ATM Card

An ATM card is a card which lets you access a bank account via an automated teller machine (ATM) using access data stored on a microchip or a magnetic strip.

ATM cards allow their holders to withdraw money and make use of many different banking services remotely via an ATM.

Switzerland’s first ATM cards were issued by the Schweizerische Bankgesellschaft (now UBS) in 1968 along with the launch of Switzerland’s first ATM after an initial test period in 1967. The card used a punched hole system and required the cardholder to enter a PIN.

Debit cards combine the functions of ATM cards with those of checking cards. Many Swiss banks give account holders the choice between ATM cards which do not normally have annual fees and debit cards which typically have annual fees (with some exceptions).

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