Swisscard Cashback Cards Review & Experiences 2024
Applying for the Swisscard Cashback Duo is completely digital and uncomplicated. The duo consists of an American Express card, which offers the highest cashback, combined with a Visa or Mastercard. The cards are free of charge and offer cashback of 1% for Amex and 0.2% for Visa/Mastercard, as well as a 5% welcome bonus for Amex users. Other advantages include compatibility with mobile payment systems, access to Amex Select discounts, and insurance benefits.
Disadvantages include high fees for cash withdrawals and foreign currency transactions. Overall, the duo is particularly attractive for price-conscious users and offers more benefits than many fee-based credit cards.
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How to apply for the Swisscard Cashback Duo?
As the name Swisscard Cashback Cards Duo suggests, the offer always includes a combination of two credit cards. However, you can choose from which card issuer these should be. The reason for the duo is that American Express, which is the issuer of the main card, is not accepted at 100% of stores in Switzerland.
When applying, you must decide whether you want an American Express plus a Visa card or an American Express and a Mastercard.
It doesn’t really matter if you choose Visa or Mastercard. Nevertheless, as a decision-making aid, here are the minor differences between the various cards and their advantages:
Swisscard Amex
The American Express card is included in any case and will also be the card with which you pay most often in everyday life. The reason is that you will get the most cashback with it.
Swisscard Visa
Your first choice for a secondary card could be a Visa card. Visa is accepted everywhere and is a popular option. The only thing it can’t do, unlike Mastercard, is be compatible with SwatchPAY!. If this is your preferred payment method, Mastercard would be better.
Swisscard Mastercard
Mastercard is accepted everywhere, just like Visa, and also offers SwatchPAY! Normal Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay are possible with all three cards, so also with Amex and Visa.
What are the best Swisscard Cashback Card benefits?
1. No Annual Fee π°
Swisscard Cashback Cards offer the rare advantage of no annual fees. However, what’s even rarer is that on top of that, you get cash back every time you make a card payment. This is particularly noteworthy as this is the first time this offer has been available in Switzerland for the three world-famous credit card brands, American Express, Mastercard, and Visa.
2. Independence From Retail Merchants π
The credit cards are the first in Switzerland to be issued independently of retailers. So you are not tied to specific stores or offers, which gives you more flexibility when shopping. With other credit cards, the cashback, if any, is limited to only three stores, for example.
2. Welcome Bonus π
As a cardholder, you benefit from a cashback of 1% when using the American Express card and 0.2% for Mastercard and Visa. As a special welcome offer, there is even 5% cashback on payments with American Express for the first three months (only until you have collected a maximum of CHF 100, after which it continues at 1% without limit).
What other advantages do the cards have?
1. Compatibility with Mobile Payment π±
As an additional welcome present, you will get an Apple Pay bonus of CHF 100. As mentioned above, the Swisscard Cashback Cards are fully compatible with modern mobile payment systems such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and even SwatchPAY! for Mastercard.
2. Amex Select Discounts π
Thanks to your card, you’ll have access to numerous discounts, which you can find at American Express Select.
3. Digital Application Process β
The application process for the cards is fully digitalized. So you can apply from the comfort of your home and don’t have to visit a bank. As a user of the cashback credit card duo, I can confirm that I have never sent out a more straightforward application before.
4. Swisscard Insurances π
Return of goods insurance: With your return of goods insurance, you are insured worldwide up to a goods value of CHF 1’000. The insurance applies to undamaged, ready-to-use products from CHF 60, which are not taken back by the seller.
Additional insurance: You can also benefit from other additional insurance for only little money.
What are the disadvantages of Swisscard Cashback credit cards?
1. Cash Withdrawals π΅
In my opinion, the only thing you should avoid with the Swisscard Cashback Cards is cash withdrawal. This is because there are hefty fees here, both domestically and abroad! The exact fees can be found in the table in the following subchapter.
Some people on the Internet also claim that the Cashback Cards are not suitable for use abroad due to the 2.5% foreign currency fee. I can’t agree with that because if you consider that you get 1% back via cashback, you get away with a foreign currency fee of 1.5%, which is already below average. I personally use the cards all over the world without hesitation.
2. Fees π€·ββοΈ
Swisscard’s fees are about as small as you can get with a credit card. Nevertheless, since nobody likes fees, they are listed among the disadvantages π
If you don’t do anything stupid with the cards, like not paying the bills, the fees are extremely low.
Here is a list of the fees.
Fee category | Amount / Percentage |
Annual fee main cards | CHF 0.- |
Fee per year for additional cards | CHF 0.- |
Cash withdrawal from ATMs in Switzerland | 3.75%, min. CHF 5.- |
Cash withdrawal from foreign ATMs | 3.75%, min. CHF 10.- |
Fee for foreign currency or foreign transactions | 2,5% |
Annual interest from booking date (in case of late payment) | 13% |
Fee for paper bill (per monthly bill) | CHF 1.95 |
Fee for telephone service | CHF 1.90/call |
Monthly bill copy (per order) | CHF 10.- |
Double monthly bill to own or third party address | according to the current postal rate |
Postage abroad (per monthly bill) | CHF 1.- (in addition to the paper fee) |
PostFinance deposit fee | according to the current postal rate |
Replacement card (e.g. in the event of loss) | CHF 25.- |
Card dispatch by express or courier | actual costs, min. CHF 25.- |
Fee for payment reminder | CHF 30.- |
Address research | CHF 25.- |
How could a fictitious usage example look?
Sarah is a young professional who lives in Zurich and often shops online. After careful research, she decides on the Swisscard Cashback Cards Duo with an American Express and a Mastercard.
First steps and welcome bonus: After applying, Sarah receives her cards in the mail and activates them immediately. Since she gets 5% cashback on all purchases made with her American Express card in the first three months, she takes the opportunity to order a new smartphone for CHF 1’000. This already results in cashback worth CHF 50, which she will receive at the end of the year.
Flexibility when shopping: Sarah appreciates the flexibility that the Swisscard credit card offers her. Whether she buys groceries, clothes, or electronics, she can always use her American Express card and receive 1% cashback. In case American Express isn’t accepted, she always carries her Mastercard as a backup.
Insurance benefits: Sarah experiences a situation where she buys a pair of shoes for CHF 150 that she doesn’t like after all. The seller refuses to take the shoes back. Thanks to her merchandise return insurance, she gets a full refund from Swisscard.
Mobile payment: Sarah loves technology and, therefore, likes to use mobile payment systems. Her Swisscard credit cards are fully compatible with Apple Pay, which makes her life easier.
Dealing with fees and usage abroad: Sarah is planning a trip to Paris and is aware that foreign currency transactions incur a 2.5% fee. However, since she gets 1% back through the cashback program, the effective fee is only 1.5%. She can live with that just fine.
Sarah’s conclusion: After a year of use, Sarah has collected around CHF 200 through the cashback program and enjoyed various benefits through the additional card services. She is extremely satisfied with her decision to use the Swisscard cashback credit card duo and plans to continue using the cards as her main means of payment.
What is the spending limit for the Cashback Cards?
The exact limit of your cards will be decided when you apply and depends on your creditworthiness, i.e., your income, assets, and payment history (debt collection, etc.).
However, there is a maximum limit of CHF 10’000 per month. So if you want to spend more, another card is probably better suited for you. The limit is for both cards together; how much you spend with which card is irrelevant.
Little insider tip: If you only occasionally need more money on your card than your limit allows, you can simply transfer money to your card at any time. So, for example, if you need CHF 2’000 more on the card in the coming month, you can transfer CHF 2’000 to the account where you also send the money for the normal credit card bills. This way, you can “overcharge” the Cashback Cards and use them as prepaid credit cards, so to speak.
What are my Swisscard Cashback Card experiences?
I myself am a big fan of the Duo. Amex is famous for offering the best rewards for their customers worldwide. In the case of the cashback cards, this is obvious because there is no other credit card in Switzerland that unconditionally gives as much cashback (1%). Cards such as the Certo credit card also have 1%, but only at three selected retailers.
My cashback credit cards are also often used abroad. Sure, I have relatively high fees of 2.5%, but if you subtract the one percent cashback, you are still better off than with most other Swiss credit cards.
As far as customer service is concerned, my experience has also been nothing but good. The two times I called, I was helped immediately and without complications.
The only thing that has bothered me so far is the internet presence of the offer. It is relatively time-consuming to get all the information, which I have packed as extensively and understandably as possible in this article. If you want to know details, you either have to fight your way through the T&Cs or call them.
Hopefully, I could spare you that with this article π
For whom is the Cashback Cards Duo worthwhile?
The cards are free and still bring more benefits than the vast majority of paid credit cards. In particular, the cards are interesting for people who want the best free credit card and pay attention to the price-performance ratios. It is especially popular among students, as they are known for often having to watch the budget. But even as a business credit card, it’s a great choice since a certain prestige is associated with American Express.
In my opinion, the Cashback Duo is a suitable choice for pretty much everyone, at least as a second credit card. In all my research and all the years I’ve been looking at the best credit card offers, I’ve yet to see a credit card with higher cashback in Switzerland. Other cards offer 1% as well, but the choice of merchants is limited, or an annual fee is charged.
What are the alternatives to the Swisscard Credit Cards?
The credit card duo is a top offer and gets credited several times in our credit card comparison for all user categories. Here are some alternatives to the Swisscard Cashback credit cards and their advantages and disadvantages.
- Manor Credit Card: The Manor credit card doesn’t have nearly as attractive a rewards program, but there is a wide selection of discounts that come with the card.
- Certo One Mastercard World: With the Certo credit card, you also get 1% cashback. However, unlike the Swisscard credit cards, this only applies at three merchants you choose. The advantage, on the other hand, is that it is a Mastercard. Thus, it does not have the (rare) payment difficulties that you can have with Amex.
- Amex Platinum Switzerland: If you value insurance and other luxuries, you might also want to take a closer look at this premium platinum card. It is right on the opposite end in terms of price, but if you can take advantage of the benefits, it is well worth it.
What makes Swisscard AECS GmbH different?
Swisscard AECS GmbH is a Swiss company that specializes in credit card and payment solutions. It is a joint venture between Credit Suisse and American Express, which gives the company a solid financial and market foundation.
The company has focused heavily on digital transformation in recent years. It offers advanced mobile payment solutions and a fully digitized credit card application process.
As a reputable financial company, Swisscard is subject to strict regulations and sets high standards in terms of compliance and data protection. It is important to the company to adhere to ethical principles and act responsibly.
Overall, the GmbH is an innovative and customer-oriented company that offers a wide range of credit card solutions for different needs. The combination of strong financial partners and a focus on technological development makes it an important player in the Swiss financial sector.
What is the conclusion of the review?
The Swisscard cashback card offers a combination of benefits that make them one of the most attractive options on the Swiss market. For more info on credit cards or loans, have a look at our website (our website uses cookies) or click the links in this article.
π These benefits include fee-free use, attractive cashback rates, and good acceptance. In particular, the flexibility of choosing between Visa and Mastercard as a secondary card allows you to customize your payment experience.
π In addition to cashback, the cards offer a range of insurance benefits and are compatible with modern mobile payment systems. The digital application process rounds out the user-friendly experience.
π While the cards are generally very cost-effective, you should avoid cash withdrawals to save on fees. Foreign currency transactions do incur a 2.5% fee, but the cashback program mitigates this drawback.
Overall, the Swisscard cashback credit card offers a comprehensive package that provides both financial benefits and practical convenience. It is a card package that can prove extremely useful in everyday life as well as when traveling.