Why bank fees deserve a dedicated audit
For many Swiss SMEs the business current account is the operational hub: receipts from QR invoices and transfers, supplier payments, payroll, cards and sometimes credit lines or leasing. The cost is not only the visible «subscription» on the invoice: per-transaction fees, foreign exchange charges, fees for paper statements or special services are spread across hundreds of movements and often end up in a single «bank charges» account with no analysis.
A bank fee audit does not replace liquidity management or the choice of financial partner, but it makes measurable what is opaque today. By comparing statements, price lists and contractual terms you identify redundant items, packages oversized relative to actual volume and legacy tariffs no longer aligned with the company profile.
In Switzerland, where the variety of institutions and strong digitisation of payments (transfers, instant payments, e-banking) offer concrete alternatives, mapping and negotiation work can free up recurring margin. The next step — often overlooked — is to record in accounting not only the expense but also negotiated savings, with documentation that stands up to internal control or statutory audit of the annual accounts, where applicable.
Overview of business bank fees
Before negotiating it pays to classify every charge. The table below summarises the most common categories in SMEs (commercial names vary between institutions):
| Category | Typical examples | Cost driver |
|---|---|---|
| Account fee / package | Business banking, e-banking included, number of accounts | Number of accounts, users, digital channels |
| Incoming/outgoing payments | CHF/foreign transfers, QR, LSV/BDD, instant payment | Monthly volume, channel (file vs single), currency |
| Cards and withdrawals | Business card, ATM fees, chargeback | Number of cards, foreign transactions, cash usage |
| FX and treasury | FX spread, exchange fees, foreign currency accounts | Currency exposure, timing of conversions |
| Credit and guarantees | Credit facility management fees, aval, securities custody | Limits utilised, covenants, term |
| Services and penalties | Paper statements, reminders, unpaid items, special requests | Operating habits, payment data quality |
Four-phase audit: from collection to baseline
A repeatable audit relies on exportable data (CSV, camt.053/054 where available) and the core banking contract. Proceed in order:
- Reference period: at least 12 months to capture seasonality (bonuses, year-end close, payment peaks). Exclude atypical months (account merger, bank change) or note them separately.
- Normalisation: for each bank charge, code category (table above), current GL account and amount. Software such as Accountex lets you import movements and filter by narrative text («Commission», «Spesen», «Frais»).
- Price list comparison: download the current tariff and signed «conditions particulières». Flag discrepancies between price applied and list — a useful basis for negotiation.
- Annual baseline: sum by category and calculate cost per useful transaction (e.g. CHF per outgoing transfer, CHF per QR receipt). This becomes the pre-negotiation KPI.
Minimum documentation for audit and governance
Keep statements, price list at the time of the audit, any confirmation emails from the relationship manager and a workbook (Excel or export) with totals by category. For companies subject to statutory audit of the annual accounts (ordinary or limited, Arts. 727 and 727a CO, with opting-out where permitted), a clear trail of financial expenses facilitates dialogue with the auditor and reduces detail requests at year-end.
Negotiating tariffs: concrete levers in Switzerland
Bank negotiation in SMEs is not just «asking for a discount»: it is presenting volumes, risk behaviour and credible alternatives. Prepare a one-pager with turnover, average balance, payment/receipt volume, credit utilisation and audit baseline. Highlight the items that weigh most in absolute CHF — often a few categories concentrate 80% of the cost.
Typical levers: downgrade or redistribution of the package; flat fee per transaction above an agreed threshold; inclusion of e-banking and payment files in the fee; review of FX spread on recurring operations; consolidation of accounts and cards. If the institution does not move, a second quote from a cantonal bank, cooperative or business neobank (compatible with your payment and audit trail requirements) strengthens your position — with no obligation to switch.
Always formalise the outcome in writing: new applicable price list, effective date and duration of the offer. Avoid verbal-only agreements that do not survive a change of adviser. For credit lines, distinguish management fees from interest: negotiation on both has different accounting impacts (expenses vs financial cost).
| Negotiation goal | What to ask for | Post-agreement check |
|---|---|---|
| Reduce fixed fee | Package aligned to actual transactions | First quarterly charge vs baseline |
| Bulk payments | Price per file record or included threshold | Cost per payroll/supplier run |
| Recurring FX | Fixed or preferential spread on pairs used | Sample of 5 transactions/month |
| Multi-account | Free secondary accounts or closure | Fees per IBAN on next statement |
Recording expenses and savings in accounting
Under Swiss accounting standards (Swiss GAAP FER / micro and small entities), bank fees are generally operating expenses of the period. Ordinary recording occurs on the debit date on the bank statement:
Typical accounts (SME chart)
- Bank charges / payment fees (account fees, transfers, paper)
- Foreign exchange expenses (if separated for management analysis)
- Interest expense and credit facility fees (separate financial account)
- Counterpart: bank (account 1020 or equivalent)
VAT on fees
Many banking services fall under the VAT exemption for transactions in the monetary and capital markets sector (Art. 21 para. 2 no. 19 VAT Act). In practice current fees are often without VAT and generally do not give rise to input tax deduction. If VAT appears on ancillary services (advisory, certifications), check invoice and rate before recording.
For negotiated savings, distinguish two accounting situations. If the bank simply applies lower tariffs, no «savings» entry is needed: the income statement improves because future debits are lower — document the effect with baseline vs next quarter comparison (internal report or note at closing). If you receive a one-off credit (fee refund, goodwill), record it as a reduction of bank charges for the period or, if materially linked to a prior period, assess with your adviser an allocation consistent with the accrual principle (Swiss GAAP FER 2). Do not classify bank refunds as operating revenue unless it is a distinct service invoiced by the bank.
For cost centres or projects, allocate fixed fees based on documented drivers (e.g. percentage of payments by division). Per-transaction fees can follow the analytical account of the payment if the software allows — useful for margins by line of business, independently of cash forecasting.
Ongoing monitoring and integration in Accountex
After the audit, establish quarterly control: total bank charges / total receipts (percentage) and average cost per outgoing transfer. Alert thresholds prevent silent drift when the price list changes unilaterally or instant payments at full tariff grow.
In Accountex, import statements with categorisation rules for bank keywords; reconcile each «Charges» debit with the correct chart of accounts line. Attach the updated price list PDF to the movement or monthly close when you negotiate — so savings remain auditable years later. For year-end close, collect in an internal note the annual evolution of fees: useful also for corporate income tax (deductible expenses) and dialogue with the audit body.
Quick checklist
- ✓ 12 months of exported statements coded by category
- ✓ Price list and special conditions archived with date
- ✓ CHF baseline and per-transaction KPIs calculated
- ✓ Negotiated offer confirmed in writing with effective date
- ✓ Chart of accounts and VAT rules verified with adviser
- ✓ Quarterly review of bank charges on treasury agenda