Neon Bank Review 2026

Updated: March 27, 2026

Neon was one of the first neobanks on the Swiss market. Since 2019, they’ve offered an account managed entirely through an app. In May 2025, however, Neon completely overhauled its pricing model, stripping away some of the advantages that made the account so attractive. In this review, we’ll look at whether Neon can still hold its own in 2026 or whether the competition now offers better options.

Neon now has around 240,000 customers in Switzerland and offers four different account plans, plus two optional add-ons (Neon Green and Neon Duo). The basic offering, Neon Free, remains free, but compared to before it includes fewer benefits.

Neon itself isn’t a bank. Accounts are held by Hypothekarbank Lenzburg, a regulated Swiss bank. Your deposits are therefore protected up to CHF 100,000 by Swiss depositor protection.

Neon Plans Compared

Since May 2025, Neon has offered four plans. Here’s a quick overview of the key differences:

Neon Free & Plus

	Neon Free	Neon Plus
Price	Free	CHF 2 per month or CHF 20 per year
Foreign currency surcharge	0.35%	0%
Cash withdrawals Switzerland	0	2 per month
Cash withdrawals abroad	1.5%	1.0%
Card issuance	CHF 20	CHF 20
Insurance	-	Extended warranty

Neon Global & Metal

	Neon Global	Neon Metal
Price	CHF 8 per month or CHF 80 per year	CHF 15 per month or CHF 150 per year
Foreign currency surcharge	0%	0%
Cash withdrawals Switzerland	3 per month	5 per month
Cash withdrawals abroad	0.5%	0%
Card issuance	Free	Free
Wise cashback	20%	40%
Insurance	Travel, shopping, and cyber insurance	Full package incl. phone, ticket, and best-price guarantee

Free cash withdrawals at Coop, Aldi, and Lidl checkouts are available on all plans (minimum purchase of CHF 10). Sonect is also supported.

Neon Free

The free basic account has been significantly stripped back since May 2025. CHF payments remain free, but as soon as you pay abroad or withdraw cash, fees kick in: a 0.35% foreign currency surcharge on the Mastercard exchange rate and CHF 2.50 per cash withdrawal in Switzerland. On top of that, there’s a one-time card fee of CHF 20 for the Mastercard Debit.

Spaces (Neon’s version of savings pockets) have paid 0.00% interest since December 2024, after the SNB cut its key rate to 0.5%.

Neon Free makes sense for people who mainly use their account for CHF payments and rarely withdraw cash. The 0.35% foreign currency surcharge isn’t free like before, but for occasional payments abroad it’s still competitive compared to traditional banks. If you regularly pay in foreign currencies, though, you’re better off with Neon Plus or an alternative like Bank WIR.

Neon Plus

Neon Plus at CHF 2 per month (or CHF 20 per year) essentially restores the old Neon Free conditions: 0% foreign currency surcharge and 2 free cash withdrawals per month. You also get an extended warranty on electronics purchased with the card. Cash withdrawals abroad cost 1.0% instead of 1.5%.

Neon Plus is the sweet spot in Neon’s lineup. If you pay abroad regularly or occasionally need cash, the CHF 20 per year pays for itself quickly. Purely through the foreign currency surcharge, you’d need around CHF 6,000 in foreign currency spending per year to break even. But factor in even just one cash withdrawal per month (CHF 2.50 with Free, free with Plus) and Plus makes sense at significantly lower levels of foreign spending.

Neon Global

Neon Global costs CHF 8 per month (or CHF 80 per year) and targets people who travel abroad regularly. You get 3 free cash withdrawals per month, 0% foreign currency surcharge, just 0.5% fee on cash withdrawals abroad, and 20% cashback on Wise fees (not on the full transfer amount) for international transfers. The card is free when you open an account (instead of CHF 20).

The Neon Global insurance package includes:

Extended warranty (3 additional years on electronics)
Travel insurance (rescue and transport, worldwide medical costs, trip cancellation, flight delay, luggage)
Purchase insurance (return protection, purchase protection, online purchase protection)
Cyber insurance (online legal protection, online account protection)

Important: the travel insurance only applies if at least 80% of travel costs were paid with the Neon card. The same applies to the purchase insurance (at least 60% with the card).

For most people, though, Neon Global is too expensive. The jump from CHF 20 per year (Plus) to CHF 80 per year (Global) is significant, and the added value is mainly limited to the insurance coverage and slightly cheaper cash withdrawals abroad.

Neon Metal

Neon Metal is the premium plan at CHF 15 per month (or CHF 150 per year). You get a black metal card, 5 free cash withdrawals per month, 0% foreign currency surcharge, no fees on cash withdrawals abroad, and 40% cashback on Wise fees.

Neon Metal includes all the insurance from Neon Global, plus three additional policies:

Phone insurance (damage and loss)
Best-price guarantee (price difference refunded within 14 days)
Ticket protection (reimbursement in case of illness, accident, or cancellation)

Important: insurance only applies to purchases made with the Neon card. If you book a trip with your credit card, the travel insurance won’t apply. You’d also be giving up any cashback from your credit card.

Neon Add-ons

In addition to the four plans, Neon offers two optional add-ons that can be combined with any plan.

Neon Green

For CHF 3 per month, Neon plants a tree for every CHF 500 you spend with the card. You can choose between a wooden card and one made from recycled plastic.

Neon Duo: the Joint Account

Neon Duo is the first fully digital joint account in Switzerland. Two people in the same household share one account with a common IBAN, each with their own Mastercard. Since May 2025, the benefits of your Neon plan (e.g. reduced foreign fees with Plus) also apply to your Neon Duo card - but only to your card, not your partner’s.

Neon Duo costs CHF 3 per person per month (CHF 6 total) plus a one-time card fee of CHF 10 per person. Both people need their own Neon account and must live in the same household.

Neon Advantages

Joint account (Neon Duo)

Neon Duo is the first fully digital joint account in Switzerland. For couples who want a shared account, it’s a genuine differentiator among neobanks.

Standard banking features

All the important features are there: direct debit (LSV), standing orders, and eBill are all supported. Neon was the first digital bank to support eBill. That makes Neon viable as a primary account.

Cheap international transfers via Wise

Neon has a Wise integration built directly into the app, letting you send money to over 40 countries at competitive rates. With Neon Global or Metal, you even get a portion of the Wise fees back.

Mobile payment

All major mobile payment providers are supported: Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Garmin Pay, and even SwatchPAY.

Depositor protection

Your deposits are protected up to CHF 100,000 by Swiss depositor protection, since accounts are held at Hypothekarbank Lenzburg.

Investing and retirement savings

Since 2023, you can invest in stocks and ETFs directly in the app with Neon Invest. Neon now also offers savings plans, with selected ETFs available with no purchase commission. Since November 2025, there’s also Neon 3a - an integrated pillar 3a solution with fees of 0.39% to 0.45% per year and five investment strategies. Both are solid additions that I’ll cover in more detail in separate articles.

Neon Disadvantages

Free only with limitations

The biggest downside since May 2025: if you pay abroad or withdraw cash, you pay extra. The 0.35% foreign currency surcharge and CHF 2.50 per cash withdrawal weren’t there before. To get the old conditions back, you need at least Neon Plus at CHF 20 per year. That’s not a fortune, but it undermines Neon’s original promise of a completely free bank.

No native Twint app

Neon doesn’t have its own Twint app. You’re reliant on Twint Prepaid, which means you have to manually transfer money from your Neon account to Twint. Amounts up to CHF 200 are loaded instantly; above that, it can take up to 4 business days. That’s a hassle, especially for larger payments. Money received via Twint also lands in your Twint balance first - withdrawing it to your Neon account then takes another 2-3 business days. Neon isn’t a great fit as a primary bank if you use Twint a lot.

No web banking

Neon still doesn’t offer web banking. You can only manage your account through the smartphone app. If you prefer to handle your banking on a computer, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

No branches

Neon is a smartphone-only bank with no branches. Depositing cash into a Neon account remains awkward - your best option is buying TWINT vouchers at a Coop checkout.

App could feel more modern

The infamous crashes on the 25th of the month are a thing of the past, and I haven’t experienced any stability issues since 2025. That said, the Neon app doesn’t feel as modern and polished to me as some competitors. Apps like Alpian’s - or even the ZKB’s - feel more refined in comparison. That’s subjective, of course, but for a bank positioning itself as smartphone-first, I’d expect more here.

No credit card

Neon still only offers a debit card. For travel (car rentals, hotel deposits) that can be a problem. There are, however, plenty of free Swiss credit cards that you can easily link to your Neon account via direct debit or eBill. The only downside: you’ll need a second app to manage the credit card.

Neon Alternatives

Since the pricing changes in May 2025, it’s worth taking a closer look at the competition. Here’s an overview of the relevant alternatives:

Neon vs Bank WIR (Bankpaket top)

In my opinion, Bank WIR’s Bankpaket top is currently the best bank account in Switzerland: free account management, 0% foreign currency surcharge at the interbank exchange rate, 24 free cash withdrawals worldwide per year, Twint support, and a free joint account. In a direct comparison, Bank WIR beats Neon in almost every category.

The catch: Bankpaket top is free if you meet one of the following conditions - a monthly incoming payment of at least CHF 1,500, retirement savings of at least CHF 20,000, a mortgage of at least CHF 300,000 with Bank WIR, or purchasing a WIR participation certificate for CHF 200. If you use Bank WIR as your primary account, you’ll typically meet the income requirement without any trouble.

More on this in our comparison of the best free bank accounts.

Neon vs Yuh

Yuh has been fully owned by Swissquote since July 2025 and had around 400,000 accounts by the end of 2025.

Free debit Mastercard with Yuh, CHF 20 with Neon
0.95% foreign currency fee with Yuh, 0.35% with Neon Free. Yuh offers a multi-currency account (13 currencies) where you can choose when to convert, but the 0.95% fee applies every time you do
CHF-only account with Neon
Fractional trading with Yuh, not with Neon
1 free cash withdrawal per calendar week with Yuh, none with Neon Free

Neon is cheaper for foreign currency payments than Yuh (0.35% vs. 0.95%). Yuh counters with fractional trading, a free card, and the multi-currency account. Neon has the Wise integration for cheap international transfers and the digital joint account. Overall, they’re broadly on par - which one fits better depends on whether you prioritise cheap foreign currency conditions (Neon) or the multi-currency account and fractional trading (Yuh).

Neon vs Zak

Zak is a brand of Bank Cler and offers a comparable product:

Free cash withdrawals at Bank Cler ATMs, CHF 2 at all other Swiss ATMs. Neon Free has no free withdrawals (CHF 2.50 per withdrawal)
CHF 5 per cash withdrawal abroad with Zak, 1.5% with Neon Free
2% foreign currency surcharge on the Visa reference rate with Zak, 0.35% with Neon Free
No English support with Zak

Neon is clearly better than Zak for foreign currency use, even with the new 0.35% surcharge. For purely domestic use with occasional cash withdrawals at a Bank Cler branch, though, Zak is a solid alternative.

Neon vs Wise

Wise isn’t really a direct competitor since Neon has already integrated it for international transfers. But Wise does offer its own debit card:

Wise card: payments at the interbank rate with a small markup (around 0.3-0.6% depending on the currency)
Multi-currency account with over 40 currencies
Wise isn’t a Swiss bank and doesn’t offer Swiss depositor protection - it’s not suitable as a full Swiss primary account

Wise works excellently as a complement to a Swiss primary account. The combination of, say, Bank WIR as your main account and Wise for international transfers is an optimal setup for many people.

Neon vs Revolut

Revolut isn’t a Swiss bank - it’s operated by Lithuanian Revolut Bank UAB. It’s popular with Swiss residents for travel, though:

Revolut has offered a Swiss IBAN since 2025 (via PostFinance), but it’s issued in the name of Revolut Bank UAB. Transfers require a reference number in the payment details, which is inconvenient for salary payments and direct debits
No Swiss depositor protection
Comparable foreign currency conditions on the free plan
Weekend surcharges on exchange rates
Only CHF 200 per month free at ATMs

Since Neon dropped free foreign currency payments, the gap between the two has narrowed. But Revolut still doesn’t offer a proper Swiss IBAN or depositor protection under Swiss law - it’s not a replacement for a Swiss primary account.

Neon vs Alpian

Alpian is a FINMA-licensed digital bank regulated in Switzerland, belonging to the Italian Intesa Sanpaolo Group:

Free multi-currency account (CHF, EUR, USD, GBP)
Card payments in CHF, EUR, USD, and GBP are free. Currency conversion between these four currencies carries a 0.2% markup on weekdays (0.5% on weekends). Payments in other currencies use the Visa reference rate, which includes its own opaque spread
CHF 2 per cash withdrawal in Switzerland, 2.5% abroad
Only virtual cards are free - the only physical card is a metal card costing CHF 60
Twint only as prepaid (same as Neon)
Focus on wealth management and private banking

Alpian has a modern, smooth app and the conditions for CHF/EUR/USD/GBP are very competitive for foreign payments thanks to the multi-currency account. The biggest problem: the only physical card costs CHF 60. Apple Pay is widely accepted, but a physical card is often essential when travelling (car rentals, hotels, countries with lower mobile payment acceptance). Add in the high fees for cash withdrawals abroad (2.5%), and as a straightforward everyday account, Neon is the more practical choice.

Neon Bank Verdict

Neon has lost some of its appeal since the pricing changes in May 2025. The former selling point - free payments abroad - is no longer part of the free plan. With the 0.35% foreign currency surcharge, Neon Free is still cheaper than many traditional banks, but the competition has caught up. Bank WIR’s Bankpaket top offers a better overall package for most users.

That said, Neon still has its strengths: Neon Duo is unique among Swiss neobanks for digital joint accounts, the Wise integration is convenient, and with Neon Invest and Neon 3a you get banking, investing, and retirement savings all in one app. For people who want everything in one place, that’s a genuine plus.

My recommendation: Neon Free works well as a free secondary account for everyday Swiss use. If you pay abroad regularly, though, take a look at Bank WIR or Neon Plus (CHF 20/year). Alpian would be an interesting alternative for foreign currency payments, but falls short due to the lack of a free physical card. As an all-round primary account, Bank WIR is now the stronger choice over Neon.