Popular method of payment

Banknotes and coins are legal tender in Switzerland. Although cash usage has declined in recent years, cash remains a widely used payment method. Around one in three payments in Switzerland is settled with cash. The vast majority of people in Switzerland would like to retain the option of paying with cash in the future, and have the choice of paying either with cash or electronically.

Advantages of cash

Unlike cashless payment methods, cash has specific advantages that are attributable to its physical properties - it is available to everyone and is simple to use. Paying by cash requires neither a device nor electricity. With cash, payments can thus be made reliably even in situations where, for example, the power fails or cashless payment methods cannot be used for some other reason. Cash can also help to protect privacy and make it easier to control spending.

Modern and secure banknotes

One of the SNB's statutory tasks is to ensure the supply and distribution of cash commensurate with demand for payments. It does everything in its power to ensure that Swiss banknotes are secure and state-of-the-art in the long term. As technology develops quickly, the SNB must constantly work to stay ahead so that counterfeit notes can be detected as easily as possible. Ongoing development in terms of security technology and the redesign of the banknotes is therefore central to the fulfilment of the SNB's mandate.