Options for cash Dollars and Euro

Does anybody know a bank account without fees on an account with foreign currency or at low fee?

I have physically some dollars and euros and I want to keep them for a long run. Cash deposits

Yuh.

So do you want to keep foreign currency physically or in a bank account?

I wanted to do it in a bank account, but currently I have them physically.
Mainly leftovers from trips, that I am missing always to take them and just accumulated.

Next time you go outside of eurozone, take your USD and exchange on site. I don’t think there are many mustachian options to deposit cash USD to a bank account.

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maybe that’s not a bad idea.

I know raiffeisen has the foreign account the “cheap” rate of 5 chf per account per month
Post 5 chf per month (not sure about USD account) unless you do not invest with them

any other possibility?

Many Swiss banks offer savings accounts denominated by EUR. These generally have no account fees and pay some amount of interest. However, you do normally pay one-time fees when you deposit and withdraw euros in cash (agio and disagio). If you will be depositing or withdrawing larger amounts, then make sure to compare these fees when choosing an account.

The BCGE offers savings accounts in CHF, CNY, USD, and GBP, all with no account fees.

For US dollars in cash, you have less options. You may have to either pay the fee for a USD private account (checking account). Alternatively, you can deposit the money into your CHF account, transfer it to Wise, Revolut, Swissquote, etc. and then exchange it back into a dollar account balance.

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2 posts were merged into an existing topic: Exchange cash: USD to CHF

Hi,

Small question. Since 2020, when I went to USA for work, I have in my house 1K USD in cash. It’s just sitting there and I think it will be more convienint to invest that money as I am not planning to go to the USA shortly. My question is, what is the best option to exchange USD to CHF in Swtizerland? In a bank, a currency exchange? I am from Vaud and I have an account in the BCV.

Thanks

Peer to peer exchange with friends/colleagues/etc. seems to be the best option. Otherwise just exchange in any currency exchange outlet and be done with it. A somewhat more clever variation: take it to a vacation abroad and exchange it to the local currency there.

When I needed DKK in cash a couple of years ago, the Coop Depositenkasse gave me the best rates. I had to call to get a rate (at the time they updated the rate twice a week) and looking at their website this is still the case.

I’ve got a similar issue … I semi-regularly accumulate some cash in USD or EUR that I want to deposit into my account without getting totally ripped off. My current bank does not seem to allow to deposit / exchange / agknowledge the existence of USD in cash (although they do offer a private account denominated in USD …)

I’m not sure if there is a “better” way to get this cash into my account. I refuse to go to a currency exchange and pay through the nose … the rate I was offered on the euro bills was laughable. I’ve searched through & can’t really come up with anything clever, does anyone have some advice?

Basically there’s a reason this thread is so short.
Apart from using when on holiday or “trading” with friends, there isn’t really a reasonable way. And even if you get this USD cash into a swiss bank account, usually the USD account costs some fees and the interest is miserable, you’re better off keeping the USD cash under your pillow and using it on your holidays. (the interest is miserable since these foreign currency accounts are current accounts, there’s no USD savings account or similar available AFAIK).
For example Migrosbank USD interest on their USD account has been 0% since at least 2013, currently still 0%, and costs CHF 3 per month.
At Interactive Brokers we’re currently at 4% interest for USD’s.

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You may rethink your definition of getting ripped off. Cash handling costs money, handling of foreign cash even more, and in addition there’s an FX risk.

Out of curiosity, what would be your average transaction amount for foreign currency cash deposit and/or exchange and what would you consider a „fair“ cost or fees?

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