The Best Free Credit Cards in Switzerland: Comprehensive Comparison 2025

Which is the best free credit card in Switzerland? The ultimate comparison 2025

Many Swiss people pay CHF 100 or more for their credit card every year. This means that many users are paying far too much for their credit card, even though there are free credit cards that are in no way inferior to the expensive competition. We have tested the best and leading free credit cards. The test winners are the cashback cards from Swisscard and the poinz credit cards.

The most important facts about free credit cards

• There are no annual fees for free credit cards.

• To ensure that a free credit card really remains free, you should avoid cash withdrawals, paper bills, foreign transactions and instalments.

• Expensive cards (e.g. Gold and Platinum cards) that include insurance and other benefits are usually not worthwhile.

Overview of the tested free credit cards

In this comparison, we analyse the leading free credit cards in Switzerland. All the providers tested are issued in Switzerland and offer bonus programmes. We compared the following free credit cards:

• Cashback Cards card duo

• Certo! Mastercard World

• Cumulus credit card (Migros)

• IKEA Family Credit Card

• Manor Mastercard®

• poinz card duo credit cards

• Supercard Visa and Mastercard® credit card (Coop)

Swisscard Cashback Cards - 🥇 Become Wealthy recommendation

The Cashback Cards consist of a card duo (American Express and either a Mastercard or Visa credit card). The credit cards are permanently free and you get money back on every purchase thanks to cashback.

With the Amex, you receive cashback of 1% on every payment. If you pay with Visa or Mastercard, you will receive 0.25% cashback. The accumulated cashback amount is automatically credited to your card account once a year.

Thanks to the start promotion, you also receive a start bonus of CHF 50 and 5% cashback in the first 3 months (up to a maximum of CHF 100) with the code CB50BeWE. With this offer, the Cashback Cards from Swisscard have reached their maximum rating.

Poinz credit cards - 🥇 Become Wealthy recommendation

The poinz credit cards are also issued by Swisscard and consist of a card duo (American Express and a Visa credit card). The card conditions are the same as for the Cashback Cards. The credit cards are also permanently free of charge and you also receive cashback here.

You receive 1% credit on purchases with the American Express and 0.25% Swiss Loyalty credit with the Visa. In contrast to the ‘Cashback Cards’, the credit is managed in the poinz app. The credit can either be exchanged for voucher cards or paid out directly to the bank account from a credit balance of CHF 100.

And thanks to the welcome offer, you can use the code BW80-YKGU or the voucher link to get a starting bonus of CHF 80 and 3% cashback in the first 3 months (up to a maximum of CHF 100).

IKEA credit card

Credit card with no annual fee, with which you collect IKEA points every time you use it. You receive one IKEA point for every CHF 1 spent (at IKEA it is 2 points per CHF 1 spent). Every quarter you receive a CHF 5 IKEA voucher for every 500 points.

Certo! credit card

Certo! is a credit card with no annual fee that gives you cashback every time you use it. You receive 1% cashback at three selected retailers, otherwise you receive 0.33% cashback. The accumulated cashback amount is automatically credited to your credit card bill every three months.

Certo! also offers CHF 50 starting credit when you use the voucher link.

Manor credit card

Credit card with no annual fee, with which you collect Manor points every time you use it. You earn one point for every CHF 2 spent outside Manor and two points for every franc spent at Manor. Points can be redeemed for purchases at Manor from 500 points. 500 points have a value of CHF 5. The points expire after two years.

Coop Supercard credit card

Credit card with no annual fee, with which you collect Coop Superpoints every time you use it. You earn one Coop Superpoint for every CHF 3 spent outside the Coop Group and one Superpoint for every CHF 1 spent in Coop shops. The Superpoint balance must be redeemed within the Coop Group. 100 points are worth CHF 1.

Migros Cumulus credit card

Credit card with no annual fee, with which you receive Migros Cumulus points for every use. You receive one Cumulus point for every CHF 3 spent outside Migros. At Migros itself, you receive one Cumulus point for every CHF 1 spent. Cumulus points must be redeemed within the Migros Group. 100 points are worth CHF 1.

Amex, Visa or Mastercard?

Visa, Mastercard and Amex are the largest providers of credit cards in Switzerland and Europe. Whether your card bears the Visa, Mastercard or Amex logo has no influence on the fees and services of the card, as the banks or issuers determine the conditions. The only differences are in the acceptance of the cards in Switzerland or worldwide.

In Switzerland, Mastercard and Visa are accepted by almost all merchants. Amex and Diners are also widely used, but are sometimes not accepted, especially by smaller merchants (e.g. cafés). However, Amex cards in Switzerland are usually offered as a card duo, i.e. in combination with a Visa or Mastercard. This gives you the best possible coverage.

Here is a selection of well-known shops that accept Amex: Coop, Migros, Manor, IKEA, Tchibo, Denner, Digitec Galaxus, Fust, Interdiscount, McDonalds, Dosenbach, Landi, Shell, Ruedi Rüssel petrol stations, Otto's, kkiosk, Burger King, Jumbo, SBB, Sunrise, Apple, H&M, MediaMarkt, Zalando and many more.

Why free credit cards are often the best choice

There are around 8.5 million credit cards in circulation in Switzerland. You have to pay an annual fee for most of the credit cards available - typically CHF 100 and upwards. However, such cards are only worthwhile if the benefits of the card outweigh the costs.

When choosing the right credit card, we recommend looking at the fees and cashback or bonus programmes. Don't be dazzled by gold cards or special additional benefits such as insurance. Free credit cards will be the best choice for most users. This is all the more true because the best free credit cards in Switzerland offer strong bonus and cashback programmes.

If you currently have to pay fixed costs for your cards in the form of annual fees, you should consider whether the costs are justified for you. Many customers only pay fees for their credit card because they have obtained the card from their bank out of convenience. As banks are aware of the convenience of their customers, most Swiss banks charge an annual fee even for their standard credit cards. Even more expensive fee traps loom for gold and platinum cards, as many users hardly ever utilise the advertised benefits.

And what about credit card fees?

None of the credit cards tested charge an annual fee for their credit card offer. Annual fees are fixed costs that can rarely be offset by rewards and other benefit programmes. This is why a free credit card is recommended for most credit card users. In addition to annual fees, there are other fees that you should avoid in order to keep your card free.

Comparison of credit card fees:

	Cashback Cards	Poinz	IKEA	Certo!	Manor	Coop Supercard	Migros Cumulus
Annual fee	CHF 0	CHF 0	CHF 0	CHF 0	CHF 0	CHF 0	CHF 0
Pay in CHF in Switzerland (also applies to online purchases)	CHF 0	CHF 0	CHF 0	CHF 0	CHF 0	CHF 0	CHF 0
Paying in foreign currencies in Switzerland and abroad (also applies to online purchases)	2.5% + exchange rate premium	2.5% + exchange rate premium	1.5% + exchange rate premium	1.5% + exchange rate premium	1.5% + exchange rate premium	1.5% + exchange rate premium	Exchange rate surcharge (but no handling fee)
Cash withdrawals in CHF in Switzerland	4% (min. 10.-)	4% (min. 10.-)	3.75% (min. 10.-)	3.75% (min. 10.-)	4% (min. 10.-)	3.75% (min. 10.-)	2.5% (min. 5.-)
Withdrawing cash abroad	4% (min. 10.-)	4% (min. 10.-)	3.75% (min. 10.-)	3.75% (min. 10.-)	4% (min. 10.-)	3.75% (min. 10.-)	2.5%, min. CHF 10 (2 x per year up to and including CHF 500)
Replacement card in the event of loss, theft or damage	CHF 25	CHF 25	CHF 20	CHF 20	CHF 20	CHF 0	CHF 20
Paper invoice (e-invoice free of charge)	CHF 1.95	CHF 1.95	CHF 2.5	CHF 2.5	CHF 2.5	CHF 1.95	CHF 2
Instalment (annual interest rate)	14%	14%	13.95%	13.95%	14%	14%	9.4%

Free credit card - how is this possible and how does my card really stay free?

You're probably wondering how a credit card can be offered for free. To answer this question, you need to understand how credit card providers make money.

A free credit card means that there are no annual fees. However, additional fees may be charged, as shown in the table above. It is important to note that these additional fees also apply to chargeable cards, making them even more expensive.

If you are aware of the above fees and avoid them, your credit card will really remain free and you will even make a profit thanks to cashback and bonus points.

• Processing fees + exchange rate surcharges for foreign payments: Virtually all providers charge processing fees and exchange rate surcharges (usually 2% to 5% upwards) for purchases abroad or in foreign currencies. The exchange rate surcharges in particular are very opaque, as it is difficult to see which exchange rate was used for your payment - the surcharge is the difference between the rate you find on Google and the rate that your credit card provider actually passes on to you. Therefore, whenever possible, use a debit card from neobanks such as neon abroad, which do not charge any processing fees and offer attractive exchange rates.
  

• High interest rates when paying in instalments: With a credit card, you are charged once a month for the purchases you have made. You have the option of paying the bill in instalments instead of paying in full. A high credit interest rate is charged for this (usually 12 - 14 %). Therefore, do not pay your credit card bill in instalments, but always on time and in full. Set up a direct debit order or a standing authorisation in eBill so that you no longer have to think about it yourself.
  

• Cash withdrawal fees at home and abroad: You should not use a credit card to withdraw money, as high fees are usually charged for this. Use your debit or bank card for cash withdrawals.
  

• Fees for paper bills: As is already common practice in many areas, many credit card providers also charge a fee for paper bills. Therefore, use the electronic billing function (e.g. eBill, invoice by e-mail or app).

Even if you avoid all these costs and even make a profit thanks to bonus programmes, the credit card issuers still earn money. Every time you make a payment, the merchant or the shop where you shop has to pay a fee to the credit card company. The merchant therefore pays a fee for processing the payment. That's why there are cashback and other bonus programmes to encourage you to pay with your card - credit card companies earn money from every transaction.

Credit card vs. debit card - will my debit card now be superfluous?

No, the debit card is still the first choice when it comes to cash withdrawals. Debit cards also usually offer better conditions for transactions abroad - neo-banks such as neon or Alpian are particularly suitable for payments in foreign currencies.

Credit cards, on the other hand, offer additional benefits such as cashback or other bonus programmes. So if you want to benefit from every purchase, it's worth paying by credit card in Switzerland.

Credit card vs. debit card:

Cashback & bonus programmes: ‘Free’ is not good enough

As we only consider the best free credit cards in our comparison, all cards offer additional bonus and cashback programmes. It is only thanks to attractive cashback and bonus programmes that credit cards become more attractive than debit cards for everyday payments.

For example, if you spend CHF 500 on purchases at the Coop every month and always receive 1% cashback, you will benefit from CHF 60 cashback (1% of CHF 500 x 12 months) over the course of a whole year on your purchases alone - with no effort at all.

Comparison of cashback and bonus programmes for free credit cards:

Let's take an example: Assuming you buy a new MacBook Air from Apple with your credit card for CHF 1,000, you will receive the following ‘bonus’. We have converted the benefit into the monetary benefit, as you do not get money back directly everywhere, but only points that can be converted into gift cards or shopping vouchers.

Cashback comparison when buying a MacBook Air for CHF 1,000 💻:

Credit card insurances

Many credit cards come with insurance. However, the insurance cover is usually limited. One of the most important requirements is usually that at least 50% to 100% of the service (item, travel service) must be paid for with the respective credit card. We advise against choosing credit cards on the basis of insurance, as special insurance is usually more worthwhile if insurance is required. Otherwise, it is important to know the insurance conditions (GCI) in detail in order to avoid unpleasant surprises.

• Cashback Cards card duo (Swisscard): Return of goods insurance

• Certo! Mastercard World: Best price guarantee, purchase insurance, SOS assistance

• Cumulus credit card (Migros): Travel, purchase, cyber insurance

• IKEA Family Credit Card: travel, shopping and SOS insurance

• Manor Mastercard®: travel interruption, shopping and transport insurance, extended warranty

• poinz card duo credit cards: Return of goods insurance

• Supercard credit card (Coop): Travel and flight accident insurance

Credit card apps

In addition to web access, you can also access your credit card via an app for all tested credit cards. Thanks to apps, you can track and manage your credit card spending easily and conveniently.

Free credit cards & their apps in comparison:

Options for paying the credit card bill

With all providers, you can do without a paper bill and thus save on fees. The bill will then be sent to you either in the credit card app, on the web portal or by email.

Payment options of the tested free credit cards in comparison:

• QR-bill: With the QR-bill, you can easily pay the bill by bank transfer (e-banking, mobile banking or at the post office counter).

• eBill: If you use eBill and activate it for your credit card, you will receive your credit card invoice electronically and can approve the invoice directly in eBill with one click or set up a standing authorisation.

• Direct debit: With direct debit, the invoice amount is debited directly to your bank account. To do this, you must send your bank a debit authorisation form. Make sure that you have sufficient funds at the end of the month so that the invoice amount can be debited.

Do free credit cards make sense for you?

Free credit cards make sense for practically everyone. Exceptions usually only apply to people who can specifically utilise the benefits of special cards, such as the American Express Platinum.

The most important function of a credit card is making payments in shops or online. It doesn't matter whether you pay with a free credit card or a gold credit card. So you don't have to do without anything if you pay with a free credit card.

Compared to more expensive cards, there is usually no insurance, discounts or other extras. However, this is not the end of the world, as these extras are very rarely worthwhile compared to the annual fees. If you really need insurance, for example, it is usually better and cheaper to take out specific insurance.

In short: the most important function of a credit card is payment, and here free credit cards are in no way inferior to fee-based ones.

Tips from the experts for the optimal use of free credit cards

If you want to pay cheaply in Switzerland, you should apply for a free credit card with a cashback or bonus programme. A good card is characterised by attractive and clear conditions. Complex card products like to lure customers with tempting benefits, but in practice these can only be redeemed with great effort.

There are therefore a few important points to consider in order to find the best card and fully utilise its benefits.

How a Become Wealthy editor chose his free credit card

Aljoscha Moser, editor and founder of Become Wealthy, uses a lot of credit cards for work. In everyday life, he relies on free cashback credit cards.

‘There are basically two types of rewards: Firstly, cashback credit cards, with which I receive money back for every purchase, and secondly, points credit cards, with which I am rewarded bonus points - for example Cumulus points - for every purchase. In my experience, it is important that the bonus benefits can be redeemed easily, otherwise they quickly expire without being used. That's why I use cashback credit cards, where my cashback balance is automatically credited to me. In Switzerland, I like the offers from poinz and Swisscard. The cashback is credited automatically with every purchase. With the cashback cards from Swisscard, the cashback is automatically credited to my card account once a year and also automatically deducted from the invoice amount. I personally also find the poinz solution exciting. The basic conditions of the poinz cards are identical to those of the Cashback Cards - both are issued by Swisscard. With poinz, the cashback credit is credited to me in the poinz app. I can have the accumulated credit of CHF 100 or more paid out to my bank account or buy digital vouchers or gift cards from partners such as Apple, Zalando or IKEA. The advantage of converting to a gift card is that poinz also grants a cashback advantage on the conversion, which I personally appreciate.

To summarise, I recommend the cashback cards from Swisscard to those who want to benefit from the cashback advantage completely automatically. For all those who want more flexibility and want to get even more out of their cashback balance, I recommend the poinz credit cards.’

– Aljoscha Moser, Editor, Credit Cards

What others say about credit cards with no annual fee

User experiences can be a valuable guide when it comes to choosing the right card. We have scoured popular forums like Reddit to find additional user reviews.

First-hand experience with free credit cards

In the Reddit threads ‘Best Credit Card in Switzerland?’ or ‘Best Credit Cards’, most users mentioned cards that offer cashback on transactions. Among the top recommendations were the cashback cards from Swisscard and poinz credit cards, which offer the highest cashback at up to 1%. But the Certo credit card, which offers 1% cashback from 3 favourite retailers and 0.33% cashback from other retailers, is also popular.

As this Reddit user shows, the choice between the cashback credit cards Cashback Cards and poinz depends on your preferences regarding cashback payment:

"I use poinz and I'm satisfied so far. It's free, you get AMEX with 1% cashback and Visa with 0.25%. It's issued by Swisscard so basically the same thing they offer with other bundles. They also have a lot of other extra cashback options for various online shops, and they sometimes have a nice deal like 2 for 1 meals at some restaurants, some hotel deals, etc. But of course as others said, it all depends if that's your thing and you find use in it, but given its free package, I find a lot of value using poinz. And also depends if you want some other features from your card like insurances, lounges and such things, which it of course doesn't offer"

– Reddit user

The quotes and sources contained on this page have been verified by our editorial team and are accurate as of publication date. Linked content may contain views and opinions that do not reflect those of Bankrate. Please visit the publisher's website for current terms and conditions.

Test criteria – how we evaluate the free credit cards in comparison

A very good credit card offers the most important function – paying in Switzerland – at the most transparent and attractive conditions possible.

• Annual fees: Only credit cards that do not charge an annual fee were considered for the test. We did not consider credit cards that waive the annual fee in the first year in this comparison, since we are comparing the regular fees.
  

• Bonus programmes: All cards in the comparison offer sales-related bonus programmes (cashback or points). Therefore, cashback or bonus conditions are crucial for a good test result. When paying with cashback or bonus credit cards (e.g. Cumulus points), you benefit from every purchase. The general conditions are relevant for calculating the rating (e.g. if you receive double points when shopping in a particular store, this exceptional advantage is not taken into account in the calculation). Furthermore, cashback credits in CHF are fully (100%) included in the rating calculation, while bonus point credits (e.g. IKEA points or Cumulus points) are weighted at 80% of their value. This is justified because bonus points cannot be freely disposed of (they can only be redeemed in certain shops / for certain products, etc.). This disadvantage compared to cashback cards is offset by the different weighting. For the calculation, we assume a monthly card turnover in Switzerland totalling CHF 800.

  
  

No influence on the rating:

• We do not take payments in foreign currencies into account in the test. High fees usually apply when used abroad. We recommend cards that offer no processing fees and attractive exchange rates when used abroad. In particular, Swiss neo-banks offer attractive foreign cards (our recommendation: neon debit card). In the event that only credit cards are accepted abroad, the Cumulus credit card has an advantage because there are no processing fees (although the exchange rate surcharge remains).
  

• Cash withdrawals are not taken into account in the rating calculation, as cash withdrawals via credit card are practically always subject to high fees (usually CHF 10 upwards). Credit cards are therefore not suitable for cash withdrawals at ATMs. For this purpose, we recommend using a debit card (see personal account comparison).
  

• Installment payments – i.e. paying monthly bills in instalments – are associated with high costs. If you don't pay the bill in full, but in instalments, you have to pay interest for this credit service. The interest rate is usually as high as 14%. We therefore advise against using the instalment payment option and recommend using credit cards only if you can always pay your credit card bills on time and in full. If you don't feel comfortable doing that, you should use debit or prepaid cards that you can't overdraw.
  

• Insurance policies can make credit cards seem tempting, but here too, restraint is advised. Popular policies include purchase, travel cancellation, foreign travel health, baggage or rental car excess insurance. In general, the cheaper the credit card, the more limited the insurance cover. In addition, insurance cover often only applies under strict conditions. For example, up to 100% of the travel costs or a purchase must have been paid for with the credit card for the insurance to cover your loss in the event of a claim. We recommend that you do not choose credit cards based on their insurance policies. Where necessary, we recommend taking out separate insurance – this is usually cheaper and more secure. Otherwise, you should study the terms and conditions carefully.
  

• We negotiate welcome offers for you wherever possible (e.g. starting credit). However, such offers have no influence on the rating calculation.

Conclusion: Which credit card does Become Wealthy recommend?

Our comprehensive credit card comparison gives you a quick and easy overview of the best free credit cards in Switzerland. The test winners – cashback cards and poinz credit cards – are both issued by Swisscard.

The cards won the test thanks to their attractive cashback conditions. No other card in Switzerland offers you the same benefits when you shop. Unlike most of its competitors, cashback is credited as a cash refund and not as a points balance. The advantage of this is that users can use their cashback balance as they wish and are not forced to spend their bonus balance with a specific retailer.

No matter which free credit card you ultimately choose, you should not make any cash withdrawals, do without paper invoices, or avoid foreign transactions and partial payments, so that your card really stays free.

Frequently asked questions about credit cards with no annual fee

Sources

1. Maximum interest rate for consumer credit

2. Major credit card comparison with over 50 cards

3. Credit card guide

4. NZZ on dealer fees

Please note: The granting of credit is prohibited if it leads to over-indebtedness.

Free credit card comparison Switzerland • Free credit card comparison Switzerland • Top free credit cards • Best free credit card • Best no annual fee credit card • Credit card with no annual fee