Or is there some weird French contingency as there always seems to be with seemingly routine tasks? Do I need to sign the back?

YES you need to sign the back.
I always write my account number on the back as well.
And presumably you need a paying-in slip (bordereau de remise de chèque)? either out of your paying in book if you have one, or sometimes there are a few included in your cheque book, or you fill in a blank one at the bank in which case you would need to enter your a/c details as well as the cheque details.
At my bank I don't need to use the machine for cheques, there's a box you can deposit cheques but not cash into, but I don't know about Banque Postale.

 

YES you need to sign the back.
I always write my account number on the back as well.
And presumably you need a paying-in slip? either out of your paying in book if you have one, or sometimes there are a few included in your cheque book, or you fill in a blank one at the bank in which case you would need to enter your a/c details as well as the cheque details.
At my bank I don't need to use the machine for cheques, there's a box you can deposit cheques but not cash into, but I don't know about Banque Postale.

I don't actually know what a paying-in slip is?

At home, I just deposit the cheque in the account at an ATM and my bank balance is updated immediately. That's it. There's nothing else to do.

Perhaps I should just take the cheque to the receptionist to deposit it for me.

 

I forget how to do it because my bank has moved to inserting the cheque into the appropriate slot and the computers pick up all the relevant information - however I'm still required to write the account number on the back of the cheque and sign it (that's a safeguard for reconciliations/audits). You definitely should write your account number on the back and sign the cheque. Your ATM should step you through the process. I would think that if you can deposit a cheque at your ATM there would be both the relevant envelopes and deposit slips available at the machine.

 

Take a look at the back of your book of checks/cheques to see if there is a "remise de chèques" form (or two or three). If not, go to your bank and see if they have a box in which to deposit checks for deposit.

At a minimum, you normally need to write your account number on the back of the check and sign the back of the check. On the "remise de cheèques" form you indicate the emitteur (who wrote the check) and the bank the check is drawn on, plus the amount of the check.

Normally, at your bank, there should be some envelopes you can put your remise de cheques and the check itself into and then you put the envelope into a box for deposit.

Or, if all else fails, take the check into your bank and tell them you want to deposit it into your account. They'll talk you through the process.
Cheers,
Bev

 

Thanks all for your replies. I don't have a chequebook - never ordered one as I don't currently need cheques. I pay my landlord via paypal, and everything else with my carte bleue.

Guess I'll take the cheque into the bank and have them deposit it for me.

 

So, don't laugh, but I just want to verify the correct procedure to deposit a cheque into a French bank account.
- go to ATM machine

Go to a teller. If you've done it wrong they'll probably tell you.

I haven't deposited at an ATM for years, ever since a largish cheque (or, in my case, a check) slipped into the bowels of the machine instead of the basket where the cheques/checks were supposed to go, meaning that it didn't get 'deposited' until I went back to the bank a week later to ask about the missing deposit. They opened tha machine to find about a dozen deposit envelopes sitting on the floor of the machine...

 

At our bank Credit Mutuel you can either use the ATM-they have the instructions in French English and Breton and you insert your card then follow instructions on the screen.Its easy you do not need an envelope and you will get receipt.Alternatively ask a teller and they will probably show you but you must sign the back of the cheque and if it is made out to two people eg M et Mme xxxx then both need to sign

 

Used to be able to do deposits via the ATM machine, but a few years ago there was a string of bank machine heists here in the Paris area and most of the banks I know of have switched to a "drop box" for deposits. At first the drop box was in the bank itself, but they ultimately moved it to an "indoor" room that contains the usual bank machine plus the drop box and is open specific (and rather long and liberal) hours - with, I suspect, CCTV monitors all over the place. You can't deposit anything at the "outside" bank machines, though you can still withdraw cash from them.

BTW, Voyageur80, check books (chequiers) are free here as long as you pick up your check book at the bank and don't ask them to send it to you by post. It's not a bad idea to simply have a chequier handy - I know mine generally last me 3 or 4 years as I only use checks for paying at my doctor (who doesn't take CB) and for the local AVF, which will only accept payment by check. In the back of most chequiers, though, you'll find a RIB (always handy to have - and to scan to a pdf file for online purchases) and usually a couple of paying in slips.
Cheers,
Bev