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Zak from Bank Cler brings a breath of fresh air to the Swiss banking world. Our Zak Bank Cler experience report shows why this innovative app stands out from the rest and offers a real alternative in the digital banking sector.
In the comprehensive Zak Review, the offer achieves impressive 4.7 out of 5 points - You can find out exactly what makes this app so powerful in the article!
| Behind Zak | Bank Cler - FINMA-regulated, Swiss bank |
| Deposit protection | Up to CHF 100,000 |
| Account management | Free of charge (Free-Plan) |
| Foreign payments | Visa Debit: subject to a fee - Visa Prepaid: free of charge |
| Interest | 0.05% on account - up to 0.30% on Zak Savings (up to CHF 10,000/year) |
| Savings pots | ✅ Yes - Shareable with partners and friends |
| Branches | ✅ All Bank Cler branches accessible |
| Invest | ✅ Zak Invest since Jan. 2026 - from CHF 5 brokerage fee, 0.25% p.a. Custody fee |
| Deposit fee | 0.25% p.a. - uncapped (for CHF 100,000 = CHF 250/year) |
| ETF Savings Plan | ❌ Not yet available - planned |
| TWINT | Via separate TWINT Bank Cler app |
| Partner account | Via savings pots - not a classic joint account |
| Plans | Free (free of charge) - Zak Plus (reduced international fees) |
| Promo code | CHFRAN - CHF 50 starting credit |
| Who is it suitable for? | Swiss looking for a fully-fledged digital bank with branch backup |
With Zak, Bank Cler launched Switzerland's first fully-fledged smartphone bank in 2018. Today, Bank Cler offers a rounded offering of digital and offline banking. Because as a Zak customer, you also have access to all Branches of Bank Cler.
Zak is very innovative and is always coming up with new useful functions. Solutions such as the savings pots stand out in particular. These are interesting for couples, for example, who are looking for a Swiss Partner Account are. Money can be conveniently split between people here, provided both partners have a Zak account.
Before you learn more about the details and the Zak Bank Cler experience, you can find the review result here:
International fees: No matter if it's Postfinance, Yuh, Neon or Bank Cler - every bank has to pay employees and earn money to do so.
So you can assume that every bank focuses on certain topics and is favourable there, but has to charge fees for other topics in return.
At Bank Cler, the foreign fees perform somewhat worse in comparison than at banks that are specifically geared towards this. Is this criticism bad or even a no-go? No. Because especially if you have most of your expenses within Switzerland, it's not a problem for you.
If you do go abroad more often, you can either opt for Zak Plus or you can choose the Visa prepaid card from Zak take a closer look. This bank offers even better conditions abroad. You can find more information on this below in the Zak Bank Cler experience report.
AAlternatively, you could buy a 2. supplementary account View Neon is inexpensive abroad and could be an exciting duo for you in combination with Zak. Both accounts are free of charge, so the combination costs you nothing.
Especially when travelling, it is advisable to have several cards in case one card is not accepted.
Finding a Swiss partner account, i.e. a joint account, as a couple or family is not easy. At UBS and the like, a joint account doesn't exactly cost little money, as this partner account comparison shows.
Once set up, customers are of course well bound. Because the effort of a change for a couple, or a whole family, is not entirely small.
At Neon there is a chargeable solution where Yuh there is currently no partner account solution.
However, Zak has a particularly creative solution! The savings pots function as a Zak partner account. Here you can manage joint expenses with your partner or split a bill between friends and pay it directly.
As with Paypal or Twint, you can also request money from others and send it in real time by "Zak Instant" receive. This works as long as both partners have a Zak account. Zak does not yet offer a classic partner account (an account with several cards).
The Zak savings accounts offer you
Here's how: Download the app, open a free account & Code: CHFRAN don't forget!
Bank Cler's fee model is very transparent and fair. There are two different account models available to you. Depending on your user behaviour, you should decide which makes more sense and is cheaper for you. In general, it can be said that Zak Plus is particularly worthwhile if you travel a lot or make international payments.</span
You can find the exact cost here in the PDF factsheet from Zak. The most important points and differences are also listed here:
In summer 2021, Bank Cler launched the free Zak Visa debit card. This combines a classic debit card with a credit card.
Bank Cler has recently launched the free Zak Prepaid Visa card. What's special about the Zak Prepaid Visa card?
Postfinance is a strongly represented one, reasonably priced bank with a wide range of products. At least that's the first impression. The Postfinance fees are lower than those of UBS or ZKB. But what is the comparison between Zak and Postfinance?
From the perspective of the Fees Zak has a clear lead here. Moneyland has done a survey with average user behaviour at banks. The Fees of Zak vs. Postfinance are about 77% higher here at Postfinance than at Bank Cler!
Fees are of course not the only decision criterion. Unfortunately, there were also some negative comments about Postfinance from the immediate environment. A look at the Postfinance experience on Trustpilot shows similar opinions. However, Postfinance should not be criticised here, as there are also very satisfied customers. Postfinance also offers the option of an online broker. A comparison of Zak vs. Postfinance is therefore generally not easy.
Here's how: Download the app, open a free account & Code: CHFRAN don't forget!
"Intelligent people learn from the mistakes of others".
We have compiled our top selection for you from all our tests and experience reports:
The Zak vs. Neon comparison is particularly exciting! This is probably the two Swiss smartphone banks in comparison. The detailed Neon experience report shows you everything about the newcomer Neon. But how does the Zak vs. Neon duel compare?
Both providers are Extremely cheap, both regulated in Switzerland and both offering free accounts an. Neon is younger and perhaps not yet as mature as Zak. Bank Cler's branches are an absolute must for some. However, this naturally incurs costs, which Neon slightly more favourable fees in comparison can offer.
Neither of them has a classic partner account, but with Zak you can easily set up savings pots to divide up amounts. Neon is ahead of the game when it comes to foreign fees and offers both video and photo identification... As you can see, there's no difference between them. No clear duel result can be achieved.
Neon does slightly better in terms of fees. Zak offers savings pots and access to Bank Cler branches. Which is more important to you? The good news: Both providers have free accounts. Why don't you just test them both yourself? 🤓
Revolut carved out a position for itself in the Swiss banking market for a while, seemingly unchecked. Everything digital, favourable foreign fees and a very good app. But watch out!
Revolut has raised the top-up fees for the Swiss to an extremely high level, which is why the Revolut app is no longer attractive for the Swiss. Here in brief is a Zak vs Revolut comparison: </span
Both providers offer free and chargeable cards. At Revolut The favourable exchange rate to the Interbank rate for over 150 currencies to highlight. Swiss Revolut customers pay up to 1.5% to load their card!
You should also note the major advantage with Zak: Bank Cler is a Swiss bank with Swiss deposit protection up to CHF 100,000. It offers branches and customer service in German. With the Zak Plus variant, there are of course also free foreign payments and cash withdrawals.</span
New: with the digital Zak Visa prepaid card, there are Free international payments even in the free model. This new upgrade also increases the ranking of the Zak Bank Cler experience report by a few points.
Zak Twint allows you to simply pay in online shops, shops with a Twint terminal or simply send money between your Zak Twint and another Twint user (regardless of whether they use Zak or not).
Also Zak Apple Pay and Zak Google Pay are of course available for payments with your prepaid card!
You may think that by 2026, it will be completely natural for customers to be treated like royalty and to receive uncomplicated opening of the bank account to have.
Schwiizerfranke has already tested many a bank and one thing stood out: Digitalisation and customer friendliness are not a top priority everywhere. But Bank Cler with Zak does!
Zak account opening
When you have Zak App you will be asked to enter the usual data. By the way, here you also have the option of Code "CHFRAN to enter CHF 50 starting credit as a gift. The Zak experience is extremely positive!
After just a few minutes, you'll be at the end of the data entry process and can be connected to an employee directly in the app. The identity is confirmed via Videoident and that's it! Your Zak account is open.</span
Only a few days later your Zak card will be sent to you by post.
Zak Bank Cler Field Report
The test went absolutely smoothly and the Zak Bank Cler experience has so far been exclusively positive. The Zak app runs smoothly, is intuitive to use and even surprises you time and again with exciting Zak deals. You can also use the app to manage your documents, block cards, find a bank branch or take out insurance for your mobile phone. As you can see, the range of services is very extensive and well thought-out. It is noticeable here that the customer experience is a top priority at Bank Cler.</span
Are you convinced by Zak? Then let's open the account directly:
Zak App download from the App Store or Google Play Store
When registering the Referral code CHFRAN enter (important for the CHF 50 bonus)
5 minutes Video-Ident with your passport or identity card
After activation, the Practical savings pots Create for common expenses
Transfer a small amountto activate the account - you will then receive the CHF 50 bonus
Time required: Less than 10 minutes for registration
Your advantage: CHF 50 starting credit plus permanent free account
Map: Comes to you by post after 3-5 days
The Zak Bank Cler experience report was opened with a rating of 4.7/5. If you have read the Zak Bank Cler review carefully, you will know why it has such a good rating. The Zak Review Rating is made up of the following ratings:</span
Zak is intuitive to use, offers a convenient and affordable banking solution and is even fun! The positioning on the market is clear, as Zak has positioned itself well with offers such as branches and savings pots. Everything works environmentally friendly, paperless and on the smartphone.
In a nutshell, our Zak experience has been VERY positive.
What more do you want? Let us know in the comments!
Will you make Zak your second account and test it?
Here's how: Download the app, open a free account & Code: CHFRAN don't forget!
TWINT works with Zak via the separate TWINT Bank Cler app - not directly in the Zak app. You need to install both apps and link the TWINT app to your Zak account. Unlike Yuh, there is no integrated TWINT function.
Swiss franc test (February 2025): The link took 3 minutes, but works reliably. Payments at Coop, Migros and SBB machines work without any problems.
Swiss speciality: Zak also supports the QR-bill perfectly - simply scan with the camera and pay. International neobanks like N26 or Revolut can't do that.
Yes, Zak is absolutely safe. Zak is part of Bank Cler (formerly Coop Bank), which has been operating in Switzerland since 1927 and is regulated by FINMA. Your deposits are protected up to CHF 100,000 by the Swiss Deposit Guarantee Scheme.
Insider info: As one of the few financial blogs with direct contact to Bank Cler, we can confirm this: The security standards correspond to large Swiss banks such as UBS or Credit Suisse.
The basic account is indeed free of charge - but watch out for these points:
Cost comparison (Swiss franc calculation 2025): With 4+ cash withdrawals per month, Zak Plus is worthwhile for free withdrawals at all Swiss ATMs. With the free Zak Visa Prepaid you save the 2% foreign fees.
"Intelligent people learn from the mistakes of others".
We have compiled our top selection for you from all our tests and experience reports:
The Zak Bank Cler experience report was created in cooperation with Bank Cler. At Schwiizerfranke.com we are independent and free. That's why we only recommend offers that we use ourselves and with which we are completely satisfied. Disadvantages for you? No. Advantages? Yes, because the collaboration enabled us to use the CHF 50 Zak voucher code for the Zak app. organize for you!
Eric is the founder of Schwiizerfranke.com and certified IAF wealth advisor. Since 2019, he has been helping Swiss citizens to organise their finances comprehensibly, independently and efficiently.
📌 Note: This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute personalised investment advice.
Many thanks for the summary. However, I do not find the report objective enough in one crucial point: the article does mention the trading fees from CHF 5, but the custody account fee of 0.25% p.a. is treated as a side note. The problem is that this fee is not capped. For investors with a larger portfolio, Zak quickly becomes a cost trap compared to other brokers or neobanks. While the fee for a CHF 10,000 custody account is still a moderate CHF 25, for CHF 100,000 it is already CHF 250 per year - just for custody. Zak may be okay at best for occasional investors with very small amounts, but for serious asset accumulation it performs significantly worse in comparison to competitors (such as Neon, Yuh, Saxo etc. with 0% custody account fees) due to the percentage-based, uncapped custody account fees.
Hello Roger,
That is absolutely the case. Very few people will have such large assets under management with a neo-broker app, but if they do ...
In any case, all Zak Invest topics are only touched on here in the general banking experience report. The details (and also the fees) can be found in the Zak-Invest experience report described in more detail 🙂
Hi Eric
Is your code CHFRAN still valid?
LG
Of course 🙂
I don't understand why UBS is always portrayed as expensive in situations like this. We pay CHF 15 per month for a «Family» account, which gives us two private accounts and unlimited savings accounts as well as free credit cards. That seems to me to be a much better offer than most other banks.
If you think that CHF 15 is the only fee you pay, you are sadly mistaken.
Account management fees are only part of the bigger bill. The UBS offer is not bad, on the contrary, but it comes at a price. Here are a few insights into the UBS test report.