What is the fee to use the ATM in Switzerland?

Hi, just wondering if Arno, Annika, or slowpoke have any Idea what the fee is to use the ATM in Switzerland. I know what my transaction fee is from my bank in the US, and that gets added to the Swiss fee. Thanks.

Are ATMs readily available at Swiss rail stations, or maybe at just the major stations?

Also, is there a standard denomination dispensed by Swiss ATMs?

Thanks kindly

DG

Hi Rainman-

<<"Hi, just wondering if Arno, Annika, or slowpoke have any Idea what the

fee is to use the ATM in Switzerland. I know what my transaction fee is

from my bank in the US, and that gets added to the Swiss fee. Thanks.">>

In my experience, there is only one fee per transaction for using an ATM, and also, your USA bank charges an exchange rate fee.....that is, their exchange rate will be less favorable than the bank rate on that day...mostly, not always.

If you do a wire transfer, their are fees at both ends.

The situation has been changing as some banks ad credit card companies are altering their fee practices.

Hi Dg-

Some rail stations are so tiny that they barely have a bench for waiting. Some rail ticket machines will return a small amount of cash for you, in addition to the tickets.

Generally, the large stations have more than one bank's ATM machines.

In smaller town, look for a bank...there will likely be an ATM. There is a joke that, in Switzerland, there is a bank on every corner. Not quite, but there are a lot of ATM's not at train stations.

At a station such as Zürich main station, you will find several versions of an ATM machine, even at one bank's installation. Some dispense large bills, some give small bills, either may give a mix of bills, but you have to select that, usually.

Most give Euros. too, bit not all.

Slowpoke

Thanks, Slowpoke.

Tell me thou: for major, presumably border town rail stations, would it be the same ATM dispensing both Euros and CHFs or separate machines? If separate ATMS, how would I tell the currency of the ATM before transacting? We enter Switzerland at Geneva CFF and naturally want CHFs assuming Euros not widely accepted thru-out Switzerland, especially for small purchases.

Good to know I can designate the denomination at an ATM.

Kind Regards

DG

<<"Thanks, Slowpoke.

Tell me though: for major, presumably border town rail stations, would it be the same ATM dispensing both Euros and CHFs or separate machines? ">

Could be either or both.

Look for Credit Suisse, UBS, Zürich Kantonal Bank, maybe Raiffeisen banks' machines. I picked bigger and more common ones, which are more likely to give you choices.

<<"If separate ATMS, how would I tell the

currency of the ATM before transacting?">>

After you put in your card and are recognized, there is a menu which tells you what you can do. If you don't find what you want, cancel and look for another machine. Some ATM's have a printed sign on them saying that you can get Euros, or that they offer small bills.

<<"We enter Switzerland at Geneva CFF and naturally want CHFs assuming Euros not widely accepted thru-out Switzerland, especially for small purchases. ">>

Geneva is very cosmopolitan. You'll find every possibility without much effort. Only some of the machines offer Japanese or Arabic instructions, however. ;-)

Switzerland aims to be tourist friendly, so that you will find Euros accepted at many places. The exchange rate may be an approximation of what you can get at the banks machines; for example, a restaurant prices in CHF, but does its own conversion if you pay in Euros.

In big cities such as geneva, many menus or price tags show both currencies.

<<"Good to know I can designate the denomination at an ATM.">>

Often, not always. More common at big city machines.

Slowpoke

Got it! All good to know.

Thanks kindly

DG