Swisscard doubled its market share since its foundation
"We make it happen" - with this motto, Swisscard began operations in September 1998. The company started with 200 employees in Seefeld, Zurich. In 2018, almost 700 people work for Swisscard in Horgen. Today, Swisscard is a leader in the credit card business with over 1.5 million American Express, Mastercard and Visa cards.
The liberalization of the Swiss credit card market made the foundation and development of Swisscard possible in the first place. Previously, only traditional banks were allowed to issue credit cards. Now, financial service providers like Swisscard can also issue credit cards. This gives customers a much wider choice and they are no longer tied to their house bank. The credit cards work without a direct link to a bank account.
Joint venture between Credit Suisse and American Express
Swisscard was founded in 1998 by Credit Suisse and American Express. The company combined the global knowledge of American Express in credit card management with the strong sales channels of Credit Suisse. Since its founding, the credit card company has also serviced all American Express partners in Switzerland. Swisscard's card offering is divided into the business areas of private customers and business customers. In both areas, there are numerous product lines that meet specific customer requirements.
57 different card products
With numerous product launches and services, the company has developed cashless payment in Switzerland over the past 20 years. In 2002, for example, it launched the American Express Centurion Card, which it claims is the world's most exclusive credit card, available exclusively by invitation and featuring 24-hour service. Another milestone was the introduction of the Coop SUPERCARDplus in 2006, the first credit card with no annual fee in the Swiss market. This was followed in 2013 by a new "cardservice" online account access and app for a time- and location-independent overview for cardholders of transactions, credit limits and balances. The app has been operating under the name "Swisscard App" since 2017. Mobile payments have been possible via Apple Pay since 2016, and via Samsung Pay since 2017. And for companies, Swisscard launched the SWISS SME card packages in 2018, the first card product in Switzerland that also allows corporate customers to earn Miles & More miles directly. Today, 57 different card products are available.
Three times more jobs
Since 1998, the number of employees has more than tripled. "Swisscard is an attractive, modern employer," emphasizes Executive Board member Alex Friedli: "We actively support flexible annual working hours, part-time work or home office." It's no wonder that the young company has many longstanding employees - like Alex Friedli, who has been with the company since its founding.
150 million transactions per year
In 1998, Swisscard started with 300,000 cards. Less than ten years later, the company already had one million credit cards. Currently, there are over 1.5 million credit cards in circulation from this service provider. In 20 years, the company has more than doubled its market share, from 13% to around 28%. Swisscard credit cards are used for around 150 million payment transactions a year - an average of 5 per second.
