Yes. Bank card payments are widely accepted in Switzerland, both in cities/towns and in ski resorts. In some remote places in Switzerland’s mountain ranges, card payments may not be accepted.

Contactless payments in Switzerland are possible for amounts up to 40 CHF. For higher amounts, card payments work with a chip and pin system, similar to payments over £30 in the UK.

Some British banks may charge for international card payments. In addition your bank’s CHF to GBP exchange rate may not be so good. This is how banks make money. Before using your bank card for payments in Switzerland, it’s certainly a good idea to contact your bank. This will avoid your card becoming blocked due to international transactions that your bank may find suspicious.

Even though card payments are accepted widely, the Swiss still like to pay with cash. We recommend to take some Swiss Franc cash with you on your Swiss trip.

Cash is a great fallback option and it remains a popular means of payment in Switzerland.

Expect to pay 4-5 francs for a coffee. A three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant in Switzerland costs around 50 francs.

Overall, Switzerland can be quite expensive. The cost of living in Switzerland is 90% higher than the cost of living in the UK.

Swiss Federal Law states that tipping is not required, and that all service charges must be included in the item price. As a result, you won’t find a ‘service charge’ line on a Swiss restaurant/cafe bill.

In practice, people will often add a little extra for tipping, rounding up the price. This is especially the case in the more fancier restaurants in Switzerland, and in (après-ski) bars with table service. A 5-10% tip is considered good practice.