Swiss Bankers

What Swiss Bankers does

Swiss Bankers Prepaid Services AG is a Switzerland-headquartered, FINMA-licensed prepaid card issuer founded in 1975 (originally as Swiss Bankers Travelers Cheques) and currently operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hypothekarbank Lenzburg AG following the 2025 acquisition. The company issues a portfolio of Mastercard-branded prepaid cards organized under four core brands — Travel (travel-focused, bundled with TravelProtect insurance), Life (everyday spending with cashback), Prime (high-limit, private-bank distribution), and Value (corporate expense and employee disbursements) — supplemented by a peer-to-peer money-transfer service (Send), a foreign-currency cash home-delivery service (Cash Order), and a 2024 Cashback Portal. Card management is consolidated on a proprietary Swiss Bankers mobile app (iOS/Android), which became the exclusive access channel after the customer portal was discontinued on April 10, 2024.

The platform runs on the global Mastercard network, supporting contactless and mobile/wearable payments via Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Garmin Pay, Fitbit Pay, and SwatchPAY!, with Mastercard Identity Check (3D Secure) for online transaction authentication. A Liechtenstein subsidiary, Swiss Bankers Prepaid Services (Liechtenstein) AG, holds E-money institution authorization from the FMA Liechtenstein since 2013. Revenue is generated primarily through transaction-based fees (card loading, ATM withdrawals, POS transactions), FX margins on multi-currency card accounts, annual or subscription fees on premium tiers, and one-time fees such as card replacement.

Swiss Bankers distributes through a 200+ partner network that includes virtually all major Swiss financial institutions — Raiffeisen, Migros Bank, UBS, PostFinance, Luzerner Kantonalbank, Graubündner Kantonalbank, BEKB BCBE, Valiant, Dukascopy, Baloise, and SBB CFF FFS railway stations — and serves 470+ Swiss banks and international organizations, supported by content marketing, an Emarsys-powered newsletter, affiliate/retargeting campaigns, and the partnerhub.swissbankers.ch B2B portal. The company is positioned as the #1 prepaid card issuer in Switzerland per a Handelszeitung representative study.

Name

Swiss Bankers

Legal name

Swiss Bankers Prepaid Services AG

Website

https://swissbankers.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Swiss Bankers Prepaid Services AG is a Switzerland-based, FINMA-licensed prepaid card issuer and subsidiary of Hypothekarbank Lenzburg AG, offering Mastercard prepaid cards (Travel, Life, Prime, Value), P2P transfers, and cash-delivery services distributed through 200+ Swiss bank and retail partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Prepaid Payment Cards

NAICS

Credit Card Issuing (522210)

SIC

Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

Open-Loop Prepaid Cards (Network-Branded) (FSAMANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Travel Money Cards & Multi-Currency Prepaid (FSAMANAI), Cross-Border Payments & FX (multi-currency wallets, DCC, remittance) (THALAHAE), Multi-Currency Accounts, Wallets & IBAN Services (FSAMAIAG)

Keywords

• Prepaid credit cards
• Travel money cards
• Cash order services
• Peer-to-peer money transfer
• Foreign currency delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Biglen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Card Loading/Top-up Fees: Fees charged when loading or topping up funds onto the prepaid card account. The card can be loaded by the cardholder or other authorized persons.
2. Transaction Fees: Fees charged for transactions carried out with the prepaid card, including ATM withdrawals, POS transactions, and online purchases. The website notes fees are published at swissbankers.ch.
3. Annual/Monthly Card Fees: Some card tiers (e.g., Prime) may carry annual fees. Cards may also be subject to annual service fees if dormant. No annual fee is mentioned for the Travel card.
4. Foreign Currency Exchange: Revenue generated from currency exchange margins when transactions are made in currencies different from the card account (CHF, EUR, USD). Conversion rates are defined by the Mastercard network.
5. Currency Delivery Service: Revenue from the cash order / banknote delivery service, shipping foreign currencies to customers' homes with insured delivery in 1-2 working days.
6. Card Replacement Fees: Fees charged for replacement card issuance as specified in the General Terms and Conditions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Swiss Bankers issues reloadable prepaid Mastercard credit cards (Travel, Life, Prime, Value, Mastercard Prepaid Digital) accepted at over 70 million locations and 2 million ATMs worldwide. The cards are sold direct-to-consumer via the website and proprietary Swiss Bankers app, and distributed through 200+ bank and retail partners across Switzerland. Additional services include peer-to-peer money transfer (Send) via the Mastercard network, foreign currency home delivery (Cash Order), and bundled travel insurance (TravelProtect).

Product overview

Swiss Bankers is Switzerland's leading issuer of prepaid credit cards, offering a portfolio of reloadable prepaid Mastercard products across multiple brands: Travel (for travelers with included travel insurance), Life (for everyday spending with cashback), Prime (exclusive high-limit card for private banking clients), and Value (for corporate expense management). The ecosystem is anchored by the Swiss Bankers mobile app, which serves as the central platform for card management, balance monitoring, and security controls. Additional services include Send (peer-to-peer money transfer via Mastercard network), Cash Order (foreign currency home delivery), and TravelProtect travel insurance. The company distributes through 200+ partner outlets including major Swiss banks (Raiffeisen, Migros Bank, PostFinance, cantonal banks) and supports modern payment methods including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and wearable payments (Garmin Pay, Fitbit Pay, SwatchPAY!). Founded in 1975, the company has evolved from travelers cheques to digital-first prepaid cards, now operating as Swiss Bankers Prepaid Services AG with a full banking license from FINMA and E-money institution authorization in Liechtenstein.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Life: Prepaid Mastercard for everyday spending with no transaction fees
• Life Digital
• Travel
• Prime
• Value
• TravelProtect
• Swiss Bankers App
• Send
• My Card
• Cashback Portal

Products and services

• Travel Card Prepaid Mastercard for travelers offering included TravelProtect insurance, multi-currency support (CHF, EUR, USD), and worldwide acceptance at over 70 million locations with no annual card fee.
• Life Card Prepaid Mastercard for everyday spending with no transaction fees, shopping insurance, cashback on shopping brands, free credit top-up, and convenient mobile payment options.
• Prime Card Exclusive prepaid Mastercard available at selected private banks offering higher loading limits and enhanced flexibility for affluent and private banking clients.
• Value Card Prepaid Mastercard for companies providing an ideal solution for paying expenses and advances to employees, simplifying business expense management without credit risk.
• Mastercard Prepaid Digital First purely digital prepaid card from Swiss Bankers, launched in 2019, designed for mobile and online payments without requiring a physical card.
• Swiss Bankers App Proprietary mobile application for full card management including balance monitoring, real-time notifications, card blocking, contactless payment controls, regional usage restrictions, PIN changes, and card loading. Accessible via iOS and Android.
• Send (Peer-to-Peer Money Transfer)

Quantifiable outcome

• Money delivered to recipient in as little as 15 minutes via Send service
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Hypothekarbank Lenzburg AG (Press Partnership)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 August 2024Press release dated 05.08.2024 announcing partnership between Swiss Bankers and Hypothekarbank Lenzburg, with Hypothekarbank Lenzburg serving as the parent company and sole shareholder.
• Booking.comminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with Booking.com established in 2023 as part of the Travel & Offers program, providing travel deals for Swiss Bankers card holders.
• DDM GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2021Press release dated 17.12.2021 announcing a partnership between Swiss Bankers and DDM Group.
• Credit SuisseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Swiss Bankers issued prepaid cards on behalf of Credit Suisse starting 2011 and developed the universal Swiss Bankers Easy Card prepaid card. A youth card was launched on behalf of Credit Suisse in 2012.
• SamsungcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2017Launch of Samsung Pay in 2017, allowing Swiss Bankers prepaid card holders with compatible Samsung devices to make mobile payments via Samsung Pay.
• Mastercard Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationSwiss Bankers issues Mastercard-branded prepaid cards operating on the global Mastercard payment network. The partnership covers card acceptance at 70+ million locations worldwide, ATM network access, Mastercard Identity Check (3D Secure) security, and the Send peer-to-peer money transfer service built within the Mastercard network.
• Raiffeisen SwitzerlandmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRaiffeisen is one of Swiss Bankers' 200+ distribution partners, reselling Swiss Bankers prepaid cards through its extensive branch network across Switzerland.
• PostFinancemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPostFinance distributes Swiss Bankers prepaid cards through its branch and digital channels in Switzerland.
• SBB CFF FFSmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSBB railway stations serve as point-of-sale locations for Swiss Bankers prepaid cards, leveraging high traveler foot traffic. Swiss Bankers also processes currency dispatch for SBB.
• Apple Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationSwiss Bankers prepaid cards (Mastercard Prepaid and Travel Cash) support Apple Pay, enabling mobile payments on iPhone and Apple Watch at millions of merchants globally. Available since 2016.
• Google (Alphabet)coreTechnology or IntegrationSwiss Bankers prepaid cards support Google Pay for contactless mobile payments on Android devices.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Western Union: Global cross-border money transfer and prepaid services incumbent. Comparable as a broad incumbent in cross-border P2P/remittance, an adjacent revenue stream Swiss Bankers is pursuing via its Send service.
• Paysafe: Established global prepaid and digital payments provider (paysafecard, Skrill, NETELLER). Comparable as a broad incumbent in network-branded prepaid card issuing with white-label bank partnerships.
• PostFinance: Swiss state-owned financial services provider and Swiss Bankers distribution partner. Competes for prepaid wallet share in Switzerland while also distributing Swiss Bankers products — a hybrid competitor/distributor relationship.

Others

• Marqeta: Card-issuing platform powering fintech and corporate card programs. Comparable as the underlying infrastructure/competitor that white-label prepaid programs could be built on instead of Swiss Bankers' in-house stack.

Direct peers

• N26: Digital bank with Mastercard-based debit cards, mobile-first account management, and P2P features. Competes for the same Swiss underbanked/mobile-first consumers that Swiss Bankers targets with Life/Travel.
• Payoneer: Multi-currency account and prepaid Mastercard for cross-border payments and B2B disbursements. Comparable on the Value (corporate expense) card use case and multi-currency card issuing.
• Revolut: Global fintech offering multi-currency prepaid cards, FX, and P2P transfers with no credit check. Directly competes with Swiss Bankers' Travel and Life cards across Swiss consumers seeking multi-currency spending.
• Wise: Multi-currency card and cross-border money transfer provider with mid-market FX and Mastercard network rails. Comparable on multi-currency card, low FX margin, and P2P/Send-style cross-border use cases.

Emerging players

• Wirex: Multi-currency card and payments app with crypto and traditional rails. Comparable as a smaller-scale multi-currency prepaid card issuer targeting similar consumer and travel use cases.

Regional players

• Twint: Swiss mobile payment app jointly owned by major Swiss banks including UBS, PostFinance, and Raiffeisen. Competes for everyday prepaid spending share in Switzerland and represents a domestic payment alternative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/swissbankers.ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swiss-bankers-prepaid-services-ag

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Swiss Bankers