Best Bank Accounts for Students and Young Adults in Switzerland 2026
As a student or young adult, you can benefit from various discounts in Switzerland. Banks are no exception. While most banks charge various fees for regular accounts, such as account management and card fees, you can get these for free at many banks as a young adult. Furthermore, some banks offer additional benefits, including higher interest rates, more cashback, or other perks such as free printing of thesis papers. In this article, I will show you which banks offer the best benefits for students and young adults.
What Makes a Good Bank Account for Students and Young Adults?
The Basics:
- No account management fees
- Free debit card
- Free credit card
Further:
- No fees for card payments abroad
- High interest on savings accounts
- Cashback on cards
- Free cash withdrawals
Let’s evaluate the best banks for students and young adults based on these criteria. All the banks presented here do not have any account management fees.
ZKB Banking Young
Interest Rates
- Private Account: 0%
- Savings Account: 0.10% up to CHF 25,000, then 0%
ZKB Visa Debit Stu
- Annual fee: Free
- Payments in Switzerland: Free
- Payments abroad: 1.25%, maximum CHF 1.50 per transaction
- Cash withdrawals in Switzerland: Free at all cantonal banks; otherwise, CHF 2 per withdrawal
- Cash withdrawals abroad: CHF 5 per withdrawal
Standard Credit Card (Mastercard or Visa)
- Annual fee: Free
- Payments in Switzerland: Free
- Payments abroad: 1.75%
- Cash withdrawals in Switzerland: 4%, minimum CHF 10 per withdrawal
- Cash withdrawals abroad: 4%, minimum CHF 10 per withdrawal
- Cashback: Surprize points, about 0.2% cashback
Excellent Insurance Package:
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Search and rescue costs
- Accident insurance for transport
- 24-hour assistance
- Baggage delay insurance
- Warranty extension
- Best Price Guarantee
- Shopping and transport insurance
- Online account protection
- Online legal protection
- Discount with Hertz car rental
Additional Benefits
- Stu: Discounts at various companies, such as Starbucks or Transa, paid out automatically as cashback via the Stu app
- Modern, easy-to-use online banking
- ZKB Night Owl: Free rides on the Zurich ZVV network on Fridays and Saturdays after 7 PM
- Free printing of thesis papers
- ASVZ discount: 10% off ASVZ courses
Conclusion
- For everyone from 14 until their 30th birthday, whether student or not (no proof of studies needed)
- Low cashback on credit card
- Great insurance package
- Stu and Night Owl are fantastic
UBS Banking Classic
Interest Rates
- Private Account: 0.10% up to CHF 100,000, then 0%
- Youth Savings Account (up to age 25): 0.300% up to CHF 50,000, then 0%
Debit Card (Visa or Mastercard)
- Annual fee: Free
- Payments in Switzerland: Free
- Payments abroad: 2%, minimum CHF 1 per transaction
- Cash withdrawals in Switzerland: Free at UBS, 2 free withdrawals per month at other banks, then CHF 2 per withdrawal
- Cash withdrawals abroad: CHF 5 per withdrawal
UBS Classic Credit Card (Visa or Mastercard)
- Annual fee: Free
- Cashback: 1 KeyClub point (worth CHF 1) per CHF 100 spent (up to CHF 1,000 per quarter), resulting in 1% cashback
- Payments in Switzerland: Free
- Payments abroad: 1.75% plus an exchange rate markup of 1.7% to 3.6%
- Cash withdrawals in Switzerland: 4%, minimum CHF 10 per withdrawal
- Cash withdrawals abroad: 4%, minimum CHF 10 per withdrawal
- Insurance: only travel and flight accident insurance
Additional Benefits
- Cashyou subscription (value CHF 36 per year)
- 50 KeyClub points (worth CHF 50) as starting credit
- Travel and flight accident insurance
- Free printing of thesis papers
Conclusion
- For young adults up to age 25 and students until their 30th birthday (with proof of studies)
- Cashback of 1% on credit card payments (up to CHF 1,000 spent per quarter)
- Interest on the private account too
- Diverse additional services like insurance and starting credit
Raiffeisen YoungMemberPlus
Raiffeisen is organized as a cooperative and consists of over 200 independent Raiffeisen banks in Switzerland. Each of these banks may offer slightly different conditions. The conditions listed here refer to Raiffeisen Bank Zurich. It is recommended to check the exact conditions with your local Raiffeisen bank.
Interest Rates
- Private Account: 0%
- Savings Account (until the 26th birthday): 0.10% up to CHF 50,000, then 0.025%
Visa Debit Card
- Annual fee: Free
- Payments in Switzerland: Free
- Payments abroad: 1.25%, minimum CHF 1.50 per transaction
- Cash withdrawals in Switzerland: Free at all Raiffeisen ATMs, 12 free withdrawals per year at other banks, then CHF 2 per withdrawal
- Cash withdrawals abroad: CHF 4.50 per withdrawal
Standard Credit Card (Mastercard or Visa)
- Annual fee: Free (normally CHF 96)
- Payments in Switzerland: Free
- Payments abroad: 1.5%
- Cash withdrawals in Switzerland: 4%, minimum CHF 10 per withdrawal plus 1.5% foreign currency fee
- Cash withdrawals abroad: 4%, minimum CHF 10 per withdrawal plus 1.5% foreign currency fee
- Cashback: 0.25% of spending, credited monthly, no cap
Additional Benefits
- Swiss Museum Pass: Free entry to over 500 museums in Switzerland
- SBB Half-Fare Card: 50% discount on Half-Fare subscription
- Concert and Event Tickets: Up to 50% discount on over 500 events
- Ski Pass Discounts: Up to 40% discount in 20+ ski resorts
- Mobility Carsharing: mobilityPLUS free for 6 months for new customers (no monthly fee at all under 28), registration fee (CHF 39.90) waived
Conclusion
- For young adults until their 26th birthday and students until their 30th birthday
- 0.25% cashback on credit card, no cap
- Plus a comprehensive lifestyle package with Museum Pass, Half-Fare discount, and event tickets
PostFinance SmartStudents
Interest Rates
- Private Account (student account): 0.10% up to CHF 25,000, then 0%
- Savings Account: up to and including age 20, 0.25% up to CHF 25,000 (youth savings account); 0% from age 21
PostFinance Card
- Annual fee: Free
- Payments in Switzerland: Free
- Payments abroad: 1.5%
- Cash withdrawals in Switzerland: Free at Postomats, Swiss Post counters, Migros, Coop Pronto, and Denner; no PostFinance fee at other banks
- Cash withdrawals abroad: No PostFinance fee, ATM operator fees possible
Credit Card (Visa Classic or Mastercard Standard)
- Annual fee: Free (normally CHF 50)
- Payments in Switzerland: Free
- Payments abroad: 1.7%, also for payments in CHF
- Cash withdrawals in Switzerland: 3.5%, minimum CHF 10 per withdrawal
- Cash withdrawals abroad: 3.5%, minimum CHF 10 per withdrawal plus 1.7% for foreign currency
- Cashback: SmartPoints, 0.3% (0.6% in the first year with your first PostFinance credit card)
- Insurance: only shopping insurance (extended warranty, best price guarantee, purchase protection), no travel insurance
Additional Benefits
- SmartPoints with the PostFinance Card and TWINT too: 0.1% (maximum 100 points per purchase), 1,000 points = CHF 1, paid out to your account
- TWINT, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay free of charge
- Car rental discount at Avis with the credit card
Conclusion
- For everyone aged 18 to 30 in education or training lasting at least one year, such as an apprenticeship or university (with proof of training)
- No PostFinance fee for cash withdrawals with the PostFinance Card at other banks and abroad
- However, no interest on the savings account from age 21
Conclusion
ZKB, UBS, Raiffeisen, and PostFinance all offer excellent banking packages for students and young adults. Depending on your usage behavior, you can choose between the four banks. Let’s take a look at which bank is best for whom.
ZKB excels in the following areas:
- Top credit card insurance package
- ZVV Night Owl
- Super app
- Discounts through Stu and at ASVZ
On the other hand, UBS offers advantages in the following areas:
- Cashback of 1% on credit card payments (up to CHF 1,000 spent per quarter)
- Highest interest: 0.10% on the private account up to CHF 100,000 and 0.300% on the youth savings account (up to age 25)
- 2 free withdrawals per month at other banks as well
Raiffeisen excels in these areas:
- Comprehensive lifestyle package (Museum Pass, Half-Fare discount, event tickets, ski pass discounts)
- 0.25% cashback on credit card with no cap
- 12 free withdrawals per year at other banks as well
PostFinance excels in these areas:
- No PostFinance fee for debit card cash withdrawals at other banks and abroad
- Free cash withdrawals at Migros, Coop Pronto, and Denner as well
- SmartPoints on the debit card and TWINT too, 0.3% on the credit card (0.6% in the first year with your first PostFinance credit card)
In conclusion, ZKB is better if you want insurance and discounts. UBS, on the other hand, is better for someone looking for cashback and high interest rates. Raiffeisen is ideal for people who travel frequently, enjoy culture and sports, and want to benefit from the versatile lifestyle perks. PostFinance suits anyone who often withdraws cash, including abroad, and wants to collect SmartPoints with their cards and TWINT. All four packages are among the best offers for students and young adults in Switzerland and are therefore highly recommended.
For payments abroad, all four credit cards are rather expensive, with fees from 1.5%. If you often pay in foreign currencies, our comparison of Swiss credit cards without foreign exchange fees shows cheaper options.