The most popular capital deposit accounts in Switzerland

A capital contribution account is a key instrument for Swiss founders to ensure that the prescribed minimum deposit for the formation of a limited liability company or Public Limited Company with a bank. The deposit is a prerequisite for entry in the commercial register.

The costs for a capital deposit account vary between CHF 0 and CHF 300, depending on the bank.

An unwritten condition of the banks is usually that either a bank package or business account is opened at the same bank, or the capital contribution account is converted into a business account.

It is therefore important to compare the conditions of the capital contribution accounts, but even more important to compare the conditions of the corresponding business accounts or bank packages which (have to) be opened.

Here is a comparison of the capital deposit accounts at the most popular banks in Switzerland:

UBS

Fees:

• 0.05 % of the deposited capital or at least CHF 200
• If you open a UBS business account, the capital is paid in free of charge when the account is opened
• CHF 1,000 if the capital is not transferred to a UBS business account after incorporation

Advantages:

• Wide availability of branches
• Fast processing of capital contributions thanks to the option of opening a digital account, which speeds up the start-up process
• Personal advice on setting up a GmbH or Public Limited Company

Raiffeisen

Fees:

• Opening fee: CHF 0 in conjunction with a Raiffeisen business account
• Account balancing CHF 250

Disadvantages:

• Some regional differences in fees and services
• Not available everywhere

PostFinance

Fees:

• Upon formation: CHF 145
• For capital increases and subsequent liberalizations: 0.05 % of the deposited capital or at least CHF 250

Advantages:

• No physical branch required for the opening process

Disadvantages:

• Less personal advice compared to traditional banks
• Less developed financial services for larger companies

Summary of the comparison assuming that a business account is opened at the same bank: