Price shock for clubs Bank suddenly increases account fees by 500 percent
Raiffeisenbank Belalp-Simplon is increasing the account management fee for association customers from CHF 12 to CHF 60 per year. The drastic price increase is causing resentment among those affected.
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- Raiffeisenbank Belalp-Simplon is increasing the annual account management fee for association customers by 500 percent to 60 francs from 2025.
- The bank cites increased costs and additional services such as discounts and a free crowdfunding platform.
- Other Raiffeisen banks in the region charge significantly less, in some cases just CHF 24 per year.
Raiffeisenbank Belalp-Simplon has surprised its association customers with a drastic price increase: from January 1, 2025, the annual account management fee will rise from 12 to 60 francs - an increase of 500 percent. This was reported by the "Walliser Bote".
The bank justifies the increase with higher costs and new additional services. Kilian Nellen, Chairman of the Bank Management Board, points to discounts for association software, the free crowdfunding platform lokalhelden.ch and sponsorship in the form of cash and in-kind contributions. "We regularly review our service prices and adjust them to the costs incurred and the market environment," explains Nellen.
Despite the justification, it remains unclear why the fees had to rise so drastically. Raiffeisenbank, which is organized as a cooperative, has traditionally refrained from charging high fees - a practice that has been reviewed and adjusted, according to Nellen. The bank left it open to the "Walliser Bote" whether this still corresponds to the cooperative idea.
The affected associations are outraged by the measure, which they learned about in a letter from the bank.
Differences between Raiffeisen banks
The price increase does not affect all Raiffeisen banks equally. According to Karlheinz Fux, President of the Raiffeisen banks in Upper Valais, the banks are autonomous in their pricing.
Raiffeisen Switzerland recommends a fee of 60 francs for association customers, but some banks do not implement this recommendation. For example, the Raiffeisen banks Aletsch-Goms and Mischabel-Matterhorn only charge 36 and 24 francs respectively for the same service.
Other banks charge similar or lower fees for association customers. The Valais Cantonal Bank, for example, charges CHF 36 per year, while UBS charges a sliding scale depending on assets and scope of service.
The bank's management emphasizes that it continues to support associations generously, but the associations themselves criticize the decision as difficult to understand.
