ComparisonLast checked 8 November 2026

UBS vs yapeal

A CHF business current account from UBS for start-ups, sole proprietors and SMEs, opened online as the UBS key4 business package with optional debit, prepaid and credit cards. A digital Swiss business account with a CHF account, EUR sub-accounts and Visa Debit cards for employees, on four plans from free to CHF 119 a month. We also show Incard, our pick for businesses whose main costs go on cards.

By the editorial team. How we make money.

Where Incard beats both

You spend thousands a month on cards, especially on advertising, software or travel
You're comfortable with safeguarding instead of FSCS cover

cashback a year on Incard's £0 Free plan from £5,000 a month of eligible ads, software and travel spend. Simple arithmetic, not a forecast.

£600

Apply for Incard on incard.co

We may earn a commission if you apply.

UBS suits you if

You want a large Swiss bank with esisuisse cover and a free first year
You make up to 500 CHF or EUR payments a month
You pay cash in at a UBS counter or Bancomat Plus
You're founding a GmbH or AG and want the capital deposit account included

yapeal suits you if

You want a free plan and make few domestic payments
You need CHF and EUR accounts in one app
You give Visa Debit cards to employees and set limits per card
You pay by card abroad: YAPEAL passes on the Visa rate 1:1

At a glance

**Table notes:** correct as of 8 November 2026, from each provider's own pages listed under Sources. “Not listed” means the provider's pages we checked don't say.
	UBS	yapeal	Incard
Type and protection	Bank · esisuisse cover	E-money · safeguarded, no FSCS	E-money · safeguarded, no FSCS
Who can open one	Swiss GmbHs and AGs and Swiss sole traders	Swiss GmbHs and AGs and Swiss sole traders	UK sole traders, UK limited companies, LLPs, Swiss GmbHs and AGs and Swiss sole traders
Cheapest plan	Free for the first year, then CHF 20 a quarter	Free: CHF 0 a month	Free: £0 a month
Plans (monthly)	One account: CHF 20 a quarter after a free first year	Free CHF 0, Essential CHF 9, Grow CHF 49, Business CHF 119	Free £0, Grow £49, Plus from £199
Card cashback	Not listed	On Grow and Business, depending on transaction volume; rate not listed	Free: 1% on ads, software and travel, 0.5% on other eligible spend. Higher on Grow and Plus. Uncapped
Card payments in other currencies	Not listed	Visa exchange rate passed on 1:1; no card FX fee in the price table	1.8% on Free, 1.5% on Grow and Plus
Domestic transfers	500 electronic CHF and EUR payments a month free, then CHF 0.30 out and CHF 0.20 in	5 a month on Free, then CHF 0.30; unlimited on paid plans	100 included on Free, 250 on Grow, then £0.30 each
International transfers	SEPA no charge; non-SEPA CHF 5 plus third-party charges	SEPA free on paid plans (CHF 2 on Free); SWIFT CHF 4 out (CHF 27.50 on Free)	3 included on Grow; otherwise from £5 (SHA) or £20 (OUR)
ATM withdrawals	Not listed	CHF 2 in CHF and CHF 5 in EUR in Switzerland; 1.5% abroad	2% in the UK, 2.5% abroad
Cash deposits	Counter deposits free up to CHF 250,000 a quarter, then 1‰; free at UBS Bancomat Plus	Not listed	Not listed
Currencies you can hold	CHF; extra current accounts in foreign currencies, including EUR and USD	CHF and EUR	GBP, EUR and USD, with IBANs
Accepting card payments	Not listed	Not listed	Not listed

Where they differ

Based on what each provider lists on its own pages. If a feature isn't listed, check with the provider before you rule it out.

Only UBS lists cash deposits.
Only Incard lists accounts for UK sole traders, accounts for UK limited companies and accounts for LLPs.

What each one is, and who can open one

UBS

UBS Switzerland AG, a wholly owned subsidiary of UBS Group AG, is licensed as a bank in Switzerland, subject to the Swiss Federal Banking Act and supervised by FINMA. UBS Switzerland AG is a member of esisuisse. Swiss depositor protection covers up to CHF 100,000 per customer per bank, with all accounts at the same bank added together.

Who can open one: Start-ups, sole proprietorships and SMEs (AG, GmbH and other legal forms). You must be 18 or over, live in Switzerland and hold a passport or ID card from an approved country. Start-ups also need an AG with CHF 100,000 or a GmbH with CHF 20,000 capital, at least 25% of the shares and individual signing rights in the commercial register. Full UBS profile.

yapeal

YAPEAL AG, Zurich (UID CHE-485.125.244), holds a FINMA fintech licence under Art. 1b of the Swiss Banking Act. It is not a full bank. No esisuisse depositor protection: YAPEAL says its fintech licence doesn't provide it. It must hold 100% of customer money and deposits it with the Swiss National Bank.

Who can open one: Partnerships, AG, GmbH, foundations and associations registered in the Swiss commercial register; YAPEAL's support pages also describe opening for sole proprietorships. Activation needs a first payment from a Swiss account in the company's name, or in your own name for a sole proprietorship. Full yapeal profile.

Incard

Incard Ltd is authorised by the FCA as an electronic money institution (firm reference number 1027309). It is not a bank. Safeguarded: Incard keeps customer funds separate from its own money, in accounts with authorised credit institutions, and doesn't lend or invest them. Funds are not protected by the FSCS.

Who can open one: UK limited companies and LLPs, UK sole traders and freelancers registered with their local authority, and Swiss GmbH, AG and sole-trader businesses. EEA onboarding is paused until an expected restart in 2027. Public sector bodies, cooperatives, charities, foundations and trusts aren't accepted, and a long list of industries is restricted. Full Incard profile.

Our e-money vs bank account guide explains what safeguarding and FSCS cover mean if a provider fails.

When Incard isn't the answer

Incard isn't the right account if

Your business is registered outside the UK and Switzerland. EEA onboarding is paused until an expected restart in 2027
You're a charity, cooperative, foundation, trust or public body, or work in one of Incard's restricted industries