Swiss Credit Card Cost Study 2025

Credit cards are omnipresent in Switzerland. But many people are oblivious to the real costs that using credit cards can generate. That is especially true if you use your credit card for purchases outside of Switzerland (while traveling or on holidays, for example). Because costs can be very high, taking time to get informed about credit card fees and find the most affordable card before you travel can save you a lot of money. To make this easier for you, moneyland.ch analyzed the costs of using all important Swiss credit cards both in Switzerland and in other countries.

Hundreds of francs of potential savings

moneyland.ch studied the costs and benefits of 131 Swiss credit cards based on three different user profiles: Occasional user, abroad-only user, and frequent user. The analysis accounted for all relevant fees and charges for the first two years of card use. It also accounted for the Swiss-franc-to-euro exchange rates based on samples taken on 13 separate days in April and May 2025.

The results of the analysis show that the costs and cardholder benefits vary broadly between Swiss credit cards. Credit cards with high annual fees typically have more complimentary cardholder benefits but “many consumers use expensive credit cards with benefits that they do not need. For these card users, migrating to a cheaper credit card can bring hundreds of francs of savings each year,” says moneyland.ch expert Benjamin Manz.

Credit card users who match the occasional user profile could save more than 590 francs over the first two years by using the cheapest Swiss credit card instead of the most expensive one – without accounting for costly platinum credit cards. Those who match the frequent user profile could save nearly 800 francs.

The cheapest credit cards for occasional users

The occasional user profile assumes 200 francs per month of card-based purchases in Switzerland, and 1000 euros per year outside of Switzerland. Because some cards have lower introductory fees the first year, moneyland.ch calculated the cost of using each card for two years after signing up.

The cheapest credit cards for occasional users are all free credit cards, or more precisely, credit cards without basic annual card fees.

For consumers matching the occasional user profile, the American Express version of the Cashback credit card from Swisscard is the cheapest, with total costs of -17.40 francs (see Table 1). The rewards earned on purchases exceed the costs of using that credit card by 17.40 francs. Next in line is the American Express version of the Poinz credit card, with costs over the first two years totaling 16.15 francs. It is followed by the Migros Cumulus Visa credit card (33.75 francs), the Simply Card Smart Visa from Bonuscard (36.65 francs), and the Coop Supercard (40.60 francs).

The cheapest credit cards for travel outside of Switzerland

For the abroad-only user profile, moneyland.ch assumes annual transactions of 5000 euros of card-based purchases and 1000 euros of cash withdrawals in foreign countries. Although using credit cards for cash withdrawals is not advisable because of the high fees, many travelers continue to use their credit cards to get cash while traveling.

With costs totaling 363.95 francs over the first two years, the Migros Cumulus Visa credit card is the cheapest Swiss credit card for travelers (see Table 2). The reason: While the currency exchange markups are relatively high, the Cumulus credit card does not have any additional foreign transaction fee. The next most affordable card is the Simply Card Smart Visa from Bonuscard (442.65 francs), which also does not have any basic annual card fee. In third place is the Coop Supercard Visa (445 francs), followed by the Manor World Mastercard (452.30 francs), and the American Express version of the Cashback credit card from Swisscard (456.15 francs).

Interestingly, UBS, Postfinance, and Topcard (a UBS subsidiary that issues the Coop Supercard credit card) now use separate currency exchange rates for Visa and Mastercard. In this year’s samplings, the currency exchange rates for Visa cards were more favorable than those used for Mastercard credit cards. Travelers with UBS, Postfinance, and Topcard credit cards who have the Visa versions of credit cards will spend somewhat less on fees and charges than those with the Mastercard versions. 

The cheapest credit cards for frequent users

For its frequent user profile, moneyland.ch assumes that the cardholder makes 1000 francs of card-based purchases in Switzerland per month, plus 5000 euros of card-based purchases from foreign merchants. The user also uses their credit card to make five cash withdrawals worth 200 francs each in Switzerland, and another five 200-franc withdrawals in foreign countries. There are still consumers who use credit cards to get cash, in spite of the prohibitive fees. 

For consumers matching the frequent user profile, the American Express version of the Cashback credit card from Swisscard is cheapest, with total costs of 305.75 francs for the first two years (see Table 3). Next in line are the Migros Cumulus Visa credit card (334.75 francs), the American Express version of the Poinz credit card (363.85 francs), the Coop Supercard Visa credit card (440.80 francs), and the Simply Card Visa (446.65 francs).

Credit card tips for holidaymakers

Before you go on holiday, take the time to find the cheapest credit card that matches your needs. Some credit cards give you complimentary travel insurance when you use them to pay for travel bookings. You can sort credit cards by their insurance benefits using the interactive credit card comparison on moneyland.ch. 

It is advisable to bring a debit card with you when you travel and use this debit card for cash withdrawals. This could be the debit card linked to your main private account, for example. Additionally, you could consider taking along a card issued by a neobank with exceptionally favorable conditions for travelers. Using the right neobank card for card-based payments and possibly cash withdrawals (depending on the fees) can save you money.

More tips: When you make payments in foreign currencies, you will usually be asked whether you want to pay in Swiss francs or in the local currency. “It is always advisable to pay in the local currency, as this helps you avoid high fees,” recommends Benjamin Manz. Whenever possible, you should avoid using credit cards to make cash withdrawals, as most Swiss credit cards have very high cash advance fees (often at least 10 francs per withdrawal). Debit cards and neobank cards are more suitable for getting cash.

And one last tip: Freestanding ATMs, such as those found in many airports or in front of stores, often have very high fees. Using ATMs operated by larger banks is often cheaper.

Classic credit cards versus cards from neobanks

moneyland.ch analyzed the costs of using neobanks in a separate study. Some cards from neobanks like Neon, Radicant, Wise, and Yuh are even cheaper for travelers than the cheapest Swiss credit cards. The reason for this is that the currency exchange rates used by neobanks are often very favorable.

However, the cards issued by neobanks typically are not credit cards, but debit cards. Neobank debit cards are less widely accepted than credit cards. For example, some rental car companies and hotels require a credit card for bookings. For that reason, it is advisable to bring a classic credit card with you when you travel.

The exact opposite applies for card-based purchases from Swiss merchants. In this case, using Swiss credit cards is often much more favorable than using cards from neobanks. The reason for this is that many credit cards have more generous reward programs.

How high are the currency exchange markups?

Markups on interbank currency exchange rates are accounted for in both the credit card cost analysis and in the interactive credit card comparison on moneyland.ch. Samples taken across 13 different days reveal that the Key4 Mastercard from UBS has the lowest markups, at 0.8 percent. Next in line are Raiffeisen (1.6 percent markup for card-based purchases), UBS (excluding Key4), Postfinance, and Topcard (each with a 1.8-percent markup with the Visa versions of credit cards). 

Viseca, Swisscard, and the Mastercard versions of cards from UBS, Postfinance, and Topcard all have a currency exchange markup of 1.9 percent for transactions in euros. The Raiffeisen markup for cash withdrawals in euros at ATMs (2.4 percent) is relatively high. The same is true for the currency exchange rate markups for euro transactions used by Valiant (2.4 percent), Cembra Money Bank (2.8 percent), Cornèrcard (2.9 percent), and Migros Bank (3 percent).

moneyland.ch also asked credit card issuers for the currency exchange rates used for US dollar and Thai baht transactions. For payments in US dollars, the UBS Key4 Mastercard credit cards have the lowest markup, at 1 percent. Next in line is Raiffeisen (1.8 percent). The card with the highest markups for US dollar transactions is the Migros Bank (3.2 percent) and the Cembra Money Bank (3 percent). The markups for transactions in Thai baht range between 1.6 percent (Raiffeisen) and 4.7 percent (Migros Bank).

Good to know: It is important to look at the total cost of foreign transactions. The total cost is made up of both the markup on the currency exchange rate and the foreign transaction fee. The moneyland.ch credit card cost analysis accounts for both of these.

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