Cheques or Checks are called chèques in France.
The equivalent of a Banker’s Draft is a chèque de banque and they are generally used for high value transactions, buying a car for instance.
You could use them to purchase a house too, but generally this is done by doing a bank to bank electronic transfer.
If you need a banker’s draft or cashier’s check from your bank – give them a couple of day’s notice at least, you may find otherwise that it won’t be available when you need it. Banks will require you to put your request in writing and you will need to provide the name of the person to whom you are paying it, the amount and the account number to be debited.
The chèque de banque is valid for one year and 8 days (as are normal cheques/checks).
French bank cheques do not require to be backed up with a bank guarantee card, they are treated as cash and clear for value the day they are presented to the bank. They are commonly used – particularly in shops and supermarkets and you may be asked for proof of identity from time to time. Make sure you have your passport or form of ID with you at all times for just such an instance.
More on French bank cheques here.
