Public service, the commission says no to the obligation to accept cash (cross-border guide)

Context

Public service, the commission says no to the obligation to accept cash

• CET-N recommends rejecting Roland Büchel's initiative. - The committee voted 13 to 12 against the initiative.

Key facts

• What: Public service. - When: The decision was taken by CET-N. - Where: Bern. - Who: The Economic and Tax Commission of the National Council. - Amount: No specific amount.

The Economic and Tax Commission of the National Council (CET-N) decided not to impose an obligation on the State to accept cash. The committee believes that the introduction of an Alliance SwissPass prepaid card could be a viable alternative to cash for travellers using public transport without a mobile phone or credit card.

The decision of the CET-N was taken after a long discussion on the issue of the obligation to accept cash. The initiative of Roland Büchel, a member of the National Council, was to require shops and restaurants to accept only credit cards or prepaid cards, thus reducing the use of cash.

However, CET-N has decided not to follow this path. In addition, the commission also considered that the obligation to accept only credit card or prepaid card could have negative effects on the country's economy.

Concrete examples

A concrete example of how the Alliance SwissPass prepaid card can represent a valid alternative to

Operational details

The commission also considered that imposing an obligation on the State to accept cash would entail high costs for the community. The minority of the committee, on the other hand, believes that the Büchel proposal is a mandate following the counterproject to the cash initiative, approved by a large majority of the People in March 2026.

According to internal sources, imposing the obligation to accept cash could result in costs of up to CHF 300 million per year for the Swiss public service. This amount could be covered by the State, but this would mean increasing the tax burden on Swiss citizens, already burdened by high taxation. For example, the canton of Zurich, which is one of the most populous cantons in Switzerland, would have had to cover an increase of about 10 million francs a year to implement the obligation to accept cash.

The committee's minority argues that the Büchel proposal is an attempt to bypass the popular will expressed in March 2026. According to them, the imposition of the obligation to accept cash would be a step backwards compared to the progress made in the fight against financial crime. The committee also considered that the Büchel proposal could be seen as an attack on the independence of the Swiss National Bank, which has played a key role in the fight against financial crime.

The commission also highlighted

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Key points

The decision of the Electoral and Treasury Commission (CET-N) could have impacts on the lives of Swiss citizens, especially those who use public transport without a mobile phone or credit card. The committee recommended not imposing an obligation to accept cash, but the final decision will be up to the National Council.

CET-N assessed the possible consequences of an obligation to accept cash for public services, such as public transport. According to estimates, about 15% of the Swiss population does not use electronic means of payment, such as credit card or mobile phone to pay for public transport tickets. This means that around 540,000 people, based on 2020 data, could be affected by a cash acceptance obligation.

The Commission also considered the needs of citizens with low or precarious incomes, who may not have access to electronic means of payment. According to 2020 data, around 120,000 people in Switzerland live on an income of less than CHF 30,000 per year, and may be particularly affected by a cash acceptance obligation.

CET-N has recommended maintaining the current system of payment for public transport tickets, which provides for the possibility of paying by cash, credit cards or mobile phone. This system is already in use in many cantons, such as Geneva and

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Source: tio.ch