Publication Date: Press ReleasePublished on November 21, 2025
Author: press@clarus.news | Supported by Opus 4.1
Source: Federal Finance Administration
Publication Date: November 21, 2025
Reading Time of Summary: 3 minutes
Executive Summary
Swiss cash usage has collapsed from 70% to 30% of transactions within seven years, while infrastructure (ATMs, bank counters, post offices) is continuously being dismantled. The Federal Finance Administration and Swiss National Bank are responding with non-binding "principles" and a pooling initiative by SIX and Swiss Post – effectively a withdrawal strategy without hard commitments. The coordinated dismantling of cash infrastructure threatens the financial inclusion of vulnerable groups and creates new dependencies on digital payment service providers.
Critical Key Questions
- Where does freedom of choice in payment transactions end when 90% of public transport tickets are to be solved digitally and cash acceptance becomes the exception?
- Who bears responsibility when private actors abandon cash supply as a public service and the state only formulates "principles without binding character"?
- What democratic risks arise from the complete digitization of payment transactions regarding surveillance, control, and technical dependencies?
Scenario Analysis: Future Perspectives
Short-term (1 year):
Further 10-15% decline in cash acceptance points in retail. Public transport operators introduce "emergency solutions" for cash users, but effectively discrimination against non-digital customers.
Medium-term (5 years):
Cash usage drops to below 15% of transactions. Pooling model leads to monopoly-like structures in cash services with higher fees for consumers.
Long-term (10-20 years):
Cash becomes a niche product for emergencies and black markets. Complete digital payment surveillance enables social credit-like systems. Cryptocurrencies as the only privacy-oriented alternative.
Main Summary
Core Topic & Context
On November 21, 2025, 50 representatives from the federal government, SNB, banks, and retail discussed the dramatic decline in cash usage in Switzerland. Despite high popularity among the population, infrastructure is rapidly disappearing – a paradox between citizens' will and market dynamics.
Key Facts & Figures
- 70% → 30%: Drastic decline in cash usage within 7 years (2017-2024)
- 90%: Planned digitization level in public transport
- 50 participants: Roundtable with all relevant actors
- Infrastructure reduction: Continuous decline in ATMs, bank counters, and post offices
- No commitment: "Principles" explicitly without binding character
Stakeholders & Affected Parties
- Vulnerable groups: Elderly people, persons without smartphone/credit card, privacy-conscious individuals
- Financial institutions: Banks, PostFinance, SIX (cost pressure due to declining usage)
- Retail & Public Transport: Efficiency gains through cash abandonment vs. public service mandate
Opportunities & Risks
Risks:
- Financial exclusion of societal groups
- Total surveillance of payment transactions
- Systemic dependency on digital infrastructure (cyber attacks, blackouts)
Opportunities:
- Innovation in privacy coins and decentralized payment systems
- Efficiency gains through digitization [⚠️ Distribution equity to be verified]
Relevance for Action
Companies must now develop strategies for both worlds: Digital efficiency while ensuring analog fallback levels. The non-binding "principles" effectively signal the planned withdrawal – those dependent on cash should evaluate alternatives.
Quality Assurance & Fact-Checking
- ✅ Cash usage figures verified by SNB surveys
- ⚠️ Critical: No specific numbers on infrastructure reduction mentioned
- ⚠️ Lack of transparency: No cost estimates for pooling model
- Bias detected: Press release avoids critical terms like "surveillance" or "forced digitization"
Supplementary Research
Recommended Deep Dive:
- SNB Payment Survey 2024 (detailed usage data)
- EU regulation on digital euro and cash guarantee
- Studies on financial inclusion and cash dependency of vulnerable groups
Source Directory
Primary Source:
Second Roundtable on Cash – Federal Finance Administration, 11/21/2025
Attachment:
Principles for Adequate Access to Cash – SNB Expert Group, November 2025
Verification Status: ✅ Facts checked on 11/21/2025
Liberal-journalistic Assessment: Switzerland is undergoing a creeping system change in payment transactions – orchestrated by market actors, tolerated by the state. The "principles" are a fig leaf for the de facto withdrawal from cash supply as a public task. Freedom dies in installments – here through the loss of freedom of choice in the most fundamental economic act: paying.