Find out how to make cash withdrawals or get cash advances at the tills of stores across Switzerland in this moneyland.ch guide.
In Switzerland, consumers have typically been limited to withdrawing cash at bank tellers or at automated teller machines (ATMs). But depending on which Swiss private account or Swiss credit card you use, it is possible to make cash withdrawals at many Swiss supermarkets and other retail outlets. This provides a convenient alternative to visiting a bank or ATM.
Postfinance and Migros Bank driving innovation in cash withdrawals
Postfinance customers can use their Postfinance debit card to make fee-free cash withdrawals at all Post office as well as at the tills of Migros, Spar, Denner, Coop Pronto and (some) Migrolino stores. Only Postfinance debit cards are eligible for these no-fee withdrawals at the till. Postfinance credit cards are not eligible for fee-free cash advances.
Migros Bank customers can use their Visa Debit and Visa Free cards to withdraw money at the tills of all Migros and Denner supermarkets, and at some Migrolino and Voi stores, free of charge. Customers can also withdraw money at other stores (Coop, for example), but Migros Bank charges 2 francs per withdrawal.
You can also use a Migros Cumulus Visa credit card to get cash advances at the tills of Migros supermarkets without paying any cash advance fees.
No matter which Swiss bank you use, you can withdraw cash at the tills of all Coop supermarkets using a Debit Mastercard, Visa Debit, or Maestro debit card. Depending on your bank, cash withdrawals at Coop may be free of charge, or cost 2 francs per withdrawal (see table below).
You can make cash withdrawals at Lidl supermarkets using a Debit Mastercard, Maestro or Visa Debit card. Withdrawals are either free of charge, or cost 2 francs per withdrawal, depending on which bank you use (see table below).
It is technically possible to have a merchant charge your debit card and give you the money back in cash. Some merchants may do this upon request.
Cash via apps
Although mobile payments have been a hype in recent years, getting cash at store tills still largely requires debit cards (Maestro or Postfinance cards, for example).
Sonect and Twint allow cash withdrawals at the tills of K kiosks (from Valora), Press & Books stores, Volg supermarkets and numerous other stores across Switzerland. Sonect can be linked to any Swiss credit card, either directly or via Apple Pay or Google Pay. A direct link to a private account is currently only possible for Hypothekarbank Lenzburg, Migros Bank, Neon and Postfinance customers. However, you can load your prepaid Sonect account from any Swiss private account via bank transfer.
For Neon and Hypothekarbank Lenzburg account holders, withdrawals with Sonect are free of charge. Withdrawals are also free of charge when you load your Sonect account by bank transfer. Migros Bank and Postfinance customers pay 99 centimes per cash withdrawal with Sonect. If you use your credit card to load your Sonect wallet, you pay 1.50 francs per cash withdrawal. You can withdraw between 20 and 200 Swiss francs. You can also use Sonect to send barcodes to other mobile phone users via SMS which they can use to withdraw a predetermined amount of cash from your Sonect account.
The Swiss mobile payment app Twint also collaborates with Sonect. Users can simply select the cash withdrawal option in the app and select the amount of money they would like to withdraw from Sonect partners. The fee is 1 franc for withdrawals up to 100 francs and 1.50 francs if the amount is above that. You can get a maximum of 200 francs per withdrawal.
Cash withdrawals at Migros stores
You can withdraw money at any Migros supermarket free of charge with the Postfinance debit card, as well as the Visa Debit, Visa Free, and Migros Cumulus Visa cards from Migros Bank. The Migros Cumulus Mastercard previously issued by Cembra Money Bank can no longer be used to withdraw money at Migros tills.
Cash withdrawals at Migrolino stores
Migrolino convenience stores generally open early and close late, and are also open on weekends. You can withdraw money at most Migrolino stores using a Postfinance debit card or a Migros Bank Maestro debit card. This applies to both stand-alone Migrolino stores and Migrolino stores at Migrol gas stations. Cash withdrawals are not possible at the Migrolino stores found at Shell, Socar and Piccadilly gas stations.
Cash withdrawals at Coop tills
You can withdraw cash from your Swiss bank account at all Coop supermarkets using your Debit Mastercard, Visa Debit, or Maestro debit card without paying an extra charge. You have to make a purchase worth at least 10 francs every time you make a withdrawal. Depending on which bank you use, withdrawals at Coop may be free of charge, or cost 2 francs per withdrawal (see table below). At Coop stores which double as post offices, you can make fee-free cash withdrawals using Postfinance debit cards without any purchase requirement.
Cash withdrawals at Coop Pronto stores
Coop Pronto stores typically have very convenient opening hours and locations (near train stations and gas stations). You can make fee-free cash withdrawals between 50 and 300 Swiss francs at Coop Pronto stores using a Postfinance debit card.
Cash withdrawals at Denner
You can use a Postfinance debit card or a Migros Bank Visa Debit or Visa Free card to make fee-free cash withdrawals at all Denner supermarkets.
Cash withdrawals at Aldi and Lidl
Lidl customers can withdraw cash at any Swiss Lidl supermarket. You can withdraw cash with any Swiss Debit Mastercard, Maestro, or Visa Debit card, regardless of which bank you use. Cash withdrawals at Lidl may be free, or cost 2 francs per withdrawal, depending on which bank you use (see table below).
Discount retailer Aldi does not currently offer cash withdrawals at the tills of its stores in Switzerland. In Germany, Aldi customers can withdraw cash at the till using any German debit card from any German bank without paying Aldi a fee.
Cash withdrawals at Spar
According to Spar, you can withdraw cash at the tills of Swiss Spar supermarkets in Switzerland using every commonly used debit card and credit card. If you use a Postfinance debit card or a Spar Mastercard World, the cash withdrawal is free of charge. You can withdraw a maximum of 300 francs.
Cash withdrawals at Volg
You can withdraw cash at Volg stores using the Sonect app or Twint. Some Volg stores double as post offices, and you can withdraw cash at these stores using a Postfinance debit card.
Cash withdrawals at kiosks
You can make cash withdrawals at K kiosks and Press & Books stores using the Sonect app or Twint.
Which banks charge fees for cash withdrawals at stores?
Some Swiss banks charge a fee when you withdraw money from your account at the tills of eligible retail stores. The table below shows which major banks charge fees for cash withdrawals at stores, and which ones do not.
| Bank | Fee for cash withdrawals at stores |
|---|---|
| Bank Cler (incl. Zak) | No fee |
| Migros Bank | 2 francs per withdrawal. No fee at Migros, Denner, Migrolino, and Voi. |
| Postfinance | No fee |
| Raiffeisen | 2 francs per withdrawal |
| UBS | No fee |
| Valiant | 2 francs per withdrawal. No fee with youth account or bank package. |
| Yuh | No fee |
| Zürcher Kantonalbank | No fee |
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