Subsection 2: Verification procedures with the Banque de France.

Any person to whom a cheque is given to pay for goods or services may, directly or through an agent, check with the Banque de France to ensure that the cheque has not been reported stolen or lost, drawn on a closed account or issued by a person subject to a judicial or banking ban. Payment is made for this service.

The Banque de France shall provide each person wishing to carry out the checks referred to in Article R. 131-5, or have them carried out by an authorised representative, with an access code for the file set up for this purpose.

The person consulting the file indicates the access code allocated to him. In the case of a proxy, the proxy must indicate his or her own access code and that of the payee of the cheque. The query includes the following information as it appears on the cheque presented: a) The form number ; b) Precise identification of the drawee; c) The drawer’s bank details.

The Banque de France’s reply is sent without delay to the person consulting the file. In the case of a proxy, the proxy shall inform the principal without delay. When the Banque de France finds that a cheque has not been properly issued for one of the reasons mentioned in the first paragraph of Article R. 131-5, it informs the person who consulted the file without indicating the nature of…

The Banque de France shall inform any person carrying out the checks provided for in this sub-section that the dissemination and retention by any person of the information obtained is prohibited, subject to the penalties provided for in Article 226-21 of the Criminal Code.