French businesses and other professionals use terminal management cards to set up electronic payment terminals (EPTs). Terminal management cards play a central role in accepting EPT payments. Since 2024, bank cards have been the most popular form of payment in France, accounting for 48% of point-of-sale transactions. Therefore, it is important for businesses to accept card payments to respond to customer habits and help boost sales.

Businesses typically need a terminal management card to use EPTs and accept card payments. In this article, we explain terminal management cards, including how they work, how to get one, and what the alternatives are.

Key takeaways

• Terminal management cards—also known as “merchant cards”—are identification cards provided by banks and authorized payment providers that establish links between payment terminals and business accounts.
  
• They are closely tied to electronic payment contracts and include several key pieces of information, including the business’s unique number, bank code, identification information, and bank account details.
  
• To obtain a terminal management card, a business must have an active business bank account. The business can contact their bank or a specialized provider, submit the required administrative documents, and forward the card to the payment terminal supplier for configuration. Processing times range from a few days to a month, depending on the chosen financial institution.
  
• Alternatives to terminal management cards—such as Stripe Terminal—integrate the entire payment processing chain and allow businesses to accept card payments without traditional banking contracts or bank account registration cards, in exchange for a per-transaction fee.
  

What is a terminal management card?

Banks or certified electronic payment providers issue terminal management cards—also known as “merchant cards”—to link EPTs to business bank accounts. Terminal management cards are typically required for businesses to set up EPTs and begin accepting card payments.

Terminal management cards come with a unique business identification (ID) number—typically seven digits—and sometimes a bank code. The ID number identifies the bank account where the business deposits payments and links it to the EPT. The card also contains information about the business’s identity and its bank account details (RIB).

Terminal management cards are linked to electronic payment contracts, which are agreements between businesses and banks or providers that allow businesses to deposit bank card payments made via EPTs. Contracts contain the financial, technical, and security terms and conditions for card deposits, as well as information on EPT use (e.g., accepted card types and terms and conditions for deposits, fees, and charges). Terminal management cards help transmit contract information to the terminal.

Note: Depending on the bank or provider, a separate card might be required for each electronic payment contract. For example, a separate terminal management card could be required for distance sales or holds on cards.

Are terminal management cards mandatory?

Whether a terminal management card is required depends on the electronic payment provider and the payment terminal. In contracts with banks or electronic payment providers, cards are typically required to set up EPTs, whether the business rents or purchases the terminal.

However, they are not required for certain built-in solutions, such as Stripe Terminal. These solutions have their own electronic payment contracts built in.

What are terminal management cards used for?

Terminal management cards are primarily used to set up EPTs, linking them to a business’s bank account. They are also used to cancel transactions before payments are settled and to issue refunds to customer bank cards.

Here is a closer look at how terminal management cards work:

• Configure payment terminals
  Terminal management cards contain the information necessary for card payments to be deposited into a business’s account. When installing or replacing EPTs, the payment technician enters the business ID number and bank code into the terminal’s settings to permanently link the device to the business’s bank account. It’s important to note that multiple payment terminals can link to a single terminal management card. This is useful for shops with multiple cash registers.
  
• Cancel a transaction before remote processing
  Terminal management cards allow businesses to cancel transactions via EPTs before remote processing, which is the daily process of sending transactions to acquiring banks. Generally, when canceling a payment, the salesperson enters the transaction amount into the terminal and confirms it. Then, they insert the customer’s card without entering the PIN and swipe the terminal management card to confirm the cancellation.
  
• Issue refunds to customer cards
  On traditional terminals, terminal management cards are typically required to issue refunds to customer bank cards. The procedure varies depending on the EPT. It’s important to store terminal management cards in a safe place to prevent unauthorized persons from issuing fraudulent refunds.
  

How to obtain a terminal management card

To obtain a terminal management card, a business must enter into an electronic payment contract with a commercial bank, certified online bank, or specialized electronic payment provider. This requires an active business bank account and certain administrative documents. Depending on the provider, the process can take several days to a month.

Here is a step-by-step description of the process:

• Open a business bank account
  Terminal management cards must be attached to a business bank account.
  
• Contact the bank or a specialized provider
  Businesses and professionals can contact their bank representatives and enter into electronic payment contracts. If a bank refuses to issue a terminal management card because of the business’s legal status, the business can also contact a specialized electronic payment provider.
  
• Submit required documents
  Electronic payment providers can require certain documents that prove a business’s status, such as identification, an establishment directory identification system (SIRET) number, bank account details, a KBIS extract, or proof of business activity.
  
• Receive the terminal management card
  Processing times vary by institution, ranging from a few days for some specialized providers to one month for some traditional banks.
  
• Send the card to the electronic payment provider for setup
  Once the terminal management card arrives, send it to the payment terminal provider to install and configure the EPT. Businesses can send a physical card or simply communicate the business ID number and bank code, which typically appear on the card.
  

Are there alternatives to terminal management cards?

All-in-one payment solutions—such as Stripe Terminal—allow businesses to take card payments without a terminal management card or traditional electronic payment contract. They integrate the entire payment processing chain into their service in exchange for a per-transaction fee.

These solutions allow businesses to start taking card payments quicker, without traditional electronic payment contracts or long-term commitments and with clear up-front pricing.

How Stripe can help

Stripe Terminal allows businesses to grow revenue with unified payments across in-person and online channels. It supports new ways to pay, simple hardware logistics, global coverage, and hundreds of POS and commerce integrations to design your ideal payments stack.

Stripe powers unified commerce for brands like Hertz, URBN, Lands’ End, Shopify, Lightspeed, and Mindbody.

Stripe Terminal can help you:

• Unify commerce: Manage online and in-person payments on a global platform with unified payments data.

• Expand globally: Scale to 24 countries with a single set of integrations and popular payment methods.

• Integrate your way: Develop your own custom POS app or connect with your existing tech stack using third-party POS and commerce integrations.

• Simplify hardware logistics: Easily order, manage, and monitor Stripe-supported readers, wherever they are.

Learn more about Stripe Terminal, or get started today.