Cash supply Swiss Post and Six at odds over uniform ATM system
Both Swiss Post and the stock exchange operator SIX would like to offer cash supply from a single source in the future. Who will win the race or will there be a cooperation? The discussions are ongoing.
21.11.2025, 09:51
SDA
"Swiss Post sees itself as the predestined operator of an optimal ATM network," said Jacqueline Bühlmann, media spokeswoman for Swiss Post, to the news agency AWP. The "neutral" state-owned company has many years of experience in operating around 740 Postomats and over 2,500 cash handling machines.
The idea: ATMs are to be brought together in a network throughout Switzerland. Swiss Post offers banks cooperation models to take over their ATM operations or merge them with the Postomat network. A pilot project with Thurgauer Kantonalbank has been running since the end of September 2025, said Bühlmann.
Significantly fewer ATMs needed
The stock exchange operator SIX has something similar in mind to Swiss Post: The vision is to pool the banks' strengths, reduce overcapacity and at the same time ensure access to cash - everywhere in Switzerland, spokesman Stephan Meier told AWP. Despite the declining use of cash, everyone in Switzerland should continue to have easy access to cash in the future.
According to an earlier study by SIX, around 2,200 ATMs at around 1,200 locations across Switzerland would be enough to meet demand and ensure the availability of cash. According to the study, a single ATM would have operating costs of around CHF 30,000 per year.
So far, five banks have outsourced a total of 55 ATMs to SIX, and talks are underway with other financial institutions, it was reported. Next year, SIX also plans to launch a pooling model - a shared network of devices for several banks. This would allow the banks to save up to 60 percent of their current infrastructure without any deterioration in supply, said Meier. However, the whole thing is only worthwhile if as many providers as possible join forces.
Swiss Post open to cooperation
And like Swiss Post, the Swiss Stock Exchange also sees itself as particularly suitable for the job: the ATMs - except those of Postfinance - are already equipped with its software. This affects over 4,500 devices whose transactions also run via the SIX systems. At the same time, the Swiss banks are also the owners of SIX and its customers in other business areas.
Both companies are therefore pursuing the same goal, but are currently doing their own thing. However: Swiss Post is open to cooperation and is holding talks "with all leading market players in the Swiss cash environment", the state-owned company said when asked whether it could imagine cooperating with SIX. After all, a more efficient cash supply "from a single source" would make sense.
SIX, meanwhile, does not want to let anyone look at its cards: "We cannot make any statements on this at present," said the Swiss financial infrastructure operator when asked whether talks were being held with Swiss Post.
SNB remains silent
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is also keeping a low profile: it did not want to provide any information on the topic of an "integrated ATM network for all banks". The SNB held a round table on the supply of cash in Switzerland in 2023. It was attended by business and consumer associations, cantons, the federal administration, banks and Swiss Post.
At the time, it was stated that the round table would now be held on a regular basis. However, the central bank would not say whether and when another one was planned. Does this mean that something is about to happen?
The use of cash is declining, making it less and less worthwhile for banks to operate ATMs nationwide. According to SNB statistics, the number of ATMs has fallen by 13 percent over the past five years.
At the same time, cash is still a popular means of payment among the Swiss, and access is needed even in small towns in the countryside. According to the latest "Swiss Payment Monitor" by the University of St. Gallen and the ZHAW, around 28% of payments in stores are still made in cash.
