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PostFinance

Coordinates: 46°57′26″N 7°28′04″E / 46.9571°N 7.4679°E / 46.9571; 7.4679
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Postfinance Ltd
Company typeSubsidiary
Industry
Founded1906; 119 years ago (1906)
HeadquartersBern, Switzerland
Area served
Switzerland
Key people
Beat Röthlisberger (Chairman)[1]
Products
CHF 1.240 billion (2023)[2]
Increase CHF 190 million (2023)[2]
ParentSwiss Post
Websitepostfinance.ch

Postfinance Ltd (own spelling PostFinance) is a subsidiary company of the state-owned Swiss Post,[3] whose foundations date back to the early 20th century as the financial services department of Swiss Post.[4] Postfinance is active in retail banking and business client business and as such is one of the largest Swiss financial institutions.[5]

Its main area of activity is in the national and international payments and a smaller but growing part in the areas of savings, investment, pensions, real estate and digital investments. Since 2013, Postfinance holds a banking licence and is under the supervision of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA). In 2015, Postfinance was classified as systemically important by the Swiss National Bank in Switzerland and must comply with special rules on capital adequacy and liquidity and submit an emergency plan.[6]

History

[edit]

Postfinance traces its origins back to 1900, when the "Postcheck and Giro Service" was launched in Switzerland to enable the supply of cash via the network of the Swiss Post. Six years later, the processing of payment transactions via the post office network began.[4] Between 1928 and 1997, the Swiss Post was part of the Post-, Telefon- und Telegrafenbetriebe (PTT). When PTT was dissolved at the end of 1997 as part of a postal reform, the former payment transactions department became the Swiss Post subsidiary Postfinance. In the years that followed, Postfinance experienced strong growth.[7]

In 2001, Postfinance was connected to the domestic payment system Swiss Interbank Clearing (SIC) of the banks.[8] Postfinance emerged from the global financial crisis 2007-2008 without any adverse effects and was able to offer low interest rates, as a result of which the customer base increased and customer assets doubled within a few years. However, Postfinance had problems with the temporary negative interest rates in the 2010s, as the negative interest rates led to falling interest income.[9][10]

In 2013, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) awarded Postfinance a bank licence.[11] In 2015, Postfinance was declared a "Systemically important financial institution" in Switzerland by the Swiss National Bank, which means the bank must follow special regulations with regard to liquidity and equity. At the same time, obtaining the banking licence meant that the state guarantee was finally abolished in 2017.[12][13]

In 2016, Postfinance started to levy a 1% annual fee on deposits of above 1 million francs.[14] Over the Easter weekend of 2018, Postfinance switched to the core banking system of the Indian provider Tata Consultancy Services. For corporate customers, the changeover meant adapting payment transactions to a new data format for the exchange of payment data in accordance with the ISO 20022 standard.[15] In 2020, Postfinance profits fell to 131 million Swiss francs (from 246 million in 2019[16] and 229 million francs in 2018[17]) and its customers to 2.69 million (from 2.74 million in 2019).[16] 129 jobs were cut to adjust to the revenue drop (500 jobs were also cut in 2018).[18]

In early 2021, the Swiss government was considering the privatization of the bank to allow it to act like a regular private financial institution (including granting mortgages and loans). This process would however imply changing the Postal Act and have the government back the bank's capital during a transition phase.[19] The proposal was not able to gain acceptance within Swiss politics for the time being.[20] In February 2022, the Russian oligarch and resident of Switzerland Viktor Vekselberg won a lawsuit against Postfinance after the bank had closed his account in 2018 following sanctions imposed on him by the US authorities.[21]

In 2022, the cash deposit machines were abolished.[22][23] The ATMs, which were introduced from 1978 under the name Postomat, have also already been reduced. While Postfinance still operated 975 ATMs at the end of 2019, this figure had fallen to 892 by the end of September 2021.[24]

In April 2023, it was announced that Postfinance will provide its customers with access to cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin and Ethereum. The project is being implemented in partnership with the Sygnum cryptobank. The decision was made against the backdrop of a massive flow of customer funds into cryptocurrencies.[25]

Company structure

[edit]

Postfinance Ltd is wholly owned by Swiss Post.[5] Postfinance makes an important contribution to Swiss Post's total operating income. Total assets amounted to around CHF 102 billion at the end of 2023, while net profit (EBIT) for the full year 2023 was around CHF 164 million. In 2023, Postfinance served around 2.5 million people and had the equivalent of 3,340 full-time equivalents, with an average total headcount of 3,757 employees.[2]

With the end of the previous state guarantee, Postfinance, has a deposit insurance for savings like other banks since October 1, 2017.[26] If the bankrupt institution has sufficient liquid assets, deposits at domestic and foreign branches will be paid out immediately up to a maximum amount of CHF100.000 per client.[27]

Postfinance has various shareholdings in companies and ventures. For example, there are cooperative participations with "Twint", in which Postfinance holds a 26.666% stake, and "SIX Group".[28][29][30] In 2021, Postfinance launched the Neobank "Yuh" in a joint venture with Swissquote.[31][32]

The legal basis for the activities of Swiss Post and Postfinance is the Swiss Postal Act (Schweizer Postgesetz),[33] the Postal regulation (Postfinance)[34] and the Postal Organization Act (Postorganisationsgesetz).[35]

Management

[edit]

Postfinance is managed by a Board of Directors as the highest governing body and an Executive Board, which is appointed by the Board of Directors and is responsible for the operational business. Both the Board of Directors and the Executive Board each have seven members as of 2024.[36][37]

Since July 1, 2024, Beat Röthlisberger, previously Deputy Managing Director of Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank, has been the Chairman of Postfinance Executive Board.[38][39] His predecessors in this position are Urs W. Wepf (until the end of 2002),[40] Jürg Bucher (2003 until the end of 2011),[41] Hansruedi Köng (2012 until February 2024),[42] Kurt Fuchs (interim, March to June 2024).[43]

Company data

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2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Balance sheet total (in CHF billion) 43.1 44.2 47.3 52.1 56.2 67.2 80.3 89.3 104 115 115 114.5 119.5 120.8 118.2 125.7 117.2 121.7 114.4 102.3
Customer deposits/assets (in CHF billion) 32.8 35.7 38.2 40.6 43.7 58 75 84 95 103 108 114.9 119.4 119.8 118.9 119.7 123.7 110.7 104.6 104.1
of which in deposit and investment form (in CHF billion) 7.6 9.7 11.2 13.1 14.7 17.7 23.9 29.3 33 37 38 not specified not specified not specified not specified not specified not specified not specified 15.9 17.7
Net profit (EBIT, in CHF million) 243 278 312 246 318 229 441 571 591 625 719 575 575 543 229 246 129 223 190 164
Number of employees (full-time equivalents, annual average) 2,148 2,246 2,390 2,526 2,709 2,889 3,042 3,265 3,425 3,473 3,432 3,571 3,599 3,474 3,325 3,243 3,260 3,237 3,250 3,340
Number of customer accounts (in thousands) 2,746 2,879 3,008 3,154 3,335 3,646 3,881 4,079 4,211 4,520 4,628 4,835 4,845 4,809 4,503 4,401 4,286 4,037 3,918 3,877

Business areas

[edit]
Postomat: ATM of Postfinance, which also works with other bank cards in addition to the Postfinance Card.
User interface of Postfinance online banking (in 2018)
  • Payment transactions: Postfinance core business is national and international payment transactions.[44] Around 900 million transactions per year were processed via Postfinance in 2011.[45]
  • Savings: The savings area includes the private account range (since July 2021 consisting of the Smart and SmartPlus banking packages).[46][47]
  • Investments: The investment division comprises our own investment products and those offered in cooperation with other banks. Own investment products include medium-term notes and investment strategy funds. Postfinance also offers third-party funds from other financial institutions. Postfinance also operates an online platform for securities trading (e-trading) in cooperation with Swissquote.[48] In February 2024, Postfinance also began offering the trading and custody of cryptocurrencies.[49]
  • Pension provision and insurance: In the area of pensions, Postfinance offers a pension account tailored to the three-pillar pension system in Switzerland and, in cooperation with AXA Winterthur Leben, various life insurance options. In 2022, Postfinance announced that it would only offer actively managed pension funds, which resulted in an increase in fees for customers.[50]
  • Financing: As the Postal Organization Act prohibits it from granting mortgages and loans to third parties on its own, Postfinance cooperates with Münchener Hypothekenbank, Valiant Bank and Credit Exchange AG in the area of financing. The loans and mortgages are not refinanced by Postfinance itself, but by the three partners, who also carry them on their balance sheets and bear the credit risk. In return, Postfinance pays its partners a risk premium or a sales commission. In the area of crowdlending, Postfinance entered into a partnership with Cembra Money Bank through its subsidiary Lendico in 2018.[51] In May 2021, the company announced that it would be offering the "Postfinance Priavtkredit" in cooperation with Bob Finance. Bob Finance is a subsidiary of the Valora retail company. The personal loan is offered exclusively online to private individuals with a permanent employment contract, Swiss residence and an account with a Swiss bank.[52][53] In August 2024, Postfinance became a shareholder in the mortgage market platform Credit Exchange AG (CredEx) and was also given a seat on the board of directors of the public limited company. Prior to this, Postfinance and Credit Exchange AG had already entered into a sales and settlement partnership from the beginning of 2024.[54]
  • Customer Service: Postfinance is active in the area of customer service with customer advisors and a call centre.[10]

Sponsoring

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Postfinance is a regular sponsor of ice hockey. Since 2001, it has been a sponsor of the National League, the highest Swiss men's ice hockey league.[55][56] Postfinance has also been the main and naming rights partner of the Women's League, the highest women's league in Swiss ice hockey, since the 2022/23 season.[57] The league is therefore also known as the "Postfinance Women's League".[58] Postfinance is also named Postfinance Top Scorer, an award for ice hockey players who achieve the most scorer points (i.e. goals and assists) for their team during the main round. Scorer points achieved are also linked to money sponsored by Postfinance for the promotion of young talent at the players' ice hockey clubs.[59][60]

In 2007, the BernArena, the largest ice rink in Switzerland, was renamed the Postfinance Arena.[61]

Under the name "Money Fit", Postfinance offers learning opportunities designed to teach children and young people various skills in dealing with money.[62][63][64]

Description

[edit]

As of December 2024, Postfinance has an AA/A-1+ credit rating from Standard & Poor's.[65]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Beat Röthlisberger wird neuer CEO von Postfinance". Postfinance. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Annual Report 2023" (PDF), Postfinance, p. 30, retrieved 13 January 2025
  3. ^ Samuel Gerber (6 September 2018). "Postfinance: Why the End of the Ban Matters". Finews. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  4. ^ a b Michael Heim (18 May 2022). "Nach der Ohrfeige im Bundeshaus sollte die Postfinance umdenken". Postfinance (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Konzernstruktur der Post". post.ch (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  6. ^ Michael Ferber (1 September 2015). "SNB stuft Postfinance als systemrelevant ein". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  7. ^ Daniel Zulauf (25 October 2012). "Schweizer trennen ihre Post und deren Bank behutsam: Postfinance schwimmt auf einer Erfolgswelle und erwartet Banklizenz bis zum Jahresende". Börsen-Zeitung (in German). p. 5.
  8. ^ "Einzahlungsschein". Neue Zürcher Zeitung. 12 June 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  9. ^ "Die schlechteste Woche hatte". NZZ am Sonntag (in German). 10 June 2018. p. 42.
  10. ^ a b "Niedrige Zinsen haben Postfinance zugesetzt". Liechtensteiner Vaterland (in German). 7 June 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  11. ^ "Postfinance Ltd is placed under FINMA supervision". Eidgenössische Finanzmarktaufsicht (FINMA). 26 June 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  12. ^ E. Gallarotti (5 May 2011). "Das Riskante am Erfolg der Postfinance". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). p. 26.
  13. ^ Muriel Leisy (14 June 2013). "Was die Postfinance-Banklizenz für Kunden bedeutet". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  14. ^ "Swiss bank Postfinance to charge millionaire deposit holders". Reuters. 11 November 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  15. ^ Michael Heim (29 January 2018). "How much Postfinance is paying for its new banking software". Handelszeitung (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  16. ^ a b Allen, Matthew (11 May 2021). "Swiss postal bank turns up digital dazzle to arrest declining fortunes". Swissinfo. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  17. ^ "Postfinance Chief Sends Letter Warning of Tough Times Ahead". Finews. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  18. ^ Florian Wicki (27 October 2020). "Postfinance: New Strategy, New Job Cuts". Finews. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  19. ^ "Government wants to privatise Postfinance bank". Swissinfo.ch. 20 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  20. ^ Elmar Plozza (27 September 2022). "Postfinance-Privatisierung scheint vom Tisch". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (in German). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  21. ^ "Vekselberg wins lawsuit against Postfinance bank". Swissinfo.ch. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  22. ^ Nicole Roos (1 March 2021). "Service-Abbau – Den Postomaten mit Einzahlfunktion wird der Stecker gezogen". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (in German). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  23. ^ Patrik Berger (19 November 2022). "Schluss mit Automaten: Wer Münz einzahlen will, muss sortieren und rollen". Blick (in German). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  24. ^ Rico Kutscher (6 October 2021). "Postfinance zieht bei Geldautomaten den Stecker". Finews (in German). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  25. ^ "Postfinance bietet künftig Kryptowährungen an". Handelszeitung (in German). 5 April 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  26. ^ Albert Steck (2 September 2017). "Postfinance verliert Staatsgarantie und Status als Musterknabe". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  27. ^ "Einlagensicherung". Finma (in German). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  28. ^ "Beteiligungen". Postfinance.ch (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  29. ^ "Assoziierte Gesellschaften und Joint Ventures". Die Schweizerische Post (in German). 30 June 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  30. ^ "Postfinance steigt bei SIX ein". Handelszeitung (in German). 8 March 2018. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  31. ^ Michael Heim (11 May 2021). "So starten Swissquote und Postfinance mit der Onlinebank Yuh". Handelszeitung (in German). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  32. ^ "Neue Banking-App – Wie Postfinance die Jungen zum Anlegen lockt". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (in German). 11 May 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  33. ^ "Postgesetz". bakom.admin.ch (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  34. ^ "Postfinance". fedlex.admin.ch (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  35. ^ "Bundesrat will Rahmenbedingungen für Postfinance verbessern". admin.ch (in German). 30 June 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  36. ^ "Postfinance ernennt ehemaligen PwC-Partner zum Verwaltungsrat". Finews (in German). 3 July 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  37. ^ "Organisation: Persönliche Zusammenarbeit mit flachen Hierarchien". Postfinance.ch (in German). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  38. ^ "Nach langer Suche – Beat Röthlisberger übernimmt Chefposten bei der Postfinance". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (in German). 31 January 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  39. ^ André Müller (1 February 2024). "Beat Röthlisberger wird neuer CEO der Postfinance – jetzt braucht er bloss noch einen Auftrag". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  40. ^ "Jürg Bucher in Post-Geschäftsleitung". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). 26 November 2002. p. 14.
  41. ^ Urs Rauber (26 November 2006). "Jörg Bucher". NZZ am Sonntag (in German). p. 123.
  42. ^ "12 Jahre im Amt – Postfinance-CEO Hansruedi Köng tritt auf Ende Februar 2024 zurück". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (in German). 6 March 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  43. ^ Lukas Hässig (5 November 2023). "CFO wird Interims-CEO – Postfinance ernennt Kurt Fuchs zu Interims-CEO". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (in German). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  44. ^ "Zahlungsverkehr Schweiz harmonisieren". post.ch (in German). 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  45. ^ "Postfinance migriert auf indisches Informatiksystem". Netzwoche (in German). 1 June 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  46. ^ "Postfinance führt Bankpakete ein". Postfinance.ch (in German). 29 March 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  47. ^ Nicole Roos (19 April 2021). "Gebühren-Ärger – Für viele Postfinance-Kunden wird es teurer". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (in German). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  48. ^ Michael Ferber (3 May 2014). "Chancen für Postfinance und Swissquote". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). p. 26.
  49. ^ Andreas Minor (20 February 2024). "Postfinance verkauft und verwahrt ab Mittwoch elf verschiedene Kryptowährungen". Handelszeitung (in German). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  50. ^ Nicole Roos (5 May 2022). "Höhere Gebühren – Postfinance bietet nur noch aktiv verwaltete Vorsorge-Fonds an". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (in German). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  51. ^ Daniel Imwinkelried (28 March 2018). "Postfinance und Cembra verbünden sich im Kreditgeschäft". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  52. ^ "Postfinance steigt ins Geschäft mit Privatkrediten ein". Handelszeitung (in German). 3 May 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  53. ^ "Konsumkredite: Postfinance spannt mit Valora-Tochter zusammen". Finews (in German). 3 May 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  54. ^ "Postfinance und GLKB beteiligen sich an Credit Exchange". Handelszeitung (in German). 16 August 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  55. ^ J. Vogel (1 March 2013). "«Gelbfieber» im Schweizer Eishockey". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). p. 47.
  56. ^ Daniel Germann (16 December 2021). "Swiss Ice Hockey befindet sich auf dünnem Eis". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). p. 15.
  57. ^ Uwe Foerster (13 December 2022). "Postfinance macht Geld für Eishockey Women's League locker". Horizont (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  58. ^ Adrian Bürgler (13 March 2024). "Wie sich die Schweizer Frauenliga zu einem attraktiven Produkt gemausert hat". Watson (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  59. ^ "Postfinance Top Scorer". Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  60. ^ Y. Tardent (24 February 2009). "Das Eis ist gelb: Die Topskorer erspielen 400 Franken für den Nachwuchs". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). p. 45.
  61. ^ "BernArena heisst neu Postfinance Arena". Tages-Anzeiger. 17 August 2007. p. 35.
  62. ^ "Über MoneyFit". moneyfit.ch (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  63. ^ Daniel Zulauf (9 July 2017). "Geldwissen ohne Geld ist nutzlos". Zentralschweiz am Sonntag (in German). p. 9.
  64. ^ Jorgos Brouzos (30 August 2017). "Kinder werden für Banken als Kunden interessant". Tages-Anzeiger (in German). p. 8.
  65. ^ "Swiss Post And Postfinance Ratings Affirmed; Outlooks Remain Stable". S&P Global Ratings. 18 December 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
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Media related to PostFinance at Wikimedia Commons

46°57′26″N 7°28′04″E / 46.9571°N 7.4679°E / 46.9571; 7.4679

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