A short e-scooter ride in Zurich costs 95 cents. But Blick reader Raphael K.* is surprised to see the statement on his debit card. Migros Bank adds 1.50 CHF “international transaction fee” to the fee.
This fee generally applies only to purchases made from abroad or in foreign currencies. Why does the fee apply when I use a rental e-scooter in Zurich, for example from Bellevue to Paradeplatz?
Reason: e-scooter operators like Tier, Bolt or Voi are foreign companies. And also calculate abroad. Depending on the card, Swiss users are subject to fees that may even exceed the cost of the actual trip.
Unnecessary fee for Swiss users
“These kinds of fees are blatant,” says Raphael K. After all, the service is done in Switzerland and billed in Swiss francs.
The 1.50 fee at Migros Bank is an extreme example and is due to the Visa debit card used. Cards linked directly to an account often charge higher surcharges for foreign transactions.
At Blick’s request, Migros Bank refers to other cards it offers with no commission or lower fees. For other card providers, the international transaction fee is between 1.5 and 2 percent of the invoice amount.
The 95-centimeter scooter ride is only about 2 centimeters more expensive. With thousands of bookings every day, so many things still come together. Card operators defend the fee with a higher risk of fraud at companies opening accounts abroad.
Change card and report
Financial expert Ralf Beyeler (44) of the Moneyland comparison service says these fees are permissible, but their justification is debatable. “Fees on payments made in their own currency are almost never charged in other countries and lack any logic.”
According to Beyeler, customers have two choices. Migros Bank also recommends using a different card. «An alternative is new smartphone banks like Neon or Yuh. There is no such fee there,” says the financial expert.
The second solution is to file a complaint with the card company. Blick reader Raphael K. also refunded the fee. If enough people complain about a foreign charge, for example with the e-scooter company Tier, it will be put on a “whitelist”. If a provider is on this list, the card company no longer charges foreign transaction fees.
More and more services are affected
Digitization and globalization means that more and more companies operate internationally. And depending on the card, their fees may be covered by other such companies – and the trend is rising.
Possible examples are streaming services like Uber, Dazn, or apps like “Too good to go”. That’s why it’s worth checking where exactly a company charges and which card you use for each payment.
* Name changed