Money

Creditcards
The safest and easiest form of money are traveler's checks and credit cards. The cards most used are Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Many banks in Switzerland have equipped their ATM machines with the CIRRUS or MAESTRO system. Many other Swiss banks offer ATM machines for cash advances with your credit card. It is recommended to have a small amount of cash on hand upon arrival in Switzerland for immediate expenses, i.e. taxies, city transportation etc.

Money exchange places
any Swiss bank
airport
main railway stations (western union)
major hotels

Swiss banks offer the best exchange rates for your traveler's checks or cash for foreign currencies (only bank notes). Official exchange offices and hotels may charge a fee for their services.

Currency
Please note that Switzerland remains with the Swiss franc, usually indicated as CHF. While Switzerland is not part of the European Union and thus is not obliged to convert to the Euro, many prices are nonetheless indicated in euros so that visitors may compare prices. Merchants may accept euros but are not obliged to do so. Change given back to the client will most likely be in Swiss francs.

The Swiss franc comes in the following denominations:

Coins: 5, 10, 20, 50 Cents and 1, 2, 5 Francs

Bank notes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 1000 Francs

Value added Taxes
The VAT you pay on purchased goods in Switzerland is 7.6 %. You may ask at the shops for your Global Refund Cheque and reclaim the VAT: The total purchases in a shop must amount to CHF 400.00 (including VAT). The tourist must be resident outside Switzerland and the goods must be exported within 30 days.

3 easy steps to claiming your refund in Switzerland:

In the store
Your total purchases in a shop must amount to CHF 400.00 (Including VAT). You must be a resident outside Switzerland and the goods must be exported within 30 days.

Through customs
When leaving Switzerland the Tax-free Shopping Cheques have to be stamped by Swiss customs authorities after they have seen the goods.

Collecting the refund
You have several choices: immediate cash at a Cash Refund Office, direct crediting to a chosen credit card or bank account, a bank check and even, for certain countries, a cash refund when you return home.