Reka Checks Experiences

Does anyone here have experience paying for transportation and hotels using Reka checks? Are they widely accepted? I have the opportunity to buy some Reka checks well below their face value, but I don't know whether it's a good investment. Any Reka experience that you are willing to share would be appreciated.

Thanks to all

If you use public transportation, stay at hotels or go skiing in Switzerland, then using Reka checks is a definite saver if you can buy them below the face value. You can use them to pay at SBB ticket machines and even at the tank in some gas stations. Many ski slopes accept them. For hotel accomodation they are somewhat less accepted, but you can generally find hotesl or vacation apartments which accept them in most Swiss resorts.

If you cannot buy them below their face value then there isn't much point. I generally have no problem buying them on classified sites like Anibis for 5% off their face value. A lot of people get Reka checks from employers and don't use them because they vacation abroad, so are happy to sell them below the face value.

Apparently you can buy them for a couple percent off their face value (like 2% or so) at Manor or Coop, but I can't confirm that.

I use Reka Rail checks and Reka checks all the time. I buy Reka Rail checks at Manor at a discount on their face value (currently on special for 4% off the face value, normally 3% off) using the store card.

I use them for public transportation purchases (GAs, monthly passes, individual trips) and haven't had any problem using them instead of Swiss francs at SBB desks. They generally give change above 10 francs in Reka checks and under 10 francs in Swiss francs. The ticket machines won't usually return more than 20 francs in change when you use Reka to pay, so I recommend getting the 10-franc Reka checks rather than the 50-franc checks if you make smaller purchases.

If you buy a 3,860-franc GA, you save 115.8 francs by buying Reka Rail checks at Manor with the standard 3% discount and then using them to pay for the GA. Since my wife and I both used GAs, we saved around 200 francs. All in all a good deal if you spend on SBB or other public transportation.

The Reka checks (not Reka Rail) can be used at some gas stations, hotels and ski-lifts as well. I believe Coop sells regular Reka checks at a discount to its store card users. I just use the Reka checks I get as change for Reka Rail at SBB desks.

Coop with the Supercard is the better deal. It has a 3% discount on Reka just like Manor, but you get Reka checks which you can use for gas and all kinds of things. Manor only sells Reka Rail which is only good for public transportation.

Also, you can buy up to 3000 francs of Reka checks per day at Coop, but only 2500 francs per year of Reka Rail at Manor per customer.

I use the Reka Guide app to find all the restaurants and shops near me that accept Reka checks. There are many places which accept them that I wouldn't expect to, and it saves me money to the tune of 3%.

I sometimes use my Amex Cashback credit card to pay for the Reka checks at Coop, which saves another 1%.

You can find detailed answers to key questions about Reka checks in the moneyland.ch guide to using Reka money.