The Swiss voice in the world since 1935

New Swiss 100-franc banknote blocks certain ATMs

New CHF100 banknote
The new CHF100 banknote was issued on September 12, but it has not gone totally smoothly. Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

The new CHF100 ($100) banknote, which went into circulation last month, has blocked bank ATMs in half a dozen German-speaking Swiss cantons. 

Bank machines belonging to the PostFinance bank do not seem to like the new blue CHF100 note, which was officially launched on September 12.

“Recently, practically every time I try to withdraw money, the PostFinance ATM is not working,” a reader commented on the 20Minuten news website.

PostFinance spokesperson Johannes Möri confirmed that the new banknote was causing problems. 

“The new notes stick together and block when they are issued,” he told 20Minuten on Tuesday.

The issue appears to mainly affect German-speaking regions, with problems reported in cantons Bern, Solothurn, Aargau, Basel City, Lucerne and Zug. 

One particular kind of ATM is said to be behind the problem, but the full extent is unclear. Urgent solutions are being sought at PostFinance, 20Minuten wrote.

Möri assured customers that if there is a problem and the notes are not issued, the amount is not debited from a bank account.

Meanwhile, other banks like the Zurich Cantonal Bank and UBS have not reported any problems with the new CHF100 note, 20Minuten added.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) said the note’s compatibility with existing ATMs had been well studied prior to their issue. 

“But despite in-depth tests and positive results, it remains possible that in practice, certain machines have not been optimised correctly and must be adjusted,” a spokesman for SNB said. 

More
cash

More

New Swiss 100-franc banknote unveiled

This content was published on The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has unveiled the new CHF100 banknote that will enter circulation from September 12 onward.

Read more: New Swiss 100-franc banknote unveiled
More
crate of banknotes

More

How to set aside CHF1,000

This content was published on The latest version of the world’s most valuable banknote has been unveiled. How much effort does it take to earn or save enough for one?

Read more: How to set aside CHF1,000


Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

More Russian assets frozen in Switzerland

More

More Russian assets frozen in Switzerland

This content was published on The value of frozen Russian assets in Switzerland currently stands at CHF 7.4 billion, the Swiss Confederation announced on Tuesday. This represents an increase of CHF 1.6 billion in one year. Additional assets have been identified, according to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.

Read more: More Russian assets frozen in Switzerland
Increase in business start-ups in the 1st quarter

More

Increase in Swiss business start-ups in Q1

This content was published on The number of business start-ups in Switzerland accelerated in the first three months of the year, with entrepreneurs being particularly dynamic in Central Switzerland, Basel and Geneva.

Read more: Increase in Swiss business start-ups in Q1
Swiss and French armies train together

More

Swiss and French armies train together

This content was published on French and Swiss armoured and artillery units will train together to strengthen the defence capabilities of the Swiss army.

Read more: Swiss and French armies train together

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR