The UBS Mastercard Excellence ranks #2 among the 9 luxury credit cards in our ranking, right behind the Amex Platinum. It's the top UBS card in Switzerland, and despite what forums say, you don't need an invitation to order it. It suits people who already put six figures a year on a card.
Is CHF 2'000 a Year Worth It?
Here's the honest math. Year one costs CHF 3'000: the CHF 2'000 annual fee plus a CHF 1'000 one-off sign-up fee. UBS then refunds half the annual fee once your yearly spending passes CHF 50'000, and all of it from CHF 100'000. Purchases on your additional cards count toward that, cash withdrawals don't.
So the card only gets cheap if you spend big. At CHF 100'000 a year you'd also collect 600 KeyClub points, worth CHF 600 with KeyClub partners. Below CHF 50'000, you're paying CHF 2'000 a year for benefits that overlap heavily with the UBS Platinum, which costs about CHF 408.
What Actually Stands Out
Travel status you don't have to chase. The card comes with SIXT Platinum, Europcar Navigator, GHA DISCOVERY Titanium and Jumeirah One Gold status, plus a personal 24/7 concierge with no booking fee. No other Swiss bank card in our luxury ranking bundles this much car-rental and hotel status.
The insurance is serious too: medical cover abroad up to CHF 3'000'000 (three times the UBS Platinum) and trip cancellation up to CHF 50'000. Lounge access runs through Priority Pass, free for you and a companion, with over 1'300 lounges listed on the UBS Excellence services page.
What Most Reviews Miss
Most forums still describe this as an invitation-only card for private banking clients. UBS's own pages don't say that: they publish the price and an order link. What UBS doesn't publish is an income requirement or a spending limit. Your limit is agreed individually, so ask before you plan a big purchase abroad.
The foreign currency charge adds up as well: the Mastercard rate plus a 1.75% processing surcharge. Spend CHF 30'000 abroad and that's CHF 525 a year. And unlike the Amex Platinum, there are no yearly statement credits to soften the fee.
The Bottom Line
If you put CHF 100'000+ a year on cards and rent cars or book hotels often, the Excellence pays for itself after the sign-up fee. Below CHF 50'000, the UBS Platinum or the Amex Platinum gives you more for less. Our ranking of the best luxury credit cards in Switzerland shows how they compare.
Verdict: Worth it for six-figure spenders who'll hit the refund threshold. For everyone else, it's an expensive way to buy Priority Pass.
