Swisscard Cashback Cards Review – Best Credit Card in Switzerland?
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Rating of our Swisscard Cashback Cards Review:
4.7 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ · 🏆 · Top Credit Card ·
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Since launching in 2019, the Swisscard Cashback cards have quickly moved up the ranks as one of the best credit cards in Switzerland. The clear pricing, transparency on fees and ease of applying for a card sets it apart from others on the market.
By offering a free credit card, which in Switzerland is limited to only a few providers, combined with an attractive cashback incentive of 1% with the American Express card, it’s a great deal for day to day spending.
I’ll be documenting the application process in this Swisscard Cashback Card review with a step by step process to give you all the details, pros and cons and takeaways with using Swisscard Cashback cards.
🎁 Interested in a free Cashback credit card with 40CHF bonus credit? Click here to start your free application and use code FC4E8WKSY.
I’ll also be highlighting some of the differences to the other good credit cards in Switzerland.
Ready? Let’s move onto the Swisscard Cashback Cards review.
Swisscard Cashback Cards Review: Pros and Cons
The Swisscard Cashback card is a great card to have in your wallet. For Switzerland, it’s rare to find a card which offers such an attractive offer considering the cashback and welcome bonus. As long as you use the credit card correctly (e.g. pay on time and in full) you’ll generate a solid cashback return – particularity using AMEX.
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How to get a Swisscard Cashback Card
From the homepage, you can directly start the application process. Just click ‘Apply Now’:
Fill in your name, email and mobile number and then hit ‘Next’:
A few more personal details are needed next regarding where you live, and who with. I’ve used dummy data here, but fill out in full and click ‘Next’:
Details about your employment, annual income, and bank account IBAN are needed next. Moving along…
Define a name to be printed on your card, and then tick ‘Yes’ for online account access.
At this point you’ll also need to enter your promotion code FC4E8WKSY into the box for the 40 CHF bonus credit, and click ‘Next’:
Check through all your details for any errors and scroll down:
Make sure you have entered your Swisscard cashback card promotion code (FC4E8WKSY) in the box below, if not click ‘amend’ to enter it:
Next we need to complete the application by verifying our documentation. Have your ID document at hand and scroll down:
Take a photo of your document (front and back) and email it to yourself in order to upload them here:
Done? You should see a tick on each upload, tick the T’s and C’s box once you’ve read them and click ‘Start it now’ to begin the verification with a live agent.
You are passed onto a verification service provided by Swisscom, hence the change in branding. Not the best UX, but it still works.
A quick briefing explaining you are about to sign a digital signature and you shouldn’t close the window.
Click ‘OK’ to move on:
And remember – you’ll need a webcam and a copy of your passport in addition to your permit for this process.
Got them ready? Click ‘Start the video call’
Confirm Swisscom access to your camera and mic:
… You’ll then be connected to the live agent who will take photos of your passport and ask you to confirm a few details. Once done, they’ll send you an SMS to enter in the box below. Say your goodbyes and hit ‘Confirm’:
You’ll then be transferred to complete the electronic signing of your application. Read the statements, check the boxes and click ‘Confirm’:
Another SMS code needed here, tap ‘Request SMS code’:
The SMS should arrive instantly – enter it in the box and click ‘Activate signature’
You will then be redirected and a loading screen will appear.
Which will load…
…and load….
…and load…
…and then appear to die.
Hmm – The handover from the Swisscom verification back to the Swisscard success page needs a little work.
But never fear!
Check your email and you’ll have a nice branded confirmation message:
Once you click ‘View application’ in the emailer, you’ll need to request a SMS code to login to your account:
Enter it here and click ‘Login’…
From here you can check the application status and download a PDF copy of your application for your records.
That’s it!
Check back in a week once you receive your Cashback cards in the post and you should then see your account activated.
Using the Swisscard Cashback Credit Card
You’ll have a choice between AMEX (best for cashback) Mastercard and Visa variations when you apply for the card. They function as you would expect – wireless tap and pay, or hook them up to your iOS, Google or Samsung device to make payments even easier. Even SwatchPay is available for wireless payments with your funky watch.
Login & Security
Swisscard is a trusted and established credit card provider based and regulated in Switzerland. As expected the standard security processes are followed – e.g. https, 3D secure, and SMS two factor authentication to access your account portal are used.
The smartphone integration to use wireless payment and the likes of iOS FaceID arguably increase the security of your account further still as the card won’t leave your hands.
Fees & Charges
Compared to other credit cards, the Swisscard Cashback Card is great value. The low fees make it one of the best credit cards to have in Switzerland along side a Migros Cumulus credit card.
I’ve picked a few highlights below:
- Free credit card
- No annual fee
- Welcome bonus/promotional codes
- Up to 1% cashback when using the American Express card
… These are all great, however as with other credit cards you need to be aware of the negative side:-
- 11.95% interest rate on debt – make sure you pay your credit card off in full every month.
- 3.75% charge for ATM cash withdrawals in Switzerland (min. charge is 5CHF)
- 3.75% charge for ATM cash withdrawals outside Switzerland (min. charge is 10CHF + that excludes the currency spread)
- 2.5% charge on non CHF transactions
Maybe don’t take this card on holiday with you, and stick to using Transferwise for currency conversions 🙂
Customer Support
Customer support is responsive and English is supported, however be aware calling the standard line for phone support is a premium rate number.
To be fair, there are a large number of FAQs on the support section of the website, in multiple languages, which cover the main topics well – from pricing to cards and common problems which users encounter.
Background info on Swisscard Cashback Cards
Swisscard is owned by Credit Suisse and American Express, and the only credit card provider in Switzerland to offer all three (Amex, Visa and Mastercard) credit card options. Today, they have over 1 million credit cards in circulation and are the largest provider in Switzerland.
Swisscard AECS GmbH are based in Horgen, the registered address is Neugasse 18, 8810 Horgen
Closing thoughts
The Swisscard Cashback credit card is a great choice, particularly for AMEX purchases to take advantage of the generous 1% cashback.
The application process is quick and easy, and while the verification step is a little clunky, it works very well and overall speeds up the process compared to offline paper applications.
As Swisscard are an established and trusted player in the credit card space, you caa be confident your account is under solid protection and compliance within Switzerland – which isn’t the case for competitor cards. With a fully English user experience (from first application to follow up) combined with the low fees its a great credit card to use in Switzerland.
Thanks for reading this Swisscard Cashback cards review!
🎁 Interested in a free Cashback credit card with 40CHF bonus credit? Click here to start your free application and use code FC4E8WKSY.
Swisscard Cashback Cards FAQ
Yes, use FC4E8WKSY for 40 CHF bonus credit when you register.
You need to be a Swiss resident over the age of 18 to get a Cashback card.
Yes, you can select if you want access to the online portal when you apply for the cards.
The biggest difference is the free cards, up to 1% cashback and the welcome bonus offers.
About Investing Hero
I’m a British expat who’s been living in Switzerland for the last 10 years. I’m a digital marketing professional by day, and anonymous investing blogger by night. I cover investing basics, robo advisor reviews and epic how to guides. You can call me ‘Mr. IH’ for short, and read more about me here.
