Revolut Review in Switzerland 2025: Avantages et inconvénients
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(Information: certains des liens ci-dessous peuvent être des liens d'affiliation)
A major issue with many payment cards is their tendency to impose high fees on foreign currency transactions. For instance, if your currency is Swiss Francs and you make a purchase in dollars, you’ll be required to pay a certain percentage of the transaction cost. Often, card issuers charge over 2% in fees for such transactions. Fortunately, Revolut offers a solution to this problem.
Saving money on foreign transaction fees is made easy with Revolut. Unlike banks that typically offer unfavorable exchange rates, Revolut provides you with the best available exchange rates. If you frequently purchase items in other currencies or from different countries, having a Revolut card is essential to keep your expenses in check.
On top of that, Revolut has many other services.
| Monthly fee | 0 CHF |
|---|---|
| Users | 15’000’000 |
| Card | Mastercard prepaid |
| Currencies | CHF and more than 20 |
| Currency exchange fee | Free for small amounts, then 1.0% and weekend 1% |
| Top-up CHF | Free with Swiss IBAN |
| Languages | English, French, German, and Italian |
| Other features | Stocks, cryptos, … |
| Depositor protection | 0 CHF |
| Established | 2015 |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
Revolut
Revolut is a company from the United Kingdom. They are pretty young. They started in 2015. They offer a prepaid debit card. Except in a few cases, there is little difference between both (unless you want to go into debt).
With Revolut, both MasterCard and Visa are available. They are almost the same for most usages. You can use it online and even withdraw money at an ATM. They offer two types of cards:
- Virtual Debit Card: You can generate it in your Revolut account. You can use it online with its number.
- Physical Card: You can order a physical debit card for a small fee.
But the interesting thing about Revolut is that foreign exchange transactions are cheap! There are no foreign exchange fees. However, while Revolut used to provide the interbank exchange rate, they do not anymore. Since 2023, they have provided the Revolut Exchange Rate, which means nothing, except that they can now add their own surcharge.
So, foreign exchange transactions with Revolut are not free anymore. On average, users are reporting about 0.4% surcharge.
This surcharge is still better than many banks. But there are some interesting alternatives at this level.
It is entirely worth having a new card for these savings. Moreover, since my employer’s headquarters is in the United States, I may travel more than usual, which means I will save even more money.
Since its inception, Revolut started offering many new features:
- Support for cryptocurrencies directly from the application.
- Insurance on some of your purchases
- Premium And Metal plan for users that need even more features
- Saving vaults for your money with saving goals
In 2019, Revolut got a European Specialized Bank License! It is a big deal for the company. They operate as banks in EU countries, but not yet in Switzerland. When operating as a bank, your deposits are protected by the European Deposit Insurance Scheme (EDIS) up to 100’000 EUR.
At the same time, Revolut obtained a Swiss IBAN. This is an essential point for Swiss users since it allows them to easily top up their accounts for free.
If you plan to use Revolut to save money on foreign fees, you will be okay with the free Standard plan! You can always upgrade to another plan later.
2025 changes and individual Swiss IBAN
Start in late 2024, Revolut stated implementing some changes for Swiss customers of Revolut. After the migration, users are now working with the Revolut UAB entity.
Each user now has what they call an individual Swiss IBAN that is unique for each customer. Unfortunately, these IBANs are not in the name of the customer name, but instead in the name of Revolut UAB. This means that Revolut still operates as a wallet. And this means that any transfer to these accounts still needs to add the beneficiary in the changes.
In theory, this gives us deposit insurance since the accounts are managed by PostFinance. However, since the accounts are in not in our names directly, I am not convinced there is much protection to be had on our CHF balance. Additionally, the fact that accounts are not in our name means it is not convenient for inbound transfers.
Overall, the 2025 changes did not bring much improvement.
Sign up for Revolut
Now you are ready to sign up for Revolut. You have to install the application on your smartphone. There is no way around it. It is excellent for most people. But for people like me who dislike phones, it is not perfect. But I guess I have to live with mobile apps now!
Nevertheless, it is pretty straightforward. You can go to the Revolut website to get a direct link to the application to download. You can also search for Revolut in your phone application store (Google Play or App Store).
Once you have installed the application, you can go through the registration process. You will have to enter standard information about yourself. You will also have to scan your ID. At some point, you will have to top up Revolut for authentication. You can use your Wise card now to top it up. And this will be free!
Once you have done this, you can start using a virtual card or order a physical card. You must pay 6.99 CHF for the delivery if you order a physical card. It should be the only time you pay anything to Revolut. My card arrived quite quickly, four working days, I think.
How to Top Up Revolut for Free
Since the Revolut card is a prepaid debit card, you must top it up. You cannot use it if you do not have any money on your card. You have several choices to top it up:
- A debit card: Expensive!
- A credit card issued in your country: Expensive!
- Another credit card: Expensive!
- A bank transfer: Generally free!
You should only use free options to top up your account. Anything else does not make sense. There is no point in spending more money than what you will save on foreign exchange fees.
Top Up Revolut with Swiss IBAN
You can directly transfer money to your bank account.
Revolut offers a Swiss IBAN in Swiss francs. You can transfer money directly from your Swiss bank account into Revolut. And this is a real CH IBAN from a Swiss bank! You will not pay any fee for the transfer!
Revolut offers bank accounts for most European countries, making it straightforward to transfer money from most countries.
You can now transfer money for free to your Revolut account directly from your bank account. You only need to wire money from one account to another to top up your account.
To do this, go into the app and click on Add Money (The big button is like a plus sign). Then, you can select « Transfer to your Revolut account ». They will give you all the information necessary for a bank transfer to their account. Be careful when you enter the reference number because this is how they will identify you.
Once you have sent the payment, the money usually takes one working day to appear in your account.
Detailed Revolut Fees
I said foreign transactions are cheap with Revolut. Unfortunately, this is not always true, even with Revolut. There are a few details that are important to know.
First, not all currencies are treated equally by Revolut. There is a 1% fee for Thai Baht, Russian Rubbles, and Ukrainian Hryvnia, while all other currencies are free.
However, there is a monthly limit of 1000 GBP for free transactions. It is equivalent to 1000 GBP (1250 CHF) for other currencies. You will pay a 1.0% fee if you exchange more than this.
Furthermore, the rates are different during the weekend. Revolut will charge a 1.0% extra fee on each exchange transaction during the weekend. You can find more details on the official Revolut price explanation.
In the best case, an exchange costs about 0.40% with Revolut. In the worst case, it can be expensive, with a 2.5% fee. You need to be careful when doing your exchanges during the week. Be aware that some currencies will charge you more. And you should avoid using Revolut for large transfers as well!
Finally, it is worth restating that Revolut no longer offers interbank exchange rates.
Alternatives
We can quickly compare Revolut with some alternatives.
Revolut vs radicant
radicant est une excellente banque numérique avec toutes les fonctionnalités nécessaires, à un prix incroyable.
Utilise le code POORCH pour recevoir 50 CHF sur ton compte en utilisant la carte !
- Taux interbancaire
radicant is a viable alternative To Revolut, in Switzerland. Since they are a Swiss bank, your money will be regulated and insured in Switzerland.
With radicant, you get the interbank exchange rate for your purchases abroad and in foreign currencies. Revolut has an opaque exchange rate, the Revolut exchange rate which is about 0.40% worse than the interbank and extra fees in the weekend (and if you go above a certain threshold). So, radicant is better if you want to use it for payments abroad and in foreign currencies.
On the other hand, you can only do EUR transfers with radicant while Revolut can handle many currencies.
If your goal is to have a card to pay abroad and in foreign currencies, radicant will be better than Revolut. If your goal is to have a Swiss bank account, radicant will be better. But if you want to send money abroad for cheap, Revolut will be better.
Revolut vs Neon
All the services you need to pay, save and invest, in a neat package, with extremely good prices!
Use code thepoorswiss to receive up to 100 CHF in trading credits!
- Invest with great fees
In Switzerland, Neon is a big contender to Revolut.
When you pay with the card, all currency exchanges are cheap with Neon. Revolut has some limits on cheap exchanges. However, Neon uses the Mastercard exchange rate plus a surcharge, which is about 0.75% worse than the interbank rate. Revolut provides the so-called Revolut Exchange Rate, which is also about 0.4% pricier than the interbank rate. So, in some cases, Revolut is cheaper than Neon, but in others (weekend for instance), Neon will be cheaper. However, the Revolut Exchange Rate is less transparent than the Mastercard Exchange Rate.
On the other hand, bank transfers in other currencies are not free with Neon. These transfers are generally cheaper with Revolut. Also, Revolut is a multi-currency account. Neon only lets you hold Swiss Francs.
As for reputation, Revolut has a poor reputation with many issues. Neon is currently free of controversies and has a good reputation in Switzerland.
Since I started using Neon, I have not used my Revolut account. I prefer Neon to Revolut for their safety and professionalism.
To learn more, read my comparison of Neon vs Revolut.
Revolut vs Wise
Wise is probably Revolut’s biggest competitor.
Revolut and Wise are digital bank accounts focusing on currency exchanges at a fair price.
Overall, Wise has a much better reputation. Many controversies tarnished Revolut reputation.
Both services are on the same price level.
- Wise has fees on each currency conversion, which is very transparent.
- Revolut has a surcharge of 0.40%, which is not transparent and not visible in the app.
- Revolut has free conversions for up to 1250 CHF per month.
- Wise prices are simpler than Revolut fees. Indeed, Revolut has different fees during the week and weekend. Revolut also has different fees for different currencies (called exotic prices).
While Wise focuses on its core business, Revolut tries to do everything from its app. Indeed, Revolut offers crypto, stocks, and commodities from within the app. You can even book stays using the app. I do not see this as an advantage. I prefer having a few apps doing a good thing than a single app trying to do everything.
I should also mention that Wise has been profitable for a while Revolut only had a single profitable year since its creation.
Overall, I prefer Wise over Revolut for its reputation and for not trying to do too much. But both apps are interesting. Since the latest changes in 2023, Revolut is no longer cheaper than Wise.
For more information, you can read my detailed comparison of Revolut vs Wise.
Revolut vs N26
Of the main competitors of Revolut in Europe is N26.
Both Revolut and N26 are digital bank accounts. Both have a bank license, but Revolut has not yet implemented it. So, N26 has a slight advantage in terms of regulations and safety.
Interestingly, both companies have a poor reputation, which has generated several significant controversies.
N26 is cheaper than Revolut since all primary services are free. Indeed, payments in other currencies are always free with N26. However, Revolut has some substantial limitations. Also, N26 allows you to withdraw EUR for free in your country five times a month, while Revolut only allows 200 EUR per month.
When it comes to Switzerland, N26 has very poor support of Switzerland. Indeed, they have no Swiss IBAN. So you have to deposit EUR into your account, which is inconvenient for people.
Also, N26 does not support CHF in the app. This means that you cannot have a balance in CHF and that any payment in CHF will go through a currency conversion with the card provider, which is not free.
So, N26 is probably better in Europe, but Revolut is much better in Switzerland.
To learn more about these two, read my detailed comparison of N26 and Revolut. Or, you can read my review of N26.
FAQ
Revolut est-il une banque ?
Revolut a une licence de banque numérique, ce qui en fait une banque numérique. Cependant, comme ils ont obtenu cette licence après avoir commencé, beaucoup de leurs comptes ne sont pas sous cette licence.
Revolut est-il gratuit ?
Cela dépend de la façon dont vous l'utilisez. Il y a des limites sous lesquelles elle est libre. Par exemple, vous pouvez convertir 1250 CHF par mois gratuitement, pendant les jours de la semaine, mais vous devrez payer des frais pendant le week-end. Veillez donc à vérifier à l'avance leur grille tarifaire.
À qui s'adresse Revolut ?
Revolut convient aux personnes qui souhaitent utiliser cette carte pour voyager et payer des frais relativement faibles à l'étranger et en devises étrangères. Ces personnes ne doivent pas détenir trop d'argent sur leurs comptes.
À qui Revolut ne convient-il pas ?
Revolut n'est pas un bon compte bancaire principal. Ce n'est pas une bonne chose si vous souhaitez un taux de change transparent ou si vous voulez conserver beaucoup d'argent sur votre compte.
Résumé de Revolut
Revolut
Revolut propose une carte de débit sans frais de change. En plus de cette caractéristique principale, ils disposent de nombreuses fonctionnalités avancées telles que le trading d'actions, les crypto-monnaies et les sous-comptes.
Marque du produit: Revolut
3
Avantages
- Change de devises à bas prix pendant la semaine.
- Possibilité de détenir plusieurs devises sur le compte.
- Transferts très rapides vers d'autres utilisateurs.
- Transferts rapides vers d'autres comptes bancaires.
Inconvénients
- Très faible transparence des taux de change
- Cher pendant les week-ends.
- Les échanges gratuits sont limités à 1250 CHF par mois.
- Cher pour certaines monnaies exotiques.
- Revolut a une mauvaise réputation.
- On rapporte que de nombreuses personnes ont vu leur compte bloqué et n'ont plus accès à leur argent.
Conclusion
J’aime utiliser une carte de voyage. Il est gratuit et me permet d’économiser beaucoup d’argent chaque année. Chaque fois que je me rends dans un autre pays, j’utilise ma carte de voyage pour tout payer! Je n’ai jamais eu de problème pour la faire accepter où que ce soit.
Je l’utilise également pour payer en ligne sur des sites étrangers. Par exemple, je dois souvent payer en EUR ou en USD si je commande quelque chose sur eBay. Avec mon Revolut, la conversion est gratuite à un excellent taux de change !
Une carte de voyage est le compagnon idéal de votre carte de paiement locale.
Cependant, de nombreuses personnes ont eu des problèmes avec Revolut et ont vu leur compte bloqué sans communication appropriée. Il existe également de nombreux avis négatifs sur Revolut. Il faut donc veiller à ne pas confier trop d’argent à Revolut.
Je n’ai jamais eu beaucoup d’argent sur mon compte. Ma règle est de ne pas avoir plus de 500 CHF sur mon compte Revolut.
All the services you need to pay, save and invest, in a neat package, with extremely good prices!
Use code thepoorswiss to receive up to 100 CHF in trading credits!
- Invest with great fees
Si vous ne souhaitez pas confier votre argent à une banque étrangère, vous pouvez utiliser Neon bank pour vos achats à l’étranger. Ils bénéficient également de la gratuité des transactions en devises et à l’étranger. Cela signifie que vous pouvez bénéficier des avantages de Revolut et de ceux d’une banque locale. Pour plus de détails sur la façon dont j’utilise les cartes, lisez l’intégralité de ma stratégie en matière de cartes de paiement.
Bien que j’aie toujours ma carte Revolut, j’utilise principalement ma carte Neon maintenant. C’est plus pratique, plus transparent et à peu près au même niveau de frais.
Enfin, si vous ne savez pas quoi choisir entre Revolut et Wise, j’ai écrit un article entier sur Revolut vs Wise.
Avez-vous déjà essayé une carte Revolut ? Quelle carte de paiement utilisez-vous ?
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Obtenez votre guide suisse d'économies GRATUIT
Bonjour,
Il y a une erreur dans votre article. Il n’y a plus de compte suisse pour alimenter la Revolut. Maintenant il y a seulement un compte anglais.
Dommage.
Est-ce que vous avez un compte Revolut avec résidence en Suisse? Il me semble que ce compte est seulement disponible pour les résidents Suisses.
Comment déclarer vous fiscalement REVOLUT? Savez-vous comment obtenir une attestation fiscale de leur part? Le Chat sur l’app est complètement sourd aux demandes et renvoie aux documents générés automatiquement par l’App mais qui ne mentionnent pas clairement le solde du compte au 31.12.
Merci beaucoup pour votre aide.
Bonjour,
J’utilise très peu Revolut, mais à chaque fois je déclare la valeur comme un compte bancaire. Je n’ai jamais fourni d’attestation il me semble, mais ça a toujours été des montants très petits (pas confiance en Revolut pour des montants hauts).