Swissquote Fees: The Complete Guide

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This guide is for retail and active investors who use or consider Swissquote and want a clear, numbers-first breakdown of all fees. You will get every common fee type listed. You will see where Swissquote charges fixed amounts or percentages. You will learn which fees hit large portfolios or legal-entity accounts hardest. Expect exact numbers for trading, custody, market data and payment fees. Expect worked examples to estimate your real annual cost.

Read the TL;DR if you want the quick answer. Jump to the calculation examples to estimate costs for your portfolio size and trade frequency. Use the comparison table to pick the right pricing path. Keep this open when you place orders or build a cost model.

Quick Answer / TL;DR

If you trade rarely (fewer than about 12 trades per year) → expect per-trade fees starting at CHF 3 plus a CHF 0.85 market-data charge; many European trades have minimums such as €14.95.
If you trade actively → consider trade bundles; effective cost can fall to about 0.06% per trade, and as low as roughly 0.025% for very large annual volume.
If you hold more than CHF 1,000,000 in custody → prepare for an extra 0.0075% per quarter (≈0.03% per year) for external safekeeping.
If you use a legal entity → custody fees are 0.025% per quarter with a minimum CHF 20 per quarter; VAT of 8.1% applies to custody fees.

Fee Categories Overview

Define where costs come from. Split fees into main buckets so you can model costs precisely.

• Trading commissions and minimums. Trades start from CHF 3. Many markets use 0.1% commission with minimums such as €14.95. Tokyo minimums can be €24.95. Dubai uses 0.25% with a €24.95 minimum in some cases.
• Market-data / information charge. CHF 0.85 is added per transaction in the traded currency. This is charged per trade and accumulates fast.
• Custody and safekeeping (custody means safekeeping of your securities). Fees are billed quarterly. For assets above CHF 1,000,000, add 0.0075% per quarter (≈0.03% p.a.). For legal entities, custody is 0.025% per quarter with a minimum CHF 20 per quarter. VAT of 8.1% applies to custody fees.
• Account, payment and FX costs. Cash deposit interest bands commonly pay 0% for balances below CHF 200,000 and 0% for CHF 200,000–500,000. FX conversions for fees use the interbank mid-rate with no markup.
• Special market fees and local taxes. Local exchange fees and government taxes add on top of commissions. These vary by market and can be fixed or percentage based.

Concrete numbers to hold in your head: CHF 3 start fee, CHF 0.85 data charge, 0.0075% per quarter surcharge for >CHF 1,000,000. Watch out: some fees are charged quarterly, others per trade. They compound differently over time.

Trading Fees: Stocks and ETFs

Explain single-trade costs and nuances. Give examples with numbers.

• Base commission. Trades can start from CHF 3 per order. Many European stock markets use 0.1% commission with minimums such as €14.95. UK and German markets often list 0.1% with similar minimums.
• Market-data/info add-on. CHF 0.85 is added to each transaction in the traded currency. If you place 100 trades, add CHF 85 in information charges.
• FX and displayed fees. Swissquote displays fees in CHF. FX conversion uses the interbank mid-rate with no markup. Example: a EUR 1,500 German-market trade that shows a CHF 10 fee will debit about EUR 11.07 (CHF 10 = EUR 11.07 at the example mid-rate).
• Partial executions and timing. If an order executes more than once on the same day, Swissquote deducts fees once. If executions occur on different days, fees are charged each day.
• ETFs and zero-commission buys. Swissquote offers zero commission on purchases for a list of 120+ ETFs. Use those for buy-and-hold ETF purchases to avoid commission costs.
• Market- or country-specific minimums. Tokyo minimums can be €24.95. Dubai commissions can be 0.25% with a minimum of €24.95. Many other markets keep €14.95 as a minimum.
• Examples:
• Small retail trade: Buy CHF 2,000 of a German stock. Commission minimum applies at €14.95 (≈CHF 16–18 depending on FX). Add CHF 0.85 data charge. Total per trade ≈ CHF 17–19.
• Larger retail trade: Buy CHF 10,000 of Swiss stock charged at 0.1% = CHF 10. Add CHF 0.85 data charge. Total = CHF 10.85.
• Watch out for: CHF 0.85 data charge applies per transaction. Frequent traders should add CHF 0.85 times number of trades to any per-trade cost estimate.

Active Trader Bundles and Pricing Tiers

Summarize bundles, thresholds, and effective rates.

• What bundles offer. Trade-bundle programs lower effective cost per trade as annual trade count or total volume rises. Effective cost examples range from about 0.06% down to 0.025% per trade when you hit high volume bands.
• How supplements and tiers work. A 0.06% supplement often applies on trade value exceeding thresholds such as CHF/€/$ 25,000. Trade-size bands start to show benefits at CHF/€/$ 250,000 and improve up to CHF/€/$ 1,000,000 trade sizes or annualized volume.
• Concrete examples:
• Trade bundle scenario A: Choose a bundle that targets 200 trades per year with average trade value CHF 30,000. Your effective commission can fall below 0.06%, yielding per-trade costs around CHF 18 on a CHF 30,000 trade (0.06% = CHF 18).
• Trade bundle scenario B: Execute trade sizes between CHF 250,000 and CHF 1,000,000. Effective cost can approach 0.025% so a CHF 500,000 trade might cost CHF 125.
• How to pick:
• Calculate expected annual trade count.
• Calculate expected average trade value.
• Compare bundle cost against standalone commission: use your expected number of trades and expected volume.
• Best-use cases:
• High-frequency traders with 100+ trades per year.
• High-volume traders executing average trades above CHF/€/$ 25,000.
• Watch out for: Bundles may require prepayment or commitment. Check the minimum trade counts, upfront fees, and any cap on benefits.

Custody, Account and Cash Interest Fees

Cover custody (safekeeping), cash interest, legal entity rules, and precious metals.

• Custody billing basics. Custody fees are charged quarterly. For assets above CHF 1,000,000, Swissquote adds 0.0075% per quarter to cover external safekeeping. That equals approximately 0.03% per year.
• Jurisdictional custody rates. For certain jurisdictions, custody can be 0.15% per year on local assets. Check the jurisdiction of each security if you hold foreign listings.
• Legal entities and minimums. Custody for legal entities is 0.025% per quarter with a minimum CHF 20 per quarter. There is no stated maximum. VAT of 8.1% applies to custody fees charged to entities or individuals when VAT applies.
• Cash deposit interest. Published cash bands commonly show 0% interest for balances below CHF 200,000 and 0% for the CHF 200,000–500,000 band. Interest, when paid, is credited once a year at year-end. If reference rates turn negative, Swissquote uses 0% as the calculation basis for client cash.
• Precious metals. Precious metals custody fees are charged only in CHF and billed quarterly on a pro-rata temporis basis. Check the account currency when holding metals.
• Examples:
• Retail custody on CHF 500,000: if no special jurisdiction fee applies, monthly custody fee may be negligible, but check if a flat quarterly fee applies.
• Large-portfolio surcharge: CHF 2,000,000 in assets triggers the 0.0075% per quarter surcharge on amounts above CHF 1,000,000. Quarterly extra = CHF 75 on the excess CHF 1,000,000 (0.0075% × CHF 1,000,000 = CHF 75). Annual extra ≈ CHF 300 (≈0.03% p.a.).
• Watch out for: Quarterly charging makes small percentage rates add up on large portfolios. VAT of 8.1% increases custody bills.

Other Fees: Payments, FX and Market Taxes

Detail payment fees, FX rules, market taxes and the per-transaction data fee.

• Payments and transfers. Domestic or SEPA transfers usually follow standard banking fees. Verify flat fees for wire transfers in your account schedule. Some methods charge per transfer; others are free.
• Card and instant transfer fees. Fees depend on method and currency. Check your account for specific CHF or foreign-currency charges.
• FX and conversions. FX conversions for fee settlement use interbank mid-rate with no markup. This removes hidden FX spreads on fee conversion. However, depositing or withdrawing with non-Swiss banks can introduce conversion spreads and fees.
• Market-specific fees and examples:
• Tokyo Stock Exchange: minimum commission example €24.95 for small trades.
• Dubai Financial Market: commission 0.25% with minimum €24.95 in some cases.
• Local exchange fees: many markets add transaction levies or stamp duties on top of commission.
• Market-data and platform fees. CHF 0.85 per transaction covers real-time information in the interface. If you place 1,000 trades, plan CHF 850 in data fees.
• Examples:
• Small cross-currency fee: a CHF 20 fee converted at mid-rate may show as EUR 22.14 debited from your EUR balance.
• Market tax example: a 0.005% exchange levy on a CHF 100,000 trade adds CHF 5 to the cost.
• Watch out for: Small per-trade charges and local taxes compound across many trades and markets. Include them in per-trade cost estimates.

How to Calculate Your Real Cost (Step-by-Step, with Examples)

Step through a model. Use concrete numbers so you can plug in your situation.

Step 1 — List expected trading activity.
– Example A — Occasional trader: 12 trades/year with average trade value CHF 2,000.
– Example B — Active trader: 240 trades/year with average trade value CHF 25,000.
– Example C — High-volume trader using bundles: 200 trades/year with average trade value CHF 30,000.

Step 2 — Apply per-trade commission and info charge.
– Use CHF 3 minimum or 0.1% with market minimums such as €14.95, plus CHF 0.85 data charge.
– Example A calculation:
– Assume minimum commission applies at CHF 3 per trade.
– Annual trading fee = 12 × (CHF 3 + CHF 0.85) = CHF 46.20.
– Add custody and other fees later.
– Example B calculation (retail pricing):
– Assume 0.1% commission and CHF 0.85 per trade.
– Per trade commission = 0.1% × CHF 25,000 = CHF 25.
– Per trade total = CHF 25 + CHF 0.85 = CHF 25.85.
– Annual trading fees = 240 × CHF 25.85 = CHF 6,204.
– Example C calculation (bundle pricing):
– Assume bundle effective rate 0.06% per trade.
– Per trade commission = 0.06% × CHF 30,000 = CHF 18.
– Per trade total = CHF 18 + CHF 0.85 = CHF 18.85.
– Annual trading fees = 200 × CHF 18.85 = CHF 3,770.
– Compare to retail scenario where same volume at 0.1% would cost CHF 6,000 in commissions alone.
– Step 3 — Add custody fees.
– Example A: Custody minimal or jurisdiction dependent. If you hold CHF 50,000 and no jurisdiction surcharge, custody may be negligible.
– Example B: If portfolio is CHF 6,000,000, amount above CHF 1,000,000 = CHF 5,000,000. Quarterly surcharge = 0.0075% × CHF 5,000,000 = CHF 375. Annual surcharge ≈ CHF 1,500 (≈0.03% p.a.).
– Example C: For legal entity custody, apply 0.025% per quarter (0.1% p.a.) with minimum CHF 20 per quarter. For CHF 1,000,000, quarterly fee = CHF 250; annual = CHF 1,000. Add VAT 8.1% to custody fees where applicable.
– Step 4 — Add other fees and taxes.
– Add CHF 0.85 × number of trades.
– Add local market taxes: e.g., Tokyo €24.95 minimum on small trades increases cost per trade.
– Add payment or withdrawal fees: estimate CHF 10–30 per wire if applicable.
– Final example totals:
– Example A total annual cost ≈ CHF 46.20 trading + custody negligible = CHF 46–100 depending on transfer activity.
– Example B total annual cost ≈ CHF 6,204 trading + CHF 1,500 custody surcharge = CHF 7,704.
– Example C total annual cost under bundle ≈ CHF 3,770 trading + CHF 1,000 custody = CHF 4,770. Bundles saved CHF 2,934 vs retail in this scenario.
– Interpret results. Compare bundle cost vs retail commission. Check whether bundle commitments or prepayments offset savings.
– Watch out for: Market minima and foreign exchange effects. A single €14.95 minimum can double per-trade cost for small trades.

Comparison Table: Retail vs Active Bundles vs Legal Entity Custody

Closing

Use the numbers here to build your own model. Start with expected trades per year and average trade size. Add CHF 0.85 per trade for market data. Apply 0.1% or your bundle rate to compute commission. Add custody at 0.0075% per quarter for assets above CHF 1,000,000, or 0.025% per quarter for legal entities, and remember the VAT of 8.1% on custody. Factor market minimums like €14.95 and Tokyo/Dubai minimums of €24.95 where relevant. Compare retail and bundle scenarios over 1, 12, and 240 trades to see break-even points.

Check your account schedule before you commit. Test a small trade and verify the exact fee and FX conversion posted. Compare bundles against your real annual numbers. Skip assumptions and use actual trade counts and average sizes for precise results. Keep this guide and the examples handy when you estimate real costs.