🇨🇭 This is the brand hub for UBS in Switzerland. For the bigger picture on Swiss banking, the Travelex/Euronet trap, and the SAC mountain hut cash question, see the Switzerland Money Guide. For exact Bancomat addresses, see the Zurich ATM Guide. For card acceptance and SBB EasyRide transit, see the Zurich Money Guide. For the post-Swiss-Post bank option, the PostFinance Postomat guide.
🎧 Order Swiss Francs Before You Fly
Pre-order CHF 100-200 for SAC mountain hut nights, parking meters, and rural valley restaurants where card terminals occasionally go offline. Insured 2–5 day shipping.
Order CHF → CEI Currency ExchangeWhat UBS is, in one paragraph
UBS Group AG is Switzerland's largest bank by both assets and retail customer count, and the world's largest wealth manager by client assets under management (over USD 5 trillion combined post-Credit Suisse). The name UBS originally stood for Union Bank of Switzerland; the modern entity was formed in 1998 by the merger of Union Bank of Switzerland and Swiss Bank Corporation, and was further expanded in March 2023 by the emergency acquisition of Credit Suisse Group at the urging of the Swiss National Bank and Swiss government. Headquartered jointly in Zurich (Bahnhofstrasse 45 on the Paradeplatz, the historic financial heart of Switzerland) and Basel (Aeschenvorstadt 1), UBS operates Swiss retail banking, global wealth management, investment banking, and asset management across more than 50 countries. For US travelers, the relevant operation is Swiss retail: the Bancomat network across every Swiss canton capital plus the major tourist hubs of Lucerne, Interlaken, Zermatt, St. Moritz, Lugano, and Lausanne.
The 2023 Credit Suisse merger
The single most important banking event in Switzerland in the past decade was the emergency March 2023 acquisition of Credit Suisse by UBS. After Credit Suisse lost the confidence of depositors over a series of scandals (Archegos, Greensill, the FINMA penalties, and the Bahamas wealth-management exits) and lost CHF 100+ billion in client outflows in Q4 2022 and Q1 2023, the Swiss National Bank and the Swiss government brokered an emergency takeover in which UBS acquired Credit Suisse for roughly CHF 3 billion plus a CHF 100 billion liquidity backstop. The deal closed in June 2023.
For US travelers, the practical effect by 2026 is straightforward: every former Credit Suisse Bancomat in Switzerland is now branded UBS. Signage transitions completed across 2024 at the historic Credit Suisse flagship branches (Paradeplatz 8 in Zurich, Rue du Rhone in Geneva, St. Alban-Graben in Basel), and the combined Bancomat network is now the densest in Switzerland. The cost structure is identical at every UBS machine, regardless of which predecessor bank built it: zero operator fee on foreign cards, real Visa/Mastercard interbank rate.
What UBS charges foreign cards at the Bancomat
| Fee component | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| UBS operator fee (foreign card) | Fr. 0 | UBS (and every former Credit Suisse machine now rebranded UBS) |
| Exchange rate | Mid-market (interbank) | Visa or Mastercard network |
| Visa / Mastercard network fee | ~1% | Card network, baked into total |
| Your home bank's foreign ATM fee | $2-5 | Your home bank, unless waived (Schwab, Wise) |
| Your home bank's FX conversion fee | 1-3% | Your home bank, unless 0% FX card |
| DCC markup (if accepted) | +4-12% | Always decline. UBS occasionally surfaces DCC; pick CHF every time. |
Real UBS Bancomats display the red UBS logo with three white keys above the screen. Standalone Travelex and Euronet machines that have appeared at Zurich HB, Geneva Cornavin, and a few tourist strips are not UBS and charge a Fr. 3-6 surcharge.
Where to find UBS Bancomats in Zurich
UBS has the densest Bancomat coverage in Zurich of any Swiss bank post-Credit Suisse merger. The flagship branch at Bahnhofstrasse 45 on the Paradeplatz has multiple Bancomats inside the lobby and at the corner of Paradeplatz, surrounded by the ZKB head office, the historic Credit Suisse Paradeplatz 8 building (now UBS), and the Swiss National Bank. Additional UBS Bancomats sit along the length of Bahnhofstrasse (the financial spine of central Zurich), at Limmatquai near the Central tram stop, on Polyterrasse at the ETH main campus, inside the Kringlan and Sihlcity shopping malls, at Oerlikon train station, and at The Circle landside development directly above Zurich Airport rail station. Outside Zurich, UBS has flagship branches in Geneva (Rue du Rhone), Basel (Aeschenvorstadt), Bern (Bundesplatz), Lugano (Riva Albertolli), and every Swiss canton capital. See the Zurich ATM Guide for the full neighborhood-by-neighborhood map.
Why UBS is not the BoA Alliance pick (no Swiss Alliance partner exists)
Switzerland does not have a Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner. Unlike France (BNP Paribas), Germany (Deutsche Bank), the UK (Barclays), Canada (Scotiabank), or Spain (Banco Santander), there is no Swiss bank that waives BoA's 3 percent non-network surcharge. UBS charges zero on the Swiss side, but BoA debit cards still pay the BoA-side surcharge.
For BoA customers, the cleanest setup in Switzerland is: Wise or Charles Schwab debit (zero foreign-transaction fee, free at every UBS Bancomat) for everything except SAC mountain hut nights and the rare offline-terminal rural restaurant, where pre-ordered CHF from CEI covers the cash-only scenarios. Schwab refunds operator fees on the rare standalone Travelex or Euronet ATM, so it's the closest equivalent of an Alliance partner experience in Switzerland.
Best card pairing with UBS
Wise + UBS is the cleanest Swiss combo
Wise debit at any UBS Bancomat in Switzerland: zero operator fee on the UBS side, zero FX markup on the Wise side, real interbank rate. Total cost on a CHF 200 withdrawal: under $2.
Get the Wise Card →Charles Schwab Investor Checking
Schwab refunds operator fees on the rare standalone Travelex or Euronet machines you'll see at Zurich HB and Geneva Cornavin, and adds zero foreign-transaction fee. Combined with UBS's zero, Schwab is a free Swiss withdrawal. The closest thing Switzerland has to a BoA Alliance partner experience.
Capital One Venture / Quicksilver / Savor (credit, not debit)
Capital One credit cards have zero foreign-transaction fees and work cleanly at every UBS-accepting Swiss restaurant, hotel, and shop. Never use them at a UBS Bancomat (any credit card at any ATM is a cash advance: 5 percent fee, immediate interest accrual at 25 percent APR, no grace period).
Frequently Asked Questions
Did UBS really absorb Credit Suisse?
Yes. March 2023 emergency Swiss-government-brokered merger. By 2024 all former Credit Suisse Bancomats were rebranded UBS. Same zero operator fee on foreign cards.
How much does UBS charge foreign cards at Bancomats?
Zero operator fee on every UBS Bancomat (including former Credit Suisse machines). Real Visa or Mastercard interbank rate. Your only cost is whatever your home bank charges.
Is UBS in the Bank of America Global ATM Alliance?
No. Switzerland has no BoA Alliance partner. UBS charges zero on the Swiss side, but BoA debit cards still pay the BoA-side 3 percent surcharge.
Where are UBS branches in Zurich?
Bahnhofstrasse 45 (Paradeplatz flagship), Limmatquai near Central, Polyterrasse at ETH, Kringlan and Sihlcity malls, Oerlikon station, The Circle at ZRH airport. Outside Zurich: Geneva, Basel, Bern, Lugano, and every canton capital.
Are there still Credit Suisse Bancomats in Switzerland?
No. Post-2023 merger, every former Credit Suisse Bancomat is now branded UBS (signage transitions completed across 2024). The combined network is the densest in Switzerland.
Should I use UBS or PostFinance Postomat?
At the ATM, both charge zero operator fee on foreign cards. UBS Bancomats are denser in central Zurich and at financial-district sites. PostFinance Postomats are denser at SBB train stations and post offices nationwide. For most travelers either works.
Will my US debit card work at UBS Bancomats?
Yes, as long as it carries Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, V Pay, Plus, or Cirrus. UBS accepts all six. Most US banks no longer require a travel notice for Switzerland.