Valiant Lilac Review 2025 – Pros & Cons
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(Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links)
Valiant recently improved the Valiant Lilac set with more features and better fees. These improvements make this set very interesting.
Therefore, it is a good time to review this banking package in depth. In this review, we will analyze the Valiant Lilac set in detail and checkout its advantages and disadvantages. And we will finally compare this set with other top alternatives.
By the end of our review, you should know whether Valiant Lilac is a good banking package for you.
| Monthly fee | 0 CHF |
|---|---|
| Users | N/A |
| Card | Mastercard Debit |
| Currencies | CHF |
| Withdrawals in Switzerland | Free at Valiant’s ATM, 2 CHF otherwise |
| Withdrawals abroad | 5 CHF |
| Languages | German and French |
| Custody bank | Valiant Bank |
| Depositor protection | 100’000 CHF |
| Customers | 300’000 |
| Established | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Bern, Switzerland |
Valiant
Before we delve into the banking package itself, we can talk a little about Valiant itself, since we have never covered it on this blog.
Valiant was founded in 1997, which is quite recent for traditional banks (digital banks have started more recently). However, its history is actually quite longer because it was founded as a merger between three banks:
- The Spar- & Leihkasse from Bern
- The Gewerbekasse from Bern
- The BB Bank Belp
And since its founding, Valiant has integrated more than 40 banks. So, despite its relatively young age, it has a long history.
The headquarters are located in Bern. Originally, the bank served mostly the area around Bern, but it has since expanded in the French-speaking part as well. And we can now find about 100 Valiant offices in Switzerland.
It is interesting to note that Valiant is a publicly listed company. It is listed on the Swis Stock Exchange (SWX) under the ticker VATN.
Furthermore, it is also worth mentioning that Valiant is using the Finnova solution for its e-banking. Finnova is used by more than 100 banks in Switzerland (some Raiffeisen banks, for instance or Bank Cler), so it may be a familiar experience.
Valiant Lilac Set Features
We can switch from the bank itself to the banking package, the Valiant Lilac set.
This set is composed only of two things:
- A private account, for your salary or your payments
- A Debit Mastercard to pay everywhere
It is a very typical banking package. With the Valiant Lilac banking package, you can do everything you usually can do at a bank:
- Pay your bills (QR and e-bills)
- Transfer and receive money (also internationally)
- Use your card to pay in the entire world
- Use your card to withdraw money in the entire world
One great thing about this set is that you can do all these operations on your phone, with the Valiant app, but you can also use the e-banking system from Valiant! This is great for people like me who much prefer doing their finance operations on a computer. And from what I have heard, they have a very nice system in place.
If you prefer using your smartphone, you can use pay with the standard Google Pay and Apple Pay systems, or you can use the Valiant TWINT app to pay by TWINT.
The applications and the website are only available in French and German. They do not support English or Italian.
At this time, the set is not available as joint accounts. However, you can get a join account from Valiant (with other conditions) and then additionally get a Lilac Set for both members.
Overall, the Valiant Lilac set has all the features necessary for a banking package in Switzerland. The fact that it also provides you with access to a full e-banking is a big plus for me.
Valiant Lilac Fees
I wanted to review this new Valiant Lilac set because of its fees.
The Valiant Lilac set itself is free. You will not pay any monthly or yearly, and you will get the card delivered to you for free. However, this is only one small part of the story because these days, most banking packages are free again.
Basic operations like receiving and sending money and paying bills are free.
If you withdraw CHF or EUR at a Valiant 1or Entris ATM, you will get it for free. If you withdraw CHF at any other ATM in Switzerland, you will pay a 2 CHF fee. And if you withdraw in EUR in another ATM in Switzerland, you will pay 5 CHF. If you withdraw abroad, you will pay 5 CHF per withdrawal. Depending on how far to a Valiant ATM you live, you may have to be careful about that.
In this set, there is no surcharge on your payments abroad or in foreign currencies! However, they will use the Viseca exchange rate, which adds a 1.75% surcharge on the interbank exchange rate. Therefore, this card is unfortunately not that great to use abroad or in foreign currencies. It is better than most Swiss banks, but there are some better alternatives.
If you do a transfer in EUR in the SEPA region, you will not pay any fees. But any other international transfer, you will have to pay 5 CHF. This is a very standard fee in Switzerland.
The Valiant Lilac set also has some paid options:
- The comfort pack (4 CHF a month) gives you an additional private account and additional Debit Mastercard. And you will get free withdrawals in the world. If you do many withdrawals, this may be worth it, but for the immense majority of people, this is not worth it.
- The credit card pack (3 CHF a month) gives you a Mastercard or Visa with your account. There are simply better credit cards available, so I would not recommend this option.
- If you spend more than 12’000 CHF per year, you will get back the fees (36 CHF), making it a free credit card.
- The paper option (3 CHF a month) gives you monthly statements by mail, and you can do operations at the actual counters. In most cases, this option can be avoided as well.
So, overall, the account is much better without options in my opinion.
So, overall, the fees of the Valiant Lilac set are great. But you should avoid the extra paid options.
User Reviews
We must also look at what users think about the bank.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to find reviews of Valiant Lilac, or even Valiant Bank, online. I did not find any Google reviews.
There are 70 reviews on Trustpilot. The average score is a staggering 1.4 out of 5, almost as bad as it can get. The quality of the reviews itself is awful, with some reviews barely making any sense. But overall, the main issue is a poor customer service. Some people also have technical difficulties with the e-banking that is not available and a bank that is not very personal.
On the other hand, Valiant got a 4.6 score out of 5 on the App Store, with more than 9000 reviews. In this case, the reviews are very positive about the quality of the app.
On the other hand, they seem to have more issues on Android, but they still get 4 stars out of 5 on the Play Store, with more than 1000 reviews. The negative reviews are about technical difficulties, especially the app not working with some phones. But there are also many positive reviews about the app.
Fortunately, I also could discuss the Valiant Lilac set with one of my readers. He was very satisfied with the features and the e-banking. He also dealt with the customer service and was pleasantly surprised by its quality.
The overall reviews of the Valiant Bank are mixed. It looks like the apps are good, but people dealing directly with bank employees have more issues.
Alternatives
Whenever you are considering a new bank account, it is important to compare it with alternatives.
Valiant Lilac vs radicant
radicant is an excellent digital bank with all features you need an incredible price.
Use code POORCH to receive 50 CHF on your account when using the card!
- Interbank exchange rate
We can start by comparing Valiant Lilac and radicant, an excellent bank account to pay abroad. They both have similar features and access to a TWINT app.
Valiant is a brick and mortar bank, while radicant is a mobile-only bank. If you prefer being able to go to an office, Valiant Lilac can have a significant advantage.
Both accounts are free to open and hold. Valiant is free to withdrawals at Valiant ATMs, but you will pay for all other ATMs. radicant has 12 free withdrawals per year.
Radicant offers the interbank exchange rate, while Valiant Lilac offers the Vieseca exchange rate. This is a significant advantage for Radicant since Viseca has about a 1.75% surcharge.
Overall, radicant looks like the superior bank account. If you only plan to use it in Switzerland, the choice boils down to choosing a digital bank or a traditional bank.
Valiant Lilac vs Neon
All the services you need to pay, save and invest, in a neat package, with extremely good prices!
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- Invest with great fees
Neon has been our main account for multiple years. So, I should start by comparing Neon and the Valiant Lilac set.
Valiant is a traditional bank, while Neon is a digital only bank. It may matter to a few people who prefer to have an office access. This can be quite practical to deposit cash, for instance.
Both accounts are free of monthly charge. With Valiant Lilac, you can withdraw for free at all Valiant ATM (2 CHF for other ATMs). But with Neon, you pay 2 CHF per withdrawal. If you have access to a Valiant ATM, you are better off with Valiant, but otherwise, both are on the same level of fees.
For purchases abroad, Neon has an advantage since they have a total 0.75% surcharge against a 1.75% surcharge for Valiant Lilac.
Furthermore, Valiant Lilac will provide access to TWINT through their TWINT app, while Neon has to rely on the prepaid TWINT app. And the Valiant Lilac set also provides access to an e-banking system as well as a mobile app, while Neon is mobile-only.
Even after the recent introduction of new fees for Neon in 2025, Neon looks better than Valiant Lilac. If you only use it in Switzerland, Valiant may be great since you could have access to e-banking.
Valiant Lilac vs WIR Bank Top
WIR Bank recently introduced their WIR Bank Top package which is quite interesting, so we can also compare Valiant Lilac and WIR Bank Top.
WIR Bank is also a traditional bank, so you can do operations in an office as well, but there are few offices in Switzerland. So, if you want in-person service, Valiant is likely going to be a better option.
Both accounts are free. WIR Bank Top offers the interbank exchange for purchases abroad and in foreign currencies while Valiant Lilac offers the Viseca exchange rate which is much worse (1.75% surcharge). You can do 24 withdrawals for free in the world with WIR Bank Top, while you can only withdraw in Valiant ATMs for free in Switzerland.
WIR Bank is a much smaller bank than Valiant. Both banks have a TWINT app and they both provide access to e-banking.
If you plan to use the card abroad or in foreign currencies, WIR Bank Top will be cheaper than Valiant Lilac. If you only use it in Switzerland, both banks are quite similar, and I would have a slight preference for Valiant since the bank is more established.
If you would like to learn more, you can read our review of WIR Bank Top.
Valiant Lilac Top vs Migros Bank
Finally, we can also compare the Valiant Lilac set with Migros Bank, a more traditional bank, which I have used for many years now.
Both are traditional banks, so you can use them in offices, online and on the phone. I would give an advantage to the e-banking of Valiant because the one from Migros is pretty bad. However, if you want to do operations like payments at the counter, you will need to purchase an option with Valiant.
Both accounts are free. Valiant lets you purchase paid options, but they are not particularly interesting. With Valiant, you can withdraw money for free at Valiant ATMs only. With Migros Bank, you can withdraw money at all Migros Bank offices and Migros shops, which makes a ton of them. So, this is a slight advantage for Migros.
Valiant Lilac lets you do operations abroad and in foreign currencies at the Visaca exchange rate. Migros, on the other hand, uses its exchange rate, and it is known to be bad (up to 5% surcharge).
Both banks are relatively large and have a decent reputation. They also have both have e-banking access.
The two packages are relatively similar in what they offer, but the Valiant Lilac has the advantage of having a debit card that you can use abroad at a good price. Migros Bank has the advantage of withdrawing money in many more places. As a single bank account, I prefer Valiant Lilac over Migros Bank.
To learn more about this bank, you can read our review of Migros Bank.
Valiant Lilac FAQ
Can you use TWINT with the Valiant Lilac set?
Yes, Valiant has its Valiant TWINT app and the Valiant Lilac set is supported.
Can you access e-banking with the Valiant Lilac set?
Yes, you can access the Valiant's ebanking system with your Valiant Lilac set.
Who is the Valiant Lilac set good for?
The Valiant Lilac set is great if you want a free banking package with e-banking access.
Who is the Valiant Lilac set not good for?
The Valiant Lilac set is not great if you want to do your banking operation at an office, since you have to pay extra. And it is not ideal if you plan to use this card abroad.
Valiant Lilac Summary
Valiant Lilac
The Valiant Lilac set is a new banking package by Valiant, with some new features like currency exchange without surcharge.
3.5
Pros
- No monthly fees
- Access to e-banking
- Access to TWINT
- Support for e-bills
Cons
- No free withdrawals outside of Valiant's ATMs
- Viseca exchange rate
Conclusion
Overall, the Valiant Lilac set is a decent banking package with interesting features and fees. It is good that they are reducing the fees for currency exchange abroad. But the fact that they use the Viseca exchange rate is not optimal (1.75% above the interbank exchange rate).
The account is free and offers some free withdrawals (if you have access to an ATM). The fact they provide access to their e-banking system as well as their TWINT app makes this banking package looks promising. For using in Switzerland, it is excellent, but you should search for an alternative for using abroad.
If you are interested in banking packages similar to this, you may want to read about the WIR Bank Top package.
What about you? What do you think about the Valiant Lilac banking package?
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Unfortunately, I made a mistake in my initial review. Valiant Lilac is not using the Mastercard exchange rate but the Viseca exchange rate. This makes a huge difference because the Viseca exchange rate has a 1.75% surcharge. So, Valiant itself does not add a surcharge but Viseca still does. This makes this set much less appealing than I initially thought. I updated the article accordingly.
Thanks for investigating this further. Pretty sneaky how Valiant presents it. Pretty much a deal breaker
It’s still better than other banks (and better than the base Valiant offer), but I would have preferred a different presentation as well.
Can confirm. At the time of the transaction the exchange shown is quite favorable (somewhere near the MC rate). However, at the time of booking they switch and apply the viseca rate which seems to have a 2% surcharge. The whole things is just misleading.
Thanks for sharing your experience as well. Indeed, the Viseca rate is 1.75%, so it’s close to 2%.
Hi Baptiste,
Is this bank interesting/possible for non Swiss people (Belgian citizen)? What about Wir bank?
Thanks in advance
TD
Hi TD
No, it’s not. Valiant itself has a 40 CHF per month fee if you are abroad.
WIR Bank itself is not available abroad as far as I know.
Hi Baptiste, thank you for this helpful review. Where did you find the information that they are using the mastercard exchange rate? I can’t seem to find this on their website. Their exchange rate „Notenkurs“ is quite bad, thats why I want to make sure. Thanks!
Hi Phil
I got this information by speaking with multiple people, including one person who did exchange rate tests. But I will double check it again with the bank.
Hi Baptiste,
when comparing Valiant with Radicant and in the conclusions you say that Valiant uses the interbank exchange rate, but in other parts of the article you say that they use the MasterCard rate, so which is actually the case? If they use the MasterCard rate, I would say that Radicant has an advantage. Moreover, when talking about Neon, isn’t their 0.35% surcharge actually on top of the MasterCard rate, therefore making it about 0.75% compared to the interbank rate?
Thank you!
Hi Davide,
You are absolutely right, the comparison with radicant was wrong and there is a slight advantage to radicant in this case since they use the interbank exchange rate. Thanks!
I think it’s called Lila and not Lilac :-)
As per Moneyland, No foreign transaction fee for purchases from foreign merchants using the debit card. Valiant’s currency exchange rates apply to currency conversions.
https://www.moneyland.ch/en/coop-finance-plus-migration-valiant-lila-set
Their conditions PDF also states no additional fee: Bargeldlos bezahlen im Ausland: Belastung von 1,5% auf dem Buchungsbetrag Gratis im Lila Set/Lila Set Young
https://www.valiant.ch/privatkunden/zahlen-lilaset
Hi Ralph
Actually, their website is not translated to English, so I am not sure there is a correct way. Lilac is the color of the lilac flower, so it seems fine for now.
I do not understand your point with these two links,that says the same as in this article, no?
Sorry that should have been in reply to Oscar.
Moneyland says they use their own rate which I think is wrong. Valiant link says there are no fees
Valiant calls it Lila and bot lilac just saying 😀
Sorry, the reply system is not great on the blog.
I will double check the exchange rate they use.
Hi,
I saw that they charge 1.5% on transaction abroad, does that correspond to the Mastercard exchange fee ?
Thanks for this article, very informative !
Hi Oscar
Where did you see this? Normally, the Lilac set waives all exchange fees when paying abroad and in foreign currencies.
Ah, I didn’t look at the PDF file, but it’s indeed stated in the PDF file (prices and conditions) that specifically in the Lila package, there’s no 1.5% fee.
I saw on their debit card page (website) that there is a 1.5% fee and didn’t mention the Lila package, that’s why I was confused.
All clear now !
I got the same feeling from looking at their website, fees are not always obvious.