latter case, the payment instrument issued by Welcome Place is still in its possession.

In all cases, unauthorized payment transactions are not refunded if the Customer :

  • Has acted fraudulently;
  • Intentionally or through gross negligence failed to meet its obligations to preserve its Personalized Security Data; or
  • Reported unauthorized payment transactions more than thirteen (13) months after the date on which they were debited from the account.
  • Once Welcome Place has been informed that the payment instrument has been blocked, the Customer shall not bear any financial consequences resulting from the use of this payment instrument or the misuse of the data linked to it, unless he has acted fraudulently.

 

  1. Limitation of liability

To the extent permitted by law, the Customer agrees that Welcome Place and/or Okali shall not be liable for:

  • in the event of a breach by the Customer of its obligations (for example, in the event of misuse of the Services or malfunction of the equipment);
  • any damage caused by an external service provider (e.g. banking delay, postal delay) or an external cause (e.g. slowdown or interruption of the telecommunications network);
  • the quality of data transmission, access times and any access restrictions on networks and/or servers connected to the Internet.

More specifically, Welcome Place and/or will not be liable for any direct or indirect damages, including loss of data or materials, business interruption, loss of profits, loss of earnings, loss of opportunity or any other damages, resulting from:

  • the unavailability of the Services, technical errors, flaws affecting them or failure to correct these incidents by Welcome Place, which will have made its best efforts to end the unavailability as soon as possible,
  • the use or inability to use said Services, unless Welcome Place is at fault,
  • unauthorized access to the Services by a third party or the alteration of the Customer's access or data as a result of the Customer's negligence,
  • the non-conformity of these Services and tools with the Customer's expectations and needs,
  • the inaccuracy or non-conformity of information, products and data entered or downloaded by the Customer concerning his/her accounts, budget and assets,
  • inaccuracy or non-conformity of the results obtained through the use of said Services or of messages or alerts sent to the Customer via the Services,
  • the loss, non-delivery or failure to store the Customer's data, documents and information or the results provided by said Services,
  • errors or malfunctions that may result from automatic synchronization with bank or payment accounts held with third-party institutions due to negligence or error on their part.

 

  1. Force majeure and legal or regulatory obligations

Welcome Place and/or Okali cannot be held liable in the event of force majeure or fortuitous event. The following are expressly considered as force majeure or fortuitous events under French case law: partial or total strikes, whether internal or external to Welcome Place and/or Okali, lock-outs, blockage of means of transport or supply for any reason whatsoever, earthquakes, fire, storms, floods, water damage, governmental or legal restrictions, blockage of telecommunications and/or telematic systems, and all other events beyond the control of the Parties.

Welcome Place is also released from any liability when its actions are linked to the fulfilment of its legal or regulatory obligations, in particular its obligations linked to the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

 

CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITY

  1. Accuracy of personal information

The Client agrees to provide Welcome Place and its Partners, upon request, with all information necessary to verify the Client's identity and transactions. The Client represents and warrants that the documents provided to Welcome Place and its Partners, as well as the information and/or certifications provided to Welcome Place and its Partners when the account is opened and throughout the performance of the Service, are accurate, regular and sincere on the date they were provided.

Welcome Place draws the Client's attention to the fact that it is the Client's sole responsibility to comply with applicable legal obligations. Welcome Place can in no way substitute itself in this respect. In particular, the client must comply with the tax obligations applicable to him/her, both in the various countries concerned by his/her transactions or investments concluded with Welcome Place or through its intermediation, and in the country(ies) of his/her nationality or residence. The client undertakes to ensure that any transaction carried out with Welcome Place or through its intermediation complies with these laws, in particular with regard to anti-corruption and tax laws.

Welcome Place reminds the Client that the use of false documents is punishable under Articles 441-1 et seq. of the French Penal Code. Clients who use false documents will be penalized by the closure of their Welcome Place client account and, where applicable, will be the subject of a declaration and/or complaint against them filed with the competent authorities.

 

  1. Duty of care

When paying face-to-face or remotely, customers must check the identity of the recipient and the amount of the transaction. Similarly, in the case of remote payment, on the Internet for example, the Customer must be vigilant in ensuring that the payment platform used by the seller is secure.

Welcome Place and its Partners are not liable for any loss due to a technical failure of the payment system if this is indicated to the Customer by a message on the device or in some other visible way.

 

  1. Normal use

The Customer undertakes not to use the Account to purchase services or products prohibited by law. Furthermore, the Customer undertakes to make normal use of the Account and to carry out only those transactions authorized by the Contract.

The Customer expressly accepts and acknowledges that any content downloaded or obtained using the Services is used under the Customer's responsibility and that the Customer is fully liable for any damage or injury to the Customer's computer system and for any loss of data resulting from the downloading of such content in connection with its use.

 

SAFETY

  1. Safety measures

Warning:

Each Welcome Place customer has personalized security data (login, password, codes received by telephone, etc.) enabling them to use the Services.

This Personalized Security Data, subject to the details provided in this Master Agreement :

  • are strictly personal and confidential;
  • must never be disclosed to third parties;
  • will never be requested by Welcome Place ;
  • are under your supervision and responsibility.

As a general rule, Welcome Place and Okali will never call you to ask you to provide Personalized Security Information.

 

Payment instruments issued by Welcome Place must be kept with the utmost care by the customer.

Upon receipt of a Payment Instrument, the Client shall take all reasonable steps to safeguard the use of his/her personalized Security Data. These obligations apply in particular to confidential codes and to any payment order security procedure agreed between the Customer and Welcome Place.

Any disclosure of Personalized Security Data to a third party shall constitute gross negligence on the part of the Customer.

To request the unblocking of their account, customers can contact their Welcome Place advisor:

As an exception to the foregoing and in accordance with the contractual terms and conditions entered into between the Client and Welcome Place, the Client is authorized to disclose Personalized Security Data relating to his/her Welcome Place Account and, where applicable, to any other payment service or instrument, to a user duly designated by the Client and approved by Welcome Place.

In the event of loss, theft, misappropriation or unauthorized use of the payment instrument or related data, the Customer must immediately notify Welcome Place and block the payment instrument or means of payment in the Application. Notification should be made to Welcome Place in the following manner:

  • Directly in the Application;
  • By telephone via the interbank card opposition service on the surcharged number 0 892 705 705 (open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, cost of a call to a landline number + €0.34 incl. tax/min. from a landline or cell phone).

Without access to the Application, the Customer may request Welcome Place to block the payment instrument or method by e-mail.

In the event of notification of the loss, theft or misappropriation of a payment instrument, the Customer may then obtain from Welcome Place, upon request and within eighteen (18) months of the notification made, the elements enabling him to prove that he has indeed made this notification.

 

  1. Blocking of a payment instrument at the initiative of Welcome Place

Welcome Place reserves the right to block a payment instrument for objectively justified reasons relating to the security of the payment instrument, suspicion of unauthorized or fraudulent use of the payment instrument, or a significantly increased risk that the customer will be unable to meet his or her payment obligation.

In such cases, Welcome Place will inform the Customer of the blocking of the payment instrument and the reasons for such blocking by e-mail, which the Customer hereby accepts, unless giving such information is not feasible for objectively justified security reasons or is prohibited under other relevant EU or national legislation.

 

APPLICABLE REGULATIONS

  1. Combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism and international sanctions

Welcome Place is subject to compliance with (i) applicable regulations concerning the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism, and (ii) international sanctions and asset freezes. In this context, Welcome Place must apply vigilance measures with regard to the client, its agents and all the transactions they carry out.

Thus, before entering into a business relationship, and throughout the duration of the business relationship, Welcome Place may ask the client or the client's representative to provide any information or supporting documents that Welcome Place deems useful for compliance with the aforementioned regulations, in particular concerning the nature of the source and destination of funds transiting through the account, and the client's financial situation and assets.

In accordance with applicable regulations, Welcome Place reserves the right to suspend, not execute a transaction or terminate this Master Agreement in the event that (i) the Client or its agent fails to provide the information necessary to comply with said regulations or (ii) the Client and, where applicable, the agent, or the country or territory in which it is located or established, becomes subject to economic or financial sanctions, trade embargoes or similar measures taken, promulgated, or put in place by the United Nations, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the European Union, France or any Member State or any other sanction recognized by Welcome Place or, (iii) an account is used in a manner that would constitute a violation of the sanctions mentioned in (ii), including in particular any payment, direct or indirect, for the benefit of or received from a person subject directly or indirectly to such sanctions or located in a country or territory under extended sanctions. Welcome Place may also be required to make declarations to the relevant authorities.

 

  1. Informatiques et libertés - Personal data

In the context of the business relationship, Welcome Place, as data controller, collects personal data from the customer. The client has the right to access, rectify, delete, limit the processing and portability of his/her data. Customers also have the right to object to the processing of their data for reasons relating to their particular situation, and the right to object at any time to the processing of their data for commercial prospecting purposes.

Customers may exercise their data protection rights and contact Welcome Place's Data Protection Officer by sending an e-mail to the following address [email protected].

Information on data processing can be found in the Personal Data Protection Policy provided.

This document is also available to customers on a durable medium in the Application and on the Welcome Place website at the following address https://welcomeaccount.com/privacy-policy/.

 

  1. Opposition to cold calling

Any Customer who does not wish to be the subject of commercial canvassing by telephone may register free of charge on the telephone canvassing opposition list provided for in article L223-1 of the French Consumer Code directly on the website www.bloctel.gouv.fr or by post to Worldline - Service Bloctel - CS 61311 - 41013 BLOIS CEDEX.

Any person registered on this list may not be canvassed by telephone by Welcome Place or one of its Partners, except in the case of solicitations made in connection with the performance of a contract in progress and related to the subject matter of that contract, including when the purpose is to offer the consumer products or services related to or complementary to the subject matter of the contract in progress or likely to improve its performance or quality.

 

  1. Professional secrecy

In accordance with article L. 526-35 of the French Monetary and Financial CodeWelcome Place and Okali are bound by professional secrecy. All information concerning the customer and his transactions that is covered by professional secrecy may not be disclosed to a third party without the customer's consent, with the exception of the following:

  • Welcome Place and Okali Partners;
  • In accordance with applicable law, public authorities such as the ACPR, the Banque de France, the Institut d'émission d'outre-mer, the Institut d'émission des départements d'outre-mer, the judicial authority acting in criminal proceedings or the tax authorities ;
  • Persons with whom Welcome Place negotiates, executes or concludes the following transactions: (i) acquisition of shareholdings or control in a financial institution, (ii) transfer of assets or business, (iii) assignment or transfer of contracts, (iv) service contracts concluded with a third party with a view to entrusting it with important operational functions, and (v) during the study or preparation of any type of contract or transaction, provided that these entities belong to the same group as the author of the communication.

In this context, the Customer expressly authorizes, for the duration of the present contract, that professional secrecy be lifted with respect to :

  • Any subcontractor or external service provider bound by professional secrecy under the same conditions as Welcome Place in connection with the provision of payment services.

 

  1. Consent to the use of data necessary for the performance of Services

In accordance with Article L. 521-5 of the French Monetary and Financial Code, the Client explicitly consents, by accepting these terms and conditions, to allow Welcome Place to access, process and store any information provided by the Client for the purpose of performing payment services. These provisions and this consent do not affect the respective rights and obligations of Welcome Place and/or the Customer with respect to data protection. The Client may withdraw this consent by closing his/her Account. If they withdraw their consent in this way, Welcome Place will cease to use this data for the purposes of providing payment services. However, Welcome Place may continue to process such data for other legitimate purposes and reasons, including its legal obligations.

Customers are informed that funds credited to their Welcome Place account are protected in accordance with article L. 526-32 of the French Monetary and Financial Code and, in accordance with applicable regulations, are held in a segregated account with Crédit Mutuel Arkea. They are thus protected against any recourse by other creditors of Welcome Place, including in the event of enforcement proceedings or insolvency proceedings against Welcome Place.

 

  1. IBAN control

The customer is hereby informed that the IBANs he provides to his instructing parties in connection with transfers and direct debits may, at the request of his instructing parties' payment service providers, be subject to a consistency check of his bank details by Okali. In the case of a natural person, this check concerns the last name, first name and date of birth of the Account holder, or in the case of a legal entity, the Account holder's SIREN, SIRET and intra-Community VAT number. The result of the check is intended for the Ordering Party's payment service provider on behalf of its Customer, and is retained for thirty (30) days by Okali. The result may also be used and kept by Okali for five (5) years for fraud prevention and customer protection purposes.

The customer's rights with regard to data concerning him/her are set out in the article "Informatique et libertés - Données personnelles et Secret professionnel".

 

  1. Intellectual property

Welcome Place grants the Client a personal, non-exclusive, non-assignable, non-transferable and terminable right to use the Welcome Place mobile applications, APIs and website for the sole purpose of using the Welcome Place Service. The Client acknowledges that the sole use of the Welcome Place mobile application, API and website does not entitle the Client to claim intellectual property rights of any kind.

Welcome Place retains exclusive ownership of the rights attached to the Welcome Place mobile application, API and website, as well as all of their content, including names, trademarks, domain names, logos or other distinctive signs that it owns. Reproduction of these elements is only permitted for information purposes or reproduction for strictly private use.

 

  1. Notification of illegal content

In accordance with the provisions of article 6, I, 7° of law no. 2004-575 of June 21, 2004, Welcome Place is not subject to a general obligation to monitor information hosted on its social networks.

If the Customer finds that content posted on the Application and/or made accessible via a hypertext link is illegal, he/she is invited to contact Welcome Place at the following e-mail address [email protected] Click here to enter text. or directly to their dedicated advisor on the Application.

In order to allow Welcome Place to identify the disputed content, the Customer must provide the following information:

  1. full name, occupation, place of residence, nationality, date and place of birth ;
  1. a description of the disputed facts and their precise location;
  1. the reasons why the content should be removed, including the legal and factual basis.

 

MALFUNCTIONS

  1. Service continuity

Welcome Place will use its best efforts to ensure the continuity of the Service. However, Welcome Place shall not be liable to the Customer in the event of malfunction, error or interruption of the Services as long as Welcome Place has taken all necessary measures at its disposal to remedy such malfunction.

The Customer acknowledges that access to the Services may be restricted from time to time to allow for error correction, maintenance or the introduction of new features or services.

The Customer must ensure that he/she is equipped with hardware that is compatible with the Application, and that he/she has installed the updates required for the proper operation of the Services. The Customer is personally responsible for the rental or acquisition, installation and maintenance of hardware and software usage rights.

The Customer is responsible for ensuring that his or her terminal is compatible with the Services and for installing all necessary updates.

Even if Welcome Place makes its best efforts to optimize the compatibility of its Services with all hardware, Welcome Place cannot guarantee the functioning of the Services with all existing terminals. Consequently, Welcome Place is not involved in any dispute that may arise between the customer and the equipment supplier or in the use of fixed or wireless telecommunications networks and their access providers.

 

  1. Incidents

All transactions requiring special handling, in particular when they result in an irregularity or operating incident on the Account, are subject to specific charges as indicated in the Tariff Conditions.

No fees or interest will be charged when the malfunction is the result of an error, omission or fault attributable to Welcome Place.

 

MISCELLANEOUS STIPULATIONS

  1. Right of withdrawal

Insofar as the Contract is concluded remotely with an individual Customer acting for purposes which do not fall within the scope of his commercial, industrial, craft, liberal or agricultural activity (Consumer Customer), it is subject to the mandatory rules of the French Consumer Code applicable to contracts concluded remotely concerning financial services.

The Customer therefore has a withdrawal period of fourteen (14) completed calendar days to exercise his right of withdrawal, without having to justify his decision or pay any penalties, starting from the day on which the Contract is concluded.

The right of withdrawal must be exercised by the Customer by postal or electronic mail addressed to [email protected]. The Customer must enclose the enclosed withdrawal form, duly completed and signed, within the aforementioned time limit, the date of dispatch of the withdrawal letter being taken as proof.

By entering into the Contract, the Customer agrees that the Services covered by this Contract shall be activated immediately and that the Contract shall commence to be performed immediately, it being specified that the Customer retains his right of withdrawal.

If the Customer exercises his right of withdrawal, the Contract will be terminated and :

  • Welcome Place will return any credit balance in the Account to the Customer subject to the settlement of outstanding transactions;
  • The Customer remains liable to Welcome Place in the event of a debit balance on the Account and must reimburse Welcome Place for any amount paid by Welcome Place on behalf of the Customer, including after termination of the Agreement;
  • The Customer undertakes to pay the amounts due during the period of use of the Services between the commencement of use and the effective date of withdrawal.

In accordance with the applicable regulations, any sum due by the Customer will bear interest at the legal rate and may continue to bear interest after withdrawal until full payment.

 

  1. Validity

If any provision of the Contract is invalid or unenforceable under law or regulation, it shall be deemed unwritten. However, it shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the other provisions of the Contract, and in any event shall not affect the continuity of the contractual relationship, unless such clause is of such a nature as to modify the purpose of the Contract.

 

  1. Waiver

Welcome Place's failure to invoke any of the provisions of the Contract shall not be deemed a waiver of its right to do so.

 

  1. Transfer

the Contract and all the rights and obligations pertaining thereto may not be transferred, in whole or in part, by the Customer, whether in return for payment or free of charge.

Welcome Place reserves the right to assign this Framework Agreement and all or part of the rights and obligations hereunder to any third party, provided that such third party has the necessary authorizations to provide the Customer with the payment services provided for herein.

 

  1. Electronic signature and Framework contract of proof

The Customer expressly agrees to subscribe to the Contract in electronic format and to receive all related documentation in the same format in his Application.

The Customer acknowledges that the Contract, concluded by electronic means and established on a durable medium within the meaning of the applicable regulations, has the same probative force as a written document on paper.

 

 

CONTACT, COMPLAINTS, MEDIATION AND DISPUTES

  1. Contact

If you have any questions, comments or complaints regarding the operation of your account or the use of the services provided, you may contact Welcome Place by e-mail at the following address [email protected] , or directly in the Application.

 

  1. Claims

In accordance with the law, Welcome Place has set up a procedure for handling customer complaints, in particular relating to the performance of payment services.

All complaints, written in French, must be sent by the Customer to Welcome Place, indicating "Welcome Place Complaints" in the subject line, at the following e-mail address: [email protected].

By mutual agreement, Okali will respond, via Welcome Place, to the Customer's request in the Application within ten (10) working days. However, if a more detailed analysis of the request is necessary and leads to a delay, Okali will inform the Customer, via Welcome Place, of the new deadline which, except in very special cases, should not exceed two (2) months from the date of receipt of the complaint.

With regard to complaints relating to the performance of payment services, Okali and Welcome Place undertake to address all points raised by the Customer and to send a reply as soon as possible and, at the latest, within fifteen (15) working days of receipt of the complaint.

Exceptionally, if a response cannot be given within fifteen (15) working days for reasons beyond the control of Okali and Welcome Place, they will send a holding response clearly stating the additional time required to respond to the claim and specifying the final date on which the Customer will receive a definitive response. In any event, the Customer will receive a definitive response no later than thirty-five (35) working days following receipt of the complaint.

In order to process complaints, the Customer agrees to receive registered letters with electronic acknowledgement of receipt, as defined in article 100 of the French Post and Electronic Communications Code. This dispatch will be preceded by an e-mail from the service provider responsible for sending the letter, allowing the Customer to refuse this means of communication within fifteen (15) days.

 

  1. Mediation

The Mediator is the last amicable recourse before taking legal action. Referral to a Mediator implies express authorization by the customer to waive professional secrecy with regard to Welcome Place concerning the communication of information necessary for the mediation process.

You can contact the Ombudsman of the Association Française des Sociétés Financières (ASF) free of charge and in writing, provided :

  • disagree with the response provided by the Welcome Place advisor and the Welcome Place Claims Department,
  • or you have not received a response to your complaint within 2 months, or 35 working days for a complaint concerning a payment service.

The ASF Mediation officer must only be contacted in writing, in French, by a customer who is not acting for professional purposes, and exclusively for disputes relating to services provided and contracts concluded in the field of banking operations (account management and credit operations, payment services), savings products, as well as the marketing of insurance contracts directly linked to a banking product or service distributed by Welcome Place.

  • or by post:
    Monsieur le Médiateur de l'ASF, 75854 PARIS CEDEX 17
  • or electronically:
    https://lemediateur.asf-france.com/Accueil+Request

You can find the mediation charter on the website :
https://lemediateur.asf-france.com/Accueil+Saisine.

Any dispute arising from an online sales or service contract may also be formulated electronically on the Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform on the website: https://webgate.ec.europa. eu/odr/.

The mediator has a period of two (2) months in which to give his opinion, which is not binding on the Parties.

 

  1. Language, applicable law, jurisdiction

The French language is used for all pre-contractual and contractual relations as well as for all communication between the Customer and Welcome Place.

the Contract and the pre-contractual relations are governed exclusively by French law. In the event of translation, only the French version of the Contract will prevail between the Parties.

The competent courts are the French courts.

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Welcome Account is a mission-driven company that provides simple, inclusive financial solutions to all newcomers who come to Europe to work, study or simply live.

Copyright © 2024. Welcome Place - SAS with share capital of €100.00 - 920 756 020 R.C.S. Paris - VAT FR 42 920 756 020 - 60 rue François 1er, 75008 Paris - registered with the ACPR under n°REGAFI 737375 as agent providing payment services for Okali, an electronic money institution approved under CIB 17448 - 890 111 776 R.C.S. Paris - 50 rue la Boétie 75008 Paris.

Welcome Account logo

Welcome Account is a company with a mission to provide simple, incisive financial solutions to all newcomers who come to Europe to work, study or simply live.

Copyright © 2024. Welcome Place - SAS with share capital of €100.00 - 920 756 020 R.C.S. Paris - VAT FR 42 920 756 020 - 60 rue François 1er, 75008 Paris - registered with the ACPR under n°REGAFI 737375 as agent providing payment services for Okali, an electronic money institution approved under CIB 17448 - 890 111 776 R.C.S. Paris - 50 rue la Boétie 75008 Paris.