Joint account Switzerland - What is suitable for whom?
Incidentally, a partner account and a joint account are the same thing - just different terms for a bank account with several equal holders. Here you can see which solution is best for which situation:
👥 Couples & partners (married or unmarried)
- ✅ Recommendation: For example, Yuh&Me, Neon Duo, Zak or ZKB Partner Account
- ✅ Ideal for: Joint rent, household expenses, savings targets
- ⚠️ Tip: Keep separate accounts for personal expenses
Shared flats (2-4 people)
- ✅ Recommendation: Yuh&Me, Zak savings accounts or WIR Bank
- ✅ Ideal for: Fair cost allocation, flexible move-ins/move-outs
- ⚠️ Important: Clear agreements on utilisation
👨👩👧👦 Families with children
- ✅ Recommendation: Raiffeisen or ZKB (with Child custody account comparison)
- ✅ Ideal for: Family budget, saving for children, benefits
- 🎁 Bonus: Discounts for families
Joint account functions
Most banks offer similar Functions for partner accounts an. These include, for example:
- Joint account management in the joint account
- Several cards (usually two)
- Free domestic cash withdrawals
- Online banking with access for both partners
- Budgeting or savings pots for overview
Some banks also offer additional functions, such as Transfers abroad free of charge or special offers for travel or insurance.
However, it is worth taking a close look at which functions are most important to you and which bank covers them best. One possibility is to draw up a list of the bank's Key requirements for the account.
Please note: There is no such thing as the best partner account in Switzerland. Rather, you should find the joint account that suits you best.
I looked at ZKB but I cannot find the partner package which you are referring to, all that show up is the banking packages and for example the Silver one is CHF 6 per person so CHF 12 per month, then there are costs for cards... My UBS one is 15 per month with unlimited savings accounts etc... so I don't quite understand how it is better
People often forget about joint accounts!!! These are not frozen in the event of a partner’s death! Be sure to look into this in more detail
That’s exactly one partner account and it has exactly this problem. Or are we talking at cross-purposes?
Thank you for the article!
However, the best offer for a joint account for my needs seems to be missing from the overview: The "Bankpaket top" from Bank WIR.
Although there is no interest on the joint account, the two associated Debit Mastercards are free of charge and use the interbank rate abroad without a surcharge on the exchange rate. Even cash withdrawals abroad are charged at the interbank rate without a surcharge and a total of 24 ATM withdrawals per year worldwide are free of charge.
However, it is important to note that the package is only available if you have a monthly payment of at least CHF 1,500. However, this should not be a problem if both partners pay something into it each month and the account is then also used as a "rent-payment account". (Other options for using the package are Retirement savings of at least CHF 20,000 at the WIR bank /
Mortgage of at least CHF 300,000 with Bank WIR / holding a share certificate in Bank WIR; in my opinion, however, these are all rather unattractive options).
Many thanks for your addition, Patrik!
What are your experiences with WIR bank's online banking? I'm testing a savings account there, for example, and to be honest the online banking is very poor. It's not a big deal with the savings account, as I don't access it regularly, but it wouldn't be much use in everyday life.
Bank WIR's online banking is identical to that of all the banks in the Esprit network or the Entris/Clientis Group and various other banks, such as Zuger Kantonalbank. All in all, several dozen banks use the same basis for their online banking and I think you can get used to it. What exactly do you find lacking? For example, I find it much clearer than at Credit Suisse, but that's probably a matter of taste 🙂
There are always technical problems with the display (at least on my devices). It also lacks some important functions and features that users are used to with the leading digital banks. But as you say, a lot is a matter of taste and not everything is always necessary 🙂
According to the website, the ZKB account costs 8 with a partner card :(..
Hi together
My wife and I are members of Raiffeisen.
According to my enquiry, a joint account costs 36 per year.
How did you come up with the free solution?
Maybe it's different everywhere? The Raiffeisen regions are quite independent after all. Where did you enquire about a Raiffeisen partner account?
I can confirm Roland's feedback: at Raiffeisenbank on the right bank of Lake Zurich, the MemberPlus private account for partners costs CHF 4/month! Raiffeisen is regionally based, so the prices are not comparable.
In my experience (just happened), Migros charges an annual fee of CHF 30 for the second card. Then the running costs would not be 0.
According to Migrosbank, up to 3 additional cards are available free of charge. However, only for people in the same household.
This is only partially correct in reality. We live in the same household. We have an account in both our names with Migros. We pay for the second card.
According to Migros:
The first bank card per customer base is free of charge; each additional card is subject to an annual fee of CHF 30. The rule does not apply per account, but per banking relationship. Your banking relationship includes all accounts in your portfolio. No distinction is made as to whether it is a joint account or an individual account.
There are currently two of us at Migrosbank with one account and just one card. But as I only pay via Apple Pay anyway (security is a big plus, so every payment, no matter how small, has to be authorised and you hardly notice it anyway), we get by fine with just one physical card and don't have to pay anything extra for it.
Addendum: I mean the Visa Debit Card at Migros. Not the Cumulus credit card (there are 3 per household).
ZKB apparently gives you two debit cards for free
The silver package, on the other hand, only costs CHF 6 per month. How did the CHF 0 at the top of the article come about?
Hello Simon,
It depends on which cards you are talking about. Unfortunately, this is sometimes very opaque online with some banks.
Real credit cards (with a credit limit) are subject to a fee almost everywhere, for example at ZKB. However, you can get two ZKB Visa Debit cards without ongoing fees.
Does it still cost 12 at ZKB? They have largely abolished account fees, except for credit cards. Does this not apply to a joint account with two debit cards?
Top reports as always.
It's such a shame that Neo banks don't offer partner accounts. The only thing that comes closest to a partner account for me would be the new solution from Coop finance+. There is the option of ordering a second card.
For me, Revolut is far ahead of all Swiss solutions in terms of handling and look & feel. But due to the lack of deposit protection, I only use it as a "sack money" account.
We are currently looking for a partner account, whereby ZAK would still be the most plausible solution here, but somehow not, because although you can create joint savings pots, invoices / e-bills cannot be debited via these shared savings pots. (At least I couldn't manage that)
It's a shame that the neobanks are having such a hard time with joint accounts.
Hello Stef,
Unfortunately, that's still the case at the moment. However, I know that solutions are being worked on diligently in various places and that something new will certainly come onto the market soon 🙂
I am in the same situation as you. I would like to switch all my accounts from the traditional banks to the neobanks. It works fine with my own accounts. But I haven't yet found a satisfactory solution for our family/household account.
I really hope that Neon, Zak, Yuh (and whatever their names are) will bring something suitable to the market soon.
I would also have to think about the strategy for these savings pots. Of course, it would be "nicest" if you could make payments directly from these pots.
This way, you would have clear categories with which you can pay the regular fixed costs (taxes, bank account, internet, rent, electricity, etc.).
Unfortunately, this is not yet possible.
The Neon partner account is about to be released and should be available soon!
revolut offers a joint account (neon is planning to follow suit ->see faq).
Has anyone had any initial experience?
Recolut does not yet offer this in Switzerland. Or have I overlooked something?
Right, so far there is no Revolut partner account.
Unfortunately, the joint pots are not a "savings account" and cannot be topped up by both partners,
I also found this in the FAQs at ZEK. Do you have a life hack on how to do it?
Hi, Eric,
How do you settle rent, electricity, internet etc. with the savings pots? I can only imagine that the bills are debited from one account and then shared with the partner via savings pots.
Greetings
Marco
Hi Marco
Yes, that is a possible approach. For example, you both pay in the same amount every month and then the joint expenses are paid from this pot 🙂
Kind regards
Eric
Firstly, thank you for all your reports on this site. Very informative! Since the beginning of the year, I've closed all my traditional bank accounts and transferred them to neo banks. The only thing we still have at a traditional bank is the joint money from our marriage. We would like to invest there too, but we can't find a suitable solution. These are savings on the one hand and children's accounts (our own, Götti) on the other, which we would like to invest "favourably". Do you have any tips?
Hello Oli
thank you for your positive feedback!
Important note in advance: Always remember that cash deposits are only secured up to CHF 100,000. So if you have higher deposits at a bank, spread them out. Here you can find more information about and Details on the deposit guarantee.
I don't quite understand you yet: you're talking about banks and savings accounts, but you want to "invest" the money. Please always remember that all investments have risks and that you should only invest money that you can really afford to lose in the long term.
Savings that you need in the short and medium term are held in a normal bank account, which ideally pays you interest. Some savings account providers also offer investment opportunities (e.g. Neon). But it is imperative that you consider the two issues separately. Therefore, I would prefer on the one hand a good account solution and on the other hand a good Investment opportunity search
Another tip on the side: Continue to keep separate accounts (in addition to the joint account).
Good luck and best wishes
Eric
Hi Eric
Thank you for your answer. I must have expressed myself in a somewhat complicated way. I would like to know how my wife and I can best (most favourably) invest our joint children's and divinity accounts, as well as our joint savings. At the moment we have these with a "traditional bank", which charges high fees. The important thing for us is that we are both financially entitled to the money. As I understand it today, there are no joint solutions with all the modern investment providers.
Of course, we still have our own assets next door (brought in before the marriage), which we each manage ourselves. There is also a joint savings account for the nest egg.
Thanks a lot!
Hello Oli
Unfortunately, an official partner account is not yet very widespread among the neo-banks. In that case, one of the accounts from the selection above would be interesting for you. There are family packages and offers that should meet your needs.
There are of course other CH partner accounts that are not listed here. However, this selection should represent the most attractive offers.
Love 🙂
What's more, each SEPA transfer costs CHF 1.00 at Raiffeisen. It's not much, but it can add up if you transfer more often to other European countries.
Thanks for the important tip, Lars!
Hi Eric
As far as I know, there are no fees at Migros Bank from 7500 on the account. I don't know if it's different with a partner account.
I am planning to open a partner account with Migros. Let's see
greetings
ralph
Hi Ralph
this is currently still debited from the partner account. But thanks for your input, then this will be the case for the normal private account, as you say 🙂
Love!
Hello
Thank you for the article as I am looking for an affiliate account. ZAK is not 100% a partner account in my opinion. Why is there a 2.50 CHF charge at Migros Bank for +7500 CHF? I know Migros doesn't have great eBanking, but why isn't Migros Bank in the top 3?
Greetings
Ralph
Hello Ralph
thank you for your feedback 🙂
As I don't set the prices at Migros Bank, I can't tell you why account management becomes cheaper for balances of CHF 7,500 or more. Although the reasons are of course understandable, as the bank can "work" with the deposits and probably rewards you with lower fees.
Regarding your question about the top 3 selection: As described, the top 3 came from a survey (and not from my arbitrariness).
In that case, you use Migros Bank?
Kind regards
Eric