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Our Take on Certo One Mastercard
A free card that pays you CHF 50 just for signing up. Then keeps paying 1% at Migros, Coop, and SBB.
The Certo One Mastercard is quietly one of Switzerland's best free credit cards. No annual fee, CHF 50 welcome bonus, 1% cashback at the retailers where most Swiss people actually spend their money, and CHF 100,000 in travel insurance. For a card that costs nothing, that's a lot of something.
Why Is It Free?
Here's the honest answer: Cembra Money Bank makes money when you use the card (interchange fees from merchants) and when you carry a balance (interest). If you pay your balance in full each month, you get all the benefits for free. They're betting most people won't.
The CHF 50 starting bonus credits after your first purchase. Plus CHF 50 for each friend you refer. If you bring three friends, that's CHF 200 in bonuses from a free card. Many paid cards with CHF 100+ annual fees don't offer this kind of welcome value.
What Actually Stands Out
The 1% cashback at Migros, Coop, and SBB hits the retailers most Swiss residents use constantly. You choose three categories when you sign up. If you spend CHF 1,000 monthly on groceries and transit, that's CHF 120 back annually. From a free card.
The CHF 100,000 travel insurance is genuinely unusual. Most free cards offer nothing. Most CHF 50-100 annual fee cards offer CHF 10,000-50,000. Getting this coverage at no cost is real value. The 1.5% FX fee is better than average too.
What Most Reviews Miss
The cashback outside your chosen categories drops to 0.33%, which is low. If you spend heavily outside Migros/Coop/SBB, consider whether the math still works. At 0.33%, you'd need CHF 30,000 in annual spending just to earn CHF 100.
Also, the card is issued by Cembra Money Bank, not a traditional bank. Customer service experiences vary. The app and online banking work fine, but don't expect the polish of UBS or Raiffeisen. For a free card, that's an acceptable tradeoff for most people.
The Bottom Line
If you shop at Migros, Coop, or use SBB regularly, this is free money. The welcome bonus alone makes it worth getting, and the ongoing cashback adds up for typical Swiss spending patterns. Compare it to other options in our best cashback credit cards in Switzerland guide.
Verdict: One of Switzerland's best free credit cards. Get it for the bonus, keep it for the cashback at your regular retailers.
PROS
- No annual fee
- Low foreign exchange fee of 1.5%
- 1 welcome bonus points
- Travel insurance coverage up to CHF 100,000
- Apple Pay compatible
- Contactless payments for convenient transactions
- CHF 50 starting bonus on the cashback account after first use
- 1% cashback at Migros, Coop
CONS
- No medical coverage
- No airport lounge access
- No concierge service
Card Details
At a Glance
Annual fee
Free
Rewards rate
1% cashback
FX Fee
1.5%
Welcome bonus
1 % cash
Travel insurance coverage
CHF 100'000
Fees & Costs
Fees & Costs
First year annual fee
No annual fee
Annual fee (after first year)
No annual fee
Foreign exchange fee
1.5%
Cash Withdrawal (Domestic)
3.75% (min CHF 10)
Cash Withdrawal (International)
5.25% (min CHF 10)
Late Payment Fee
CHF 30
Additional Cards
-
Rewards Program
Rewards Program
Rewards type
cashback
Base rewards rate
1 %
Welcome bonus
1 % cash
Earn 1% cashback on all purchases
Insurance & Protection
Insurance & Protection
Travel insurance coverage
CHF 100'000
Medical insurance coverage
No medical coverage
Purchase protection
CHF 2'000
Card Features
Card Features
Card Network
Mastercard
Card Type
Standard
Currency
CHF
Minimum income requirement
No income requirement
Monthly spending limit
CHF 20'000
Airport lounge access
Concierge service
Key Features
- CHF 50 starting bonus on the cashback account after first use
- 1% cashback at Migros, Coop
- CHF 50 referral bonus for every successful referral
- Comprehensive travel insurance coverage up to CHF 100,000
- Multiple mobile payment options (Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Garmin Pay)
Calculate If This Card Is Worth It for You
= CHF 30'000/year
You Pay
CHF 0
per year
You Get Back
CHF 381
estimated value
Bottom Line
+CHF 381
in your pocket
Annual calculation:
CHF 30'000/yr × 1%
Move the slider to see how your spending affects the card's value. Miles: 1.5 ct, points: 1 ct.
Rating by Category
Compare to Other Cards
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many supplementary cards can I get on the Certo One Mastercard?
- Unlimited, all free. That's a real outlier in Swiss cashback. Most cashback cards charge CHF 22 a year per supplementary; cantonal banks gate you at 2 max. Certo doesn't cap the count or the fee. A couple, teen kids, and an extended family member can all carry the same Certo at no extra annual cost.
- Why is the Certo One Mastercard late fee CHF 30?
- That's CHF 8 above the cashback-segment average of CHF 22. Certo, Coop, and Cembra all sit at CHF 30; cantonal banks settle at CHF 20. Set up direct debit and you'll never see this. If you tend to miss due dates, the higher fee adds up versus the cantonal alternatives.
How We Rated This Card
Wondering why Certo One Mastercard got its score? We rate Cashback cards using a weighted formula. Here's what counts:
Same formula for every card in this category. No exceptions.
See our full rating methodologyReady to Apply?
Apply for the Certo One Mastercard today and start enjoying its benefits.