Convert USD to CHF US dollar ↔ Swiss franc Free Online Secure
Type an amount in US dollar and read it in Swiss franc at once. The page uses the European Central Bank's reference rate, and tells you which day that rate is from.
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Common amounts — Convert USD to CHF (US dollar ↔ Swiss franc)
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The last thirty days
Where these codes and rates come from
The three letters in EUR, USD or JPY are not an abbreviation someone invented for a website: they are ISO 4217, a standard in which the first two letters are the country's own code and the third is usually the initial of the currency. The figures on this page come from the European Central Bank, which publishes one set of reference rates each working day, around 16:00 Central European time, agreed between the central banks of the Eurosystem. They are a daily snapshot meant for statistics and accounting, not a live trading feed — which is exactly why they are the same number for everyone, rather than whatever one bank happened to quote at one moment.
Where you meet an exchange rate
You meet an exchange rate four or five times a year without thinking about it: booking a trip, paying an invoice issued abroad, buying from a foreign shop, reading a salary offer in another currency, or checking what a card charge really cost. In all of these the reference rate is the honest middle, and the price you actually pay sits a little to one side of it. Knowing the middle is what lets you see how wide that margin is.
Questions people ask
Is this the rate my bank will give me?
No, and no page can promise one. This is the European Central Bank's reference rate: the midpoint published once a day for statistics. A bank, a card scheme or an exchange office adds its own margin on top — usually between half a percent and three percent, sometimes more at an airport counter. Use this figure to judge the offer you are given, not to predict it.
How often does the figure change, and what happens at weekends?
The European Central Bank publishes once each working day, in the afternoon, Central European time. There is no publication on Saturdays, Sundays or TARGET holidays, so on those days the page shows the last working day's rate and says which day it belongs to. The chart alongside is one year of the same daily series.
Is the answer exact?
Where both units are defined in terms of one another by whole numbers, yes — the page says so above the figure, and the only rounding is in how many digits are shown. Where the ratio has no finite decimal, the page shows twelve significant digits and says the relation is approximate rather than pretending otherwise.
Does anything I type leave my device?
No. The arithmetic runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no server to upload it to. Load the page once and it keeps working with the network switched off.
The safe-haven franc seen from an American desk
Two currencies that look for shelter
When markets panic, money runs for cover, and two of the places it runs to are the United States dollar and the Swiss franc. The relation between them is therefore a curious one: sometimes they rise together, sometimes against each other, and the rate between them says a good deal about how nervous the world is feeling. For an American who needs to Convert USD to CHF, the practical questions are simpler: what does a franc cost today, why is Switzerland so expensive, and how do I pay without being overcharged? This page answers the first with the European Central Bank's reference rate and the date of that rate; the text below tackles the others.
What this text is for
It is written for Americans who travel to Switzerland, work for Swiss companies, send children to Swiss schools, hold Swiss accounts or buy Swiss goods. It explains the franc and its history, the peculiar position of American citizens in Swiss banking, the cost of a visit to the Alps, and the small habits that save money. Whatever number you type stays in your browser.
Using the converter
Dollars in, francs out
Every time you Convert USD to CHF here, the date beside the answer tells you how old the rates are.
Type the amount in dollars. The page combines the dollar and franc rates against the euro, since the central bank publishes its rates against the euro, and shows the francs together with the date. A pair that does not include the euro is calculated from two rates of the same day, so the last decimal can differ slightly from a rate quoted directly by a bank.
The table and the line
For anyone who must Convert USD to CHF often, the line is a convenient check on whether the week has been calm.
Beneath the converter there is a table of common amounts, from one dollar to five thousand, and a line showing the last thirty days. The table is useful in a Swiss shop, where prices look small next to the number of francs but are high by world standards; the line shows whether the franc has been calm.
The way back
To see francs in dollars, for example when a Swiss supplier sends an invoice, Convert CHF to USD applies the same rates in the opposite direction.
Why the franc is strong and what it costs
A currency backed by caution
Switzerland has low public debt, a persistent trade surplus and a central bank that has kept inflation near zero for decades. Investors regard the franc as one of the safest places to keep money, and when fear grows they buy it. The effect is a currency that tends to be dear, which is good for Swiss consumers and bad for Swiss exporters.
The Swiss National Bank's balancing act
Treasurers who Convert USD to CHF for a payment next quarter watch the central bank's calendar of meetings.
The Swiss National Bank has repeatedly intervened to stop the franc becoming too strong, selling francs and buying foreign currency. Its holdings of dollars, euros and other assets are among the largest in the world relative to the size of the economy. In 2015 it abandoned a floor it had set against the euro, and the franc jumped by a fifth in minutes, a lesson in how fast this pair can move.
The franc and gold
Until 2000 the franc was partly backed by gold, and Switzerland remains one of the largest holders of the metal per capita. The link explains part of the franc's reputation as a store of value and why, in uncertain times, gold and the franc often rise together.
Francs against dollars over time
In the early 1970s a dollar bought more than four francs. By the end of the decade it bought fewer than two, and in 2011 the dollar fell below parity with the franc. Since then it has hovered close to one-to-one, with swings of ten per cent or more over a year. For an American, that means a Swiss trip can cost twenty per cent more or less depending on when you go.
Americans and Swiss banks
The tax settlement that changed everything
For decades Swiss banks were known for secrecy, and some Americans used them to hide income from the tax authorities. In 2009 UBS agreed to pay 780 million dollars to settle charges that it had helped US citizens evade taxes, and to hand over information about thousands of accounts. A wave of investigations followed, and in 2014 Credit Suisse pleaded guilty and paid 2.6 billion dollars. Swiss banking secrecy for foreign customers has since been replaced by automatic exchange of information.
Why some banks avoid American clients
A United States law called FATCA requires foreign banks to report accounts held by American citizens, and the compliance burden and the risk of penalties have led some Swiss banks to refuse American customers or to impose high minimum balances. An American living in Switzerland may find that opening a current account takes longer than expected. Ask in advance which banks welcome US clients.
The merger of UBS and Credit Suisse
In March 2023, after a loss of confidence in Credit Suisse, the Swiss authorities arranged its takeover by UBS. The episode showed the Swiss financial system under stress, but the franc, remarkably, hardly weakened. For anyone holding francs it was a reminder that the currency's reputation rests on the country as a whole, not on a single bank.
A trip to Switzerland from the United States
What a dollar buys
It helps to Convert USD to CHF for three or four typical prices, such as a coffee, a lunch and a train ticket.
Switzerland is among the dearest countries to visit. A coffee costs four to six francs, a modest lunch twenty to thirty, a hotel room in Zurich from a hundred and fifty to three hundred. If you Convert USD to CHF for a few prices before you leave, a Swiss menu stops looking like a misprint, and you will see why many Americans eat from supermarkets and picnic in the Alps.
Rail passes and mountain trains
When you Convert USD to CHF for a pass, compare its price with the sum of the individual tickets you expect to use.
The Swiss Travel Pass covers unlimited rail, bus and boat travel for several days and entry to many museums. It costs from about 250 to 450 francs depending on the length, and for several days of constant travel it pays for itself. Mountain railways, such as the one to Jungfraujoch, charge a supplement and cost over two hundred francs return.
Altitude, in feet and metres
Swiss maps and signs give heights in metres. The Matterhorn rises to 4,478 metres; Convert M to FT tells you it is 14,692 feet. Hikers should remember that the air thins at altitude and the weather changes fast. A trail marked in kilometres is 0.62 miles per kilometre; Convert KM to MI does the sum for you.
Weather and clothing
Forecasts are in Celsius, and a pleasant summer day in Zurich is 25 degrees, which is 77 Fahrenheit. Convert C to F translates a forecast for Americans. Mountain weather can drop thirty degrees in an afternoon, so pack layers.
Paying in Switzerland
Cards, cash and coins
Since cards work almost everywhere, you rarely need to Convert USD to CHF in cash beyond a small reserve for mountain huts.
Cards are accepted almost everywhere, though mountain huts and farm shops prefer cash. Swiss notes are among the world's most secure and come in 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 1000 francs. Coins include a five-franc piece, and cash totals are rounded to five centimes.
The terminal that offers dollars
When a card terminal asks whether you want to pay in francs or in dollars, choose francs. The conversion by the terminal operator is nearly always worse than your bank's.
Cash machines
Machines belonging to banks give the best rate. Independent machines in tourist areas apply fixed fees and weak conversions. If a screen offers to convert the withdrawal into dollars, decline.
Tax refunds on purchases
Visitors from outside Europe can reclaim Swiss VAT on purchases above a certain value, typically around three hundred francs in one shop. Ask the shop for the form, get it stamped at the border and present it as directed. The refund is in francs.
Swiss goods and the dollar
Watches, chocolate and pharmaceuticals
Buyers who Convert USD to CHF for a watch should ask the dealer whether the price includes duty.
Swiss watches, chocolate, cheese, machinery and pharmaceuticals are exported all over the world. Prices abroad are set in local currencies, and when the franc rises, manufacturers face a choice: raise prices or accept lower margins. American shoppers often find that a watch is cheaper in Zurich than in New York, even after the tax refund is accounted for.
Buying a Swiss watch online
Authorised dealers in the United States set prices in dollars. If you buy directly from a Swiss retailer, the price is in francs, and you pay import duty and sales tax on arrival. Compare the delivered cost, not the headline price.
Pharmaceutical contracts
Large Swiss pharmaceutical companies earn most of their revenue outside Switzerland and report in francs, with dollars as their largest foreign currency. A stronger franc reduces their reported profits, which is why the rate features in their quarterly reports.
An American family in Geneva for a year
Schools, rent and the shape of a budget
Families that Convert USD to CHF for a posting usually fix a monthly rate for the whole year.
Imagine an American family of four posted to Geneva by an international organisation or a company. They find that a three-bedroom flat in a decent district costs between four and six thousand francs a month, that international schools charge twenty to forty thousand francs per child per year, and that health insurance is compulsory and costs several hundred francs per person per month. Employers often cover part of this, but not all. Before accepting, the family sits down to Convert USD to CHF for each line of the budget, and discovers that the franc amounts, though large, are not quite as frightening in dollars as they first appeared.
They also discover how little the exchange rate explains. A dollar buys roughly a franc, and yet a dollar buys much less in Geneva than in Dallas. Food in Swiss supermarkets, transport, phones and haircuts are all dearer. A realistic plan treats the rate as one factor among many and builds in a monthly reserve of ten per cent.
Banking for the newcomer
A Swiss account is essential for rent, utilities and salary, but American citizens sometimes have to try more than one bank. Employers can usually recommend a bank that accepts US clients. Meanwhile, the family keeps a dollar account at home, from which they send a fixed monthly sum, and keeps a record of every transfer for their American tax return, which must report foreign accounts above a threshold.
Filing taxes on both sides
American citizens are taxed on worldwide income, wherever they live, and may use credits or exclusions to avoid paying twice. The exchange rate used to translate francs into dollars on the tax form is a yearly average or the rate on the day of each payment, depending on the method. A tax adviser who knows both systems earns the fee at once.
Weekends in the Alps and across the border
From Geneva, a family can be in the French Alps in an hour, and prices drop at once. Many expatriates shop for food and petrol on the French side, where euros are the money. For the euro-franc comparison they use Convert EUR to CHF on the same site, and for the home currency against the euro, Convert USD to EUR.
Davos, skiing and the price of a mountain week
Davos beyond the forum
Davos is known for its January economic forum, when hotel rooms cost ten times the usual and security closes the streets. The rest of the year it is an ordinary mountain town with ski lifts, golf and hiking, and a double room costs from two hundred francs a night. The forum has made the town a symbol of both global capitalism and its critics.
A week on skis
A six-day lift pass in a big resort costs between 350 and 450 francs, a week of equipment hire 150 to 250, accommodation in a mid-range hotel 1,200 to 2,500 for the week, and meals 600 to 900. A family of four can easily spend 10,000 to 15,000 francs. Compare that with a week at home, and the conversion tells the story at once.
Cheaper ways to see the Alps
Staying in a valley town and taking the train to the slopes, bringing sandwiches, using youth hostels and travelling out of season can cut a trip's cost by half. The scenery is the same, and the trains are excellent.
Sending money to Switzerland and back
For tuition, rent and deposits
Before a large payment, Convert USD to CHF with the reference rate and compare the result with the transfer service's quote.
Payments from a US account to a Swiss one usually pass through correspondent banks, and each may take a fee. Specialised services that hold accounts in both currencies move money more cheaply and show the rate in advance. When you plan a large payment, such as a deposit on a flat or a school fee, compare two or three services and divide the amount that arrives by the amount sent to find the effective rate.
Timing and holidays
Swiss banks observe different holidays from American ones. Ascension and Whit Monday are bank holidays in Switzerland and not in the United States; Thanksgiving and Independence Day are the reverse. A payment sent just before a holiday on either side can be delayed, so send two working days earlier than needed.
Small sums and large sums
For small sums, a card or a transfer service is easiest. For large sums, such as the proceeds of a house sale, specialised foreign-exchange brokers can offer rates close to the reference and a human who answers the telephone. The saving of half a per cent on 500,000 dollars is 2,500.
Neighbours of the pair
The euro in the middle
Switzerland is surrounded by the euro area, so the euro often matters: Convert USD to EUR deals with the dollar and the euro, and Convert EUR to CHF shows the euro in francs.
Time
Switzerland is six hours ahead of New York for most of the year. Convert EST to CET gives the winter gap, which can differ by an hour for a few weeks in spring and autumn when the clocks change on different dates.
Mistakes when you Convert USD to CHF
Assuming Swiss prices are high because of the rate
Prices are high in Switzerland because wages and costs are high, not only because of the exchange rate. Even at parity, a coffee would cost four dollars.
Forgetting the rounding
Cash totals are rounded to five centimes, so 24.97 becomes 25.00. Card payments are exact.
Paying in the wrong currency
Some shops near the border accept euros and give change in francs at a poor rate. Pay in francs.
Using an old rate
A rate from last month may be wrong by several per cent. The date next to the result is there to prevent that.
Short answers
How do I Convert USD to CHF here?
Type the dollars in the first field. The page shows the francs at the latest reference rates, with the date.
Is the amount stored?
No. It stays in your browser.
Your amount stays with you
Only the table of rates is fetched. The number you type never leaves your browser, and no account is needed. It is a quiet way to Convert USD to CHF without telling a website what you plan to spend.
In short
To Convert USD to CHF, type the dollars and read the francs at the latest reference rates of the European Central Bank, with their date. It is the midpoint of the market, so any counter will give a little less. Pay in francs, decline the terminal's offer of dollars and remember that Swiss prices are high for reasons that go beyond the rate.