WIR Bank TOP package

Banks, Insurances & Third Pillar
184

Has been solved with the new app. I receive instant notification. As for settlement, transactions on the weekend get settled on Monday. This is the same as for my credit card, purchase date and settlement date are not always the same.

Where did you get the screenshot? It has outdated information. Radicant is no longer in business. From my understanding, Wir has the best rates in Switzerland.

True.

Not true. Wir supports three of the four national languages of Switzerland. No English.

Don’t buy an Anteilsschein. You won’t get the full amount back.

I have never used their physical support. However, my guess is that staff in the physical branch often doesn’t have access to the technical backend, so they won’t be able to solve technical problems for you. And the debit card is issued and supported by SIX, not Wir.

I personally have a Wir account, my mother as well. Though I don’t meet their requirements I have never been charged or reminded, it just works. There are also no reports in this forum about people not being able to open account or getting charged, even if they don’t meet the requirements.

Again, double check answers from AI. I have no idea how AI came up with this answer. Wir is certainly a traditional bank as well.

1 Like
185

Only the prepaid credit card is free, the others have a monthly fee.

186

Good to hear the transactions now reflect more instantly in their Mobile App. I guess during non-working days such as weekends, transactions only get reflected the next following working day (e.g., Mon), because they need to take into account the foreign exchange rate that is available on the next following working day for weekend transactions (when the market opens), makes sense. If they are using the SIX exchange rate as someone pointed out earlier, then yeah the market is only open during Mon to Fri during working hours something like 9 am to 5 pm.

Reason why I asked regarding the Anteilsschein, is because I won’t be depositing 1500 CHF every month, maybe just only the first few months I would deposit some funds there to have some funds kept there. My idea is just to maintain the account balance somewhere around 4000 to 6000 CHF something like that, maybe a bit more than that, and regularly top it up (via TWINT or normal IBAN to IBAN wire transfer) when it is reduced to like half or less than half of that. Basically use it regularly as a debit card within CH and outside of CH as a second debit card on normal day-to-day purchases compared to my other regular bank.

I understand with the Anteilsschein that, it costs 200 CHF, and only 20 CHF would be returned on and 180 CHF is basically what they will not return back. So basically if someone needs it, the Anteilsschein I guess would be requested via their e-banking or Mobile App.

Every year I can spend anywhere easily from 10k (min) up to 15k - 20k (max) I suppose on foreign currency transactions which includes, family travel, hotel bookings, flights, trains and general transport, physical purchases when abroad, cross-border grocery commutes, or even when shopping online (e.g., Amazon etc.)

The screenshot was taken from Google Gemini (AI), yeah it doesn’t know Radicant is no longer more available, meaning they are not accepting any new accounts, some caveat’s of AI I guess. The rates that AI gave for various banks seem right, but maybe its not the best in the decision Verdict, I agree.

187

I did. Did not meet requirements and was not granted the Bankpaket top.

1 Like
188

It seems a very mixed bag to me .. some seem right, some are totally off. Radicant was already mentioned, but also Migros Cumulus credit card is for sure not using the ‘TopCard’ rate. The card is issued by Viseca on behalf of Migrosbank and I think they are using some Migrosbank rate. The 2.0% seem close enough though

189

What ? Could you please elaborate ? Which requirement did you not meet ? Thanks !

190

Banking vom Besten in einem Paket | Bankpaket top | Bank WIR - Bank WIR

  1. Monthly incoming payment of 1,500 CHF
  2. Pension funds amounting to at least 20,000 CHF at Bank WIR
  3. A mortgage of at least 300,000 CHF at Bank WIR
  4. Holding a share certificate of Bank WIR (By purchasing a share certificate of Bank WIR for 200 CHF, you become a cooperative member of the bank. You thereby possess voting rights at the annual general meeting of the cooperative. Furthermore, the share certificate entitles you to a dividend.)
191

Why not set a recurring income of CHF 1500 monthly ?

192

I do not meet any of their requirements either but was never charged any fee. I have now also opened the Sparkonto plus which yield 0.75% until end of the year. It’s not that great as the amount to be retrieved is limited to 20k CHF but still in case I will need a short term deposit for some cash (I need to buy a new car somewhen this year). Overall, I can’t complain and used the card on several trips niw without any issue. However, I would not use it as my main account.

1 Like
193

I prefer to avoid the hassle of managing multiple bank accounts. My salary account has to be an account of the institution I work for. I just stick with Neon and either eat the 0.35% FX fee or pay the CHF 24 yearly subscription. The convenience of not having to shift money around is worth that cost to me.

1 Like
194

I don’t think it’s about the fees but rather the “free“ bankpaket top which includes no FX markup in non CHF card payments abroad.

Maybe you, same as Gaijin, opened the account already a while ago, where they still gave out bankpaket top even if one does not tick any of the four requirements?

195

Correct, I did not remember our discussion. But if I understand correctly, you and I have the same products at Wir: a Privatkonto in CHF and a Mastercard debit card.

196

Neon is 0.35% Fx fee + 0.3% for EUR or 0.5% for USD (Source). But I’m with you. I’ve also considered switching to WIR, but I don’t want to be forced into it. That’s why I’d rather not.

By forced into it, I mean the conditions that must be met. But that’s just my monkey brain :sweat_smile:

197

If worst comes to worst you can buy the Anteilsschein for 200 CHF (what I am thinking to do, but for the first 3 months I would deposit 1500 CHF after that I might consider the Anteilsschein in the fourth month). This means you have invested 180 CHF, and 20 CHF can be returned when you close your account, for which you can have a Pizza at a takeaway. Plus with the dividend, you could get 10-12 CHF back every year.

Bottom line is, if you invest this 180 CHF, and your foreign transaction volumes and costs are high, you can save an amount up to 180 CHF in the course of 1-2 years, then after that it’s free sailing. Unless they change their FX rate on the Bankpaket top in the coming years, and no one can predict that, like what Neon did with 0.35%, and now Radicant is no more. However WIR itself is a currency, not a physical one though, and the Bank has been around for like 80 or 90 years.

198

what?

199

Outside our finance bubble, WIR is known for the WIR-franc. Sometimes still used in the construction industry (around Aargau, Basel).

5 Likes