The NAN Cesu code is an identifier that conditions the cashing of pre-financed CESUs by any service provider. Without this number, no reimbursement is possible from the CRCESU, whether the payment is made by paper title or dematerialized CESU. Understanding its structure, its concrete uses, and the steps to obtain it helps avoid cash flow blockages that can sometimes take a long time to resolve.
NAN Code and CRCESU Affiliation Code: two names, one identifier
Depending on the platforms, the same number has different names. Edenred+ refers to it as “affiliation code,” Upcoop uses “NAN code,” and the CRCESU employs both terms on its own pages. This dual terminology creates frequent confusion among service providers who are discovering the system.
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The table below clarifies the names encountered on the main services related to pre-financed CESU.
| Platform or organization | Term used | Code format |
|---|---|---|
| CRCESU (official site) | NAN Code / National Affiliation Number | 1 to 7 digits + asterisk + 1 digit (e.g., 0012345*1) |
| Edenred+ | Affiliation code | Identical |
| Upcoop / Domiserve | NAN Code | Identical |
Only one code is assigned per provider, regardless of the number of individual employers who pay them in pre-financed CESU. If you are looking for how to obtain the NAN Cesu code, the process always involves an affiliation with the CRCESU, never directly through the issuer of the title.
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Affiliation with CRCESU: online process and reception time
Registration is done on the personal space of the CRCESU. The form asks for the status of the provider (employee directly hired by an individual, service company, agency representative) and banking details for future reimbursement of titles.
Concrete steps for affiliation
- Access the site espacepersonnel.cr-cesu.fr and click on the registration section dedicated to new affiliates.
- Specify the type of activity performed at home (cleaning, childcare, gardening, tutoring, assistance to the elderly, etc.).
- Provide a valid bank account number, as the CRCESU only processes reimbursements via bank transfer.
- Confirm the registration: the NAN code is then sent by postal mail to the declared address, and a summary is accessible online.
For an employee directly hired by an individual employer, there is a prerequisite: the employer must have declared the salary via Urssaf service Cesu (or Pajemploi for childcare). Without this declaration, social contributions are not paid, and the affiliation with the CRCESU has no legal basis.
Recovering a forgotten NAN code
The “I forgot my NAN code” section on the CRCESU site allows you to receive the number by email, provided that an email address is registered on the account. In the absence of an associated email, you must contact the CRCESU customer service by phone.
Dematerialized CESU and NAN code: an underestimated operational link
The dematerialization of the CESU changes the concrete role of the NAN code. With paper titles, the provider cashed the checks and then submitted them to the CRCESU for reimbursement. With the e-CESU, the NAN code becomes the identifier for direct payment: the beneficiary enters their provider’s NAN code on the issuer’s platform to trigger the payment.
Some local authorities are already using this circuit to pay for extracurricular services or leisure activities. The NAN code serves as a payment key during the dematerialized transaction, not just as a passive administrative number.
However, online help content does not always detail this operational dimension. A provider who affiliates thinking that the NAN code is only for reimbursing paper titles may not understand why an employer asks for this number even before handing them a check.
Common mistakes when transmitting the NAN code to an employer
The individual employer who wants to add a provider to their platform (Edenred+, Sodexo, Domiserve) must enter the exact NAN code. Two errors frequently occur.
The first concerns the format. The code contains an asterisk between the main number and the key digit (example: 0012345*1). Some providers send the number without the asterisk or replace this character with a dash. The entry is then rejected by the system.
The second error relates to the confusion between the NAN code and the Urssaf service Cesu number. The Urssaf number identifies the employer-employee relationship for declaring contributions. The NAN code identifies the provider for the reimbursement of pre-financed CESU titles. These two numbers have neither the same issuer nor the same function.
- The Urssaf number is linked to the employer and is used to declare salary and social contributions.
- The NAN code is linked to the provider and is used to cash pre-financed CESUs with the CRCESU.
- A provider can have a NAN code without their current employer using pre-financed CESUs, and vice versa.
When an employer cannot find their employee’s NAN code, the most direct approach is to ask the provider to log into their CRCESU space to retrieve it. Affiliation of the same provider a second time would create a duplicate, leading to complications for reimbursements.
The NAN code remains the only identifier that links a provider to the reimbursement circuit of pre-financed CESUs. Its structure (number + asterisk + key) and its uniqueness per provider make it an element to be preserved with the same rigor as a bank account number. Checking its accuracy before any first transaction avoids most of the blockages reported on issuer platforms.