How to buy Swiss francs online: Essential tips and information

If you’re travelling to Switzerland you’ll need Swiss francs (CHF) to spend while you’re there. You can buy Swiss francs online, either as cash which you collect or get delivered to your doorstep, or using a digital account and card.

This guide explores how to buy Swiss francs in Ireland, as cash, and with a digital account and card such as the Wise Account, which offers simple ways to exchange Euros to Swiss francs with the mid-market rate and low, transparent fees.

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Can I buy Swiss francs online?

Yes. You can buy Swiss francs online in Ireland in a few different ways. The most common options include:

• Buy Swiss francs through your bank if they offer this service
• Buy Swiss francs from a currency exchange specialist
• Buy Swiss francs via the Post Office, with a prepaid travel card
• Buy Swiss francs using a multi-currency account from a provider like Wise

We’ll take a look at how each of these services work in more detail - including the fees to look out for, next.

Where and how to buy Swiss francs online in Ireland?

You can buy CHF in various ways online, depending on your specific needs and preferences. Here are a few places to start your search:

Buy CHF online with your bank

Some banks allow you to order francs online - but this isn’t always available.

For AIB, for example, you’ll need to phone the branch or visit in person¹. Bank of Ireland does allow you to order CHF online², but it’s important to note that it takes at least 5 days for your order to be ready for collection - and fees of 1% of the transaction amount also apply³.

Buy CHF online through an exchange office

Services like Fexco allow you to order francs online and have the money delivered to you in cash at home.⁴

If there’s a Fexco location close to you, you can also choose to call in to collect your CHF cash yourself. Fees apply for some home delivery orders - and it’s also important to check the exchange rate which may come with a charge included.

Buy CHF at a Post Office

An Post offers foreign exchange services⁵. While CHF isn’t supported for cash collections, you can order an An Post currency card and manage it online, with the option to load CHF for spending in Switzerland.

Be careful about the balance you hold in your card account - if you add Euros and forget to change it to Swiss francs before you spend, there’s a foreign transaction fee of 5.75% to pay⁶.

Buy CHF with a multi-currency account

You can get a multi-currency account from a provider like Wise. With an Wise Account will be able to add money in Euros and convert to Swiss francs online via the app or website.

When converting your money, Wise always uses the mid-marker rate (the same you normally find on Google), and Wise always gives you the possibility to track the exchange rate by receiving direct alerts.

You'll also have the option to order the Wise card (connected to the account) to spend in Switzerland, and to make CHF withdrawals, on arrival.

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What are the fees for buying Swiss francs online in Ireland?

The fees involved in buying CHF online in Ireland vary depending on where you choose to buy from.

It’s important to look at both the upfront fees and the exchange rate used to convert your EUR to CHF, as the exchange rate may also include a percentage fee.

Here’s a summary of the fees for the providers discussed above.

Details correct at time of research - 21st March 2025.

Pay attention to the exchange rate when buying currency online 👀

Exchange rates are important when buying currencies online - and getting a bad rate can mean paying more than you need to for your Swiss francs.

That’s because where fees are added to the exchange rate, they’re a percentage of the amount you spend or withdraw. That means that the more you convert, the higher the overall fee becomes.

To give an example, if your provider adds a 3% fee to your exchange rate, it’ll cost you an extra 30 euros on a spend of 1,000 EUR. But if you’re on a big family holiday and spend 10,000 EUR in total, that adds up to 300 euros - a big chunk of money you could probably find better use for.

Not all providers add fees to the exchange rate used for currency conversion. Wise, for example, uses the mid-market rate with no markups added, and splits out the conversion costs for transparency. More on that next.

Wise Account and card: Manage Swiss francs and pay like a local

You can open a Wise Account and order your Wise card to spend and withdraw in CHF just as easily as you do at home.

You can hold 40+ currencies in your Wise Account, including CHF and EUR. Add money from your bank in euros and either convert to francs in your account to spend for free on arrival in Switzerland, or leave the balance in euros and let Wise convert for you at the point of payment.

Just tap and pay with your physical card, or use your Wise virtual card in a wallet like Apple Pay.

You can also use your Wise card to make cash withdrawals if you need CHF on arrival - with 2 free withdrawals up to 200 EUR a month before any Wise fee begins.

Step by step: How to buy Swiss francs with Wise

1. Download the Wise app, or visit the Wise website and tap Register
2. Follow the prompts to enter your personal and contact information
3. Complete the verification step using the onscreen instructions
4. Once verified, add a balance in EUR from your bank or with a card
5. Order your Wise card - there’s a small fee to pay for the physical card and you can get your virtual card instantly
6. In the Wise app, tap on your EUR balance and then tap convert
7. Follow the prompts to convert to CHF in your account for seamless spending in Switzerland.

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Sources used:

1. AIB - order foreign currency
2. Bank of Ireland - order foreign currency
3. Bank of Ireland - international fees
4. Fexco - buy CHF
5. An Post - foreign exchange
6. An Post card fees

Sources last checked on date: 21-03-2025