The best Swiss Credit Cards for 2025
Credit cards are ubiquitous today. Most households receive their credit cards as part of a bank package from one of the major Swiss banks. However, the costs for this should not be underestimated; you often pay CHF 100 or even CHF 200 per year for them. The same services are often available at no cost, while premium cards with additional services justify their higher fees through corresponding added value. To achieve this, you just need to look beyond your main bank. Most of the credit cards presented here can be linked to any Swiss bank account for automatic debiting via LSV or eBill. This means you lose little in terms of convenience by switching.
Overview - The Best Credit Cards
| Card | Annual Fee | Cashback / Points | Foreign Currency Fee | Cash Withdrawal (CH / Abroad) | Advantages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cembra Certo! One Card | CHF 0 | 1% at 3 Shops, otherwise 0.33% | 1.5% | 3.75%, min. CHF 10 | Freely selectable shops, modern app, shopping and travel insurance, SOS Assistance up to CHF 50,000 |
| Migros Cumulus Credit Card | CHF 0 | 1% (Migros), 0.33% (otherwise) | 0% (plus 1-3% exchange rate markup) | Free (Migros) / 2x p.a. free abroad | Search and rescue costs up to CHF 60,000, online protection, travel insurance |
| Swisscard Cashback Cards | CHF 0 | 1% (Amex), 0.25% (MC/Visa) | 2.5% | 4%, min. CHF 10 | Card duo (Amex + MC/Visa), goods return insurance up to CHF 1,000, very good service |
| Coop Supercard Credit Card | CHF 0 | 1 point/CHF (Coop), 1/3 otherwise | 1.5% | 3.75%, min. CHF 5/10 (CH/Abroad) | Superpoints convertible to miles, travel and flight accident insurance, 15% Europcar discount |
| Cornèrcard Platinum | CHF 500 (CHF 150 in 1st year) | 1.5% | 1.2% | 4%, min. CHF 10 | Unlimited Priority Pass lounge access, 24/7 Concierge, comprehensive travel insurance up to CHF 1.5 million |
Almost all the credit cards presented here come without an annual fee, while the premium version justifies its higher fee through extensive additional services. Most can be linked to any Swiss bank account for automatic debiting via LSV or eBill.
Cembra Certo! One Card
CHF 0
1% at 3 Shops, otherwise 0.33%
1.5%
3.75%, min. CHF 10
Special Features
No annual fee, including supplementary card
Shops freely selectable (e.g., Migros, Coop, SBB, Digitec)
Modern app and mobile payment (Apple Pay, Samsung Pay)
Best price guarantee and SOS Assistance up to CHF 50,000
Shopping and travel insurance included
The best credit card for most Swiss residents in 2024 is the Cembra Certo Mastercard. It competes with the Cumulus credit card from Migros Bank.
- No annual fee, including supplementary card
- 1% cashback at three shops of your choice. Including Migros, Coop, SBB, and Digitec
- 0.33% cashback everywhere else
The bonus program is particularly attractive because you can choose the three shops yourself according to your shopping habits. The cashback is automatically credited to the card statement.
The smartphone app is modern and user-friendly. Mobile payment options such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay are supported. The card also offers a practical insurance package:
- Shopping Insurance with best price guarantee (up to CHF 2,000 per year, CHF 1,000 per event)
- Travel insurance with SOS Assistance (up to CHF 50,000 per person)
- 24/7 emergency call center
- Medical transport and repatriation
- Search and rescue costs
However, the Certo Card is not recommended for intensive use abroad. There is a fee of at least 1.5% for purchases abroad, and 3.75% (minimum CHF 10) is charged for cash withdrawals.
Migros Cumulus Credit Card
CHF 0
1% (Migros), 0.33% (otherwise)
0% (plus exchange rate markup)
Free (Migros) / 2x p.a. free abroad
Special Features
No annual fee, including supplementary card
No foreign currency fee
Collect Cumulus points
Free cash withdrawals at Migros
Search and rescue costs up to CHF 60,000
Online protection and travel insurance
This is the new edition of the long-popular Cumulus credit card, now issued directly by Migros Bank. Compared to the Certo Card, the better conditions abroad stand out. The main advantages are:
- No annual fee, including supplementary card
- No foreign currency fee
- Free cash withdrawals at Migros (up to CHF 1,000 per day)
- Two free cash withdrawals per year abroad (up to CHF 500 per withdrawal)
- 1 Cumulus point per CHF 1 spent at Migros
- 1 Cumulus point per CHF 3 spent outside of Migros
In addition, the card offers a comprehensive insurance package:
- Search and rescue costs up to CHF 60,000
- Trip interruption insurance up to CHF 4,000
- Best price guarantee up to CHF 2,000
- Purchase and transport insurance up to CHF 2,000
- Online account protection up to CHF 10,000
- Online legal protection up to CHF 10,000
- 24/7 emergency assistance
With this card, you can directly collect Cumulus points: 500 Cumulus points are equivalent to a CHF 5 shopping voucher at Migros. So you get 1% cashback for purchases at Migros and 0.33% outside of Migros. While the Cembra Card offers an attractive bonus program where the money is automatically refunded on the card statement and you get 1% back at more than just Migros, the Cumulus credit card is more attractive for frequent travelers. You save on fees for transactions and cash withdrawals abroad.
The statement “no foreign currency fee” requires clarification, however: While no additional fee is charged, the exchange rate set by Viseca is usually 1% to 3% above the reference rate. Therefore, debit cards like Neon, Revolut, or Wise remain the best choice for intensive use abroad. For certain situations, such as some car rental bookings that require a credit card, the Cumulus Visa is the best option.
Swisscard Cashback Cards - For Maximum Cashback
CHF 0
1% (Amex), 0.25% (MC/Visa)
2.5%
4%, min. CHF 10
Special Features
No annual fee, including supplementary card
Maximum cashback (1% Amex, 0.25% MC/Visa)
Card duo: Amex + Mastercard or Visa
Goods return insurance up to CHF 1,000
Very good customer service
The Cashback Cards are offered as a card duo – consisting of an American Express and either a Mastercard or Visa.
- No annual fee, including supplementary card
- 1% cashback on American Express
- 0.25% cashback on Mastercard and Visa
- Cash withdrawal in Switzerland and abroad: 4%, minimum CHF 10
A particular advantage is the goods return insurance:
- Worldwide coverage up to CHF 1,000
- Applies to undamaged goods from CHF 60
- Applies to goods that are not accepted for return by the seller
For anyone who wants to maximize their cashback, this is the best option. American Express now enjoys high acceptance in Switzerland. Nevertheless, it is advisable to always carry the Mastercard or Visa as a backup in case the Amex is not accepted.
However, these cards are not recommended for use abroad. The foreign currency fee is very high at 2.5%, and 4% (minimum CHF 10) is charged for cash withdrawals. Swisscard, on the other hand, is known for its very good customer service.
Coop Supercard Credit Card - For Superpoints
CHF 0
1 point/CHF (Coop), 1/3 otherwise
1.5%
3.75%, min. CHF 5/10 (CH/Abroad)
Special Features
No annual fee, including supplementary card
Collect Superpoints (1 point/CHF Coop, 1/3 outside)
Superpoints convertible to miles
Free travel and flight accident insurance
15% discount on Europcar rentals
With this credit card, Coop offers the counterpart to the Migros Cumulus credit card. The conditions are:
- No annual fee
- 1 Superpoint per CHF 1 at Coop
- 1 Superpoint per CHF 3 spent outside Coop
- Cash withdrawals: 3.75% (min. CHF 5 in Switzerland, CHF 10 abroad)
The card comes with the following insurance benefits:
- Free travel and flight accident insurance
- Travel advice and travel assistance
The advantage of this card is that Superpoints are very versatile. As with Migros, you can pay with a rate of 100 points per CHF 1 at Coop. In addition, you can also exchange your Superpoints for miles in the Miles and More frequent flyer program of Swiss.
Apart from that, the card is not special. There is a fee of 1.5% for purchases abroad. The card is issued by Topcard. The app is outdated and cannot compete with the competition. There is basic travel accident insurance.
I can only recommend the credit card to those who absolutely want to collect points with Supercard.
Cornèrcard Platinum Premium Card for Frequent Travelers
CHF 500 (CHF 150 in 1st year)
1.5%
1.2%
4%, min. CHF 10
Special Features
Unlimited Priority Pass lounge access
24/7 Concierge Service
Comprehensive travel insurance
1.5% Cashback
The Cornèrcard Platinum clearly positions itself as a premium card. The main advantages:
- Annual fee CHF 500 (currently CHF 150 in the first year)
- Unlimited Priority Pass lounge access for cardholders and one accompanying person
- 24/7 Concierge Service through the Sincura Group
- 1.5% cashback on all spending
- Hertz discount up to 15% and access to the Cornèrcard Emotions benefit world
- Mobile Payment (Apple, Google, Samsung Pay)
- Up to 3 free supplementary cards
The card comes with a comprehensive insurance package:
- Trip cancellation up to CHF 60,000
- Medical emergencies up to CHF 1.5 million
- Baggage insurance up to CHF 15,000
- Warranty extension by 2 years on electronics (up to CHF 6,000)
- Purchase protection up to CHF 15,000 per year
When paying, you benefit from 1.5% cashback on all spending. Anyone who applies for the card by July 6, 2025, will even receive 3% cashback until August 31, 2025 (max. CHF 500), which partially offsets the high fees.
For international use, Cornèrcard charges a moderate 1.2% foreign currency fee. Cash withdrawals cost 4% (min. CHF 10), which applies in Switzerland and abroad (plus 1.2% admin fee there). Those who frequently withdraw cash or make very large transactions in foreign currency are better off with cheaper cards.
In summary, the Cornèrcard Platinum is primarily worthwhile for frequent travelers who regularly use lounges and appreciate the concierge service. If you primarily rely on free cards with cashback, you will find more cost-effective alternatives with Certo!, Cumulus, or Cashback Cards.
Mastercard is not the same as Mastercard - The Difference Between Debit and Credit Cards
For a long time, debit cards in Switzerland, also commonly known as EC cards, were issued as Maestro or V-Pay cards. These could be used to pay in shops and withdraw money from ATMs. However, online payments were never possible. Acceptance abroad was also limited.
Today, debit cards are only issued as Mastercard and Visa. This allows them to be used seamlessly online and abroad. At first glance, today’s debit cards seem identical to credit cards. So what is the difference? Debit cards are directly linked to your bank account. If you buy a burger for CHF 17, CHF 17 is immediately debited from your bank account. If you don’t have enough money in your account, the transaction will fail.
Credit cards, on the other hand, provide you with a line of credit. This is usually a few thousand CHF. Suppose you receive your new credit card with a credit limit of CHF 3000. Now you want to buy the burger for CHF 17 with it. The money is not debited directly from your bank account. Instead, you now owe the credit card issuer CHF 17. And your available credit limit decreases from CHF 3000 to CHF 2983.
At the end of each month, you will receive a bill for the amount you have spent on your credit card throughout the month. It is important to use credit cards responsibly. Always spend only as much money as you have in your account. Otherwise, you will accumulate debt with the bank, on which high interest rates between 10% and 20% annually apply.
Why Everyone Needs a Credit Card
Now the question may arise as to why you need a credit card if you can already pay online and abroad with your debit card. After all, you want to be responsible and not incur debt. But that is only a small part of the story. Credit cards offer various other advantages that make this risk worthwhile. Here is a list of reasons why you need a credit card:
Bonus Programs
Practically all credit cards offer bonus programs that reward you for your spending. This bonus is usually worth between 0.2% and 1% of the amount spent. So not a lot, but if you spend CHF 20,000 per year, that’s at least CHF 200 that you save.
Security
As already explained, credit card transactions are not debited directly from your bank account. Suppose your card falls into the wrong hands, money cannot be stolen directly from your bank account. You then have time until the next payment to report these payments as fraudulent to the card issuer, without your own money ever being at risk.
Car Rentals and Hotel Reservations
When traveling abroad, it is often necessary to provide a deposit for car rentals and hotel stays. If you do this with your debit card, the money will be blocked directly in your bank account. Suppose you have to deposit a CHF 1000 deposit for a rental car, this money will be debited directly from your bank account. And sometimes it can take weeks until it is made available again. However, if you use a credit card for the deposit, your credit limit is used, and you never have to spend your own money for it. Especially in the US, it can also happen that debit cards are not even accepted when booking a rental car. Thus, you are forced to use a credit card.
Conclusion
The Swiss credit card market in 2025 clearly demonstrates: The best offers no longer come from traditional banks, but from specialized financial service providers and retailers. This development brings several important insights:
Free cards dominate the basic segment: With the exception of the premium version, all compared cards no longer charge an annual fee. This is a clear departure from the expensive bank card packages of the past and makes switching attractive for cost-conscious consumers.
Insurance as hidden value: The included insurance packages offer considerable added value that is often overlooked. The search and rescue costs (up to CHF 60,000 with the Cumulus card) or the comprehensive travel insurance of the Cornèrcard can replace expensive separate insurance policies in an emergency.
The value of premium offers: The Cornèrcard Platinum costs CHF 500 annually. This is far too expensive for most consumers. But for the right group of frequent travelers can offer added value of over CHF 1,000 for frequent travelers. Lounge access (approx. CHF 600/year), insurance coverage (CHF 300+), cashback (CHF 300+ for CHF 20,000 annual spending), and concierge services make the calculation positive for the right target group.
The most important insight remains: Credit cards are a strategic financial instrument today. Those who stick with their main bank and pay several hundred francs annually for a card package are not only giving away money but also valuable additional services. The time is right to analyze your personal payment behavior and choose the appropriate card(s), whether for everyday purchases, travel, or special needs.