The live dollar-to-Swiss-franc rate, updated every minute. Book USD→CHF with SummitFX on WhatsApp — same-day Swiss settlement when you transact during the European trading day.
Use the tabs to view the last week, month, year, or five years of daily closing rates. The shaded band shows the high-low range for the period — a quick visual read on volatility.
Type in either box — enter a USD amount to see what you'd get in CHF, or enter a target CHF amount to see how many dollars you'd need. Calculated at the live mid-market rate shown above.
Note: The rate shown is the live mid-market rate. Your actual executable rate includes a small spread — typically 0.3–0.7% at SummitFX vs 2–4% at a UK high street bank. We'll always show the full breakdown before you book.
USD/CHF — nicknamed 'the Swissie' — is the world's fifth-most-traded currency pair, accounting for around 5% of global FX volume. The pair moves on Federal Reserve policy, Swiss National Bank policy, US Treasury yields, and global risk sentiment. CHF is the world's premier safe-haven currency alongside JPY and gold; USD is the world's reserve currency. The interaction makes USD/CHF one of the most-watched indicators of US-vs-global risk dynamics. The pair is also tightly correlated with EUR/USD — when EUR/USD rises, USD/CHF typically falls almost in lockstep because CHF and EUR move together.
Federal Reserve policy: The Fed sets US interest rates and is the most influential central bank globally. Decisions, the quarterly dot plot, and Jerome Powell's press conferences are the biggest scheduled USD events. The Fed-SNB policy gap is structurally wide given Switzerland's ultra-low or negative rate history.
US CPI and PCE: US inflation data drives Fed expectations. Monthly CPI is one of the biggest scheduled FX events globally. PCE matters more for the actual policy path; CPI matters more for immediate market reactions on release day.
Non-farm payrolls: The first-Friday US jobs report is one of the most-watched scheduled FX events. Strong payrolls support USD against CHF; weakness undermines the pair. Unemployment and average hourly earnings are watched alongside the headline number.
US Treasury yields: The 10-year Treasury is a real-time gauge of dollar demand. Rising yields pull global capital into dollar assets, pushing USD/CHF higher. The Bund-Treasury spread also matters because of the EUR-CHF correlation.
Risk sentiment: USD/CHF is one of the cleanest 'risk' barometers in FX. In risk-off episodes both USD and CHF strengthen as safe havens, but CHF typically strengthens more — pushing USD/CHF lower. In bullish risk-on phases, USD often outperforms CHF, pushing the pair higher.
Swiss National Bank policy: The SNB sets Swiss interest rates and is one of the most interventionist major central banks. Decisions, FX reserves changes, and statements from Chairman Martin Schlegel are the biggest scheduled CHF events. Switzerland uniquely has run negative interest rates for years to combat CHF strength.
Safe-haven flows: CHF is the world's premier safe-haven currency alongside JPY. Geopolitical stress, financial market crises, eurozone tensions, or banking sector worries trigger immediate CHF buying. The 2011 EUR/CHF cap and 2015 'francogeddon' event are reminders of how dramatic safe-haven flows into CHF can be.
Eurozone correlation: Switzerland is geographically and economically integrated with the eurozone. EUR/CHF is one of the most-watched crosses globally and CHF typically moves with EUR — meaning USD/CHF moves inversely to EUR/USD with high correlation. Eurozone stress pushes both EUR and CHF higher against USD.
Swiss inflation: Switzerland has structurally low inflation due to imported goods denominated in weaker currencies. Even small Swiss CPI surprises move CHF because they shift SNB expectations meaningfully.
SNB FX reserves: The SNB holds enormous FX reserves (often >100% of Swiss GDP) accumulated through years of CHF-weakening intervention. Reserve composition changes signal SNB FX activity. Markets watch SNB sight deposits weekly for clues to recent intervention.
Switzerland and the US share one of the most concentrated wealth corridors globally. Bilateral trade exceeds $140 billion annually, dominated by services (financial services, pharmaceuticals, machinery, watches) and high-value goods. Switzerland is one of the largest non-Treaty foreign holders of US assets, and US institutional holdings in Swiss equities and Swiss-listed multinationals (Nestlé, Roche, Novartis, ABB) are substantial. Beyond trade, the corridor carries enormous private banking flow — Swiss private banks remain a major destination for US-resident high-net-worth individuals seeking diversification, and Swiss residents hold significant US-denominated assets through cross-border wealth management.
USD→CHF settles via SWIFT through our Swiss correspondent, with the actual CHF leg routing through the Swiss Interbank Clearing system. Switzerland is in the same time zone as Western Europe (CET/CEST), which simplifies same-day delivery for European-routed flow. US-originated wires need to leave in the US morning to reach Swiss banks before they close.
Three things most commonly cause USD→CHF transfers to slip past same-day:
Late USD arrival. Our cutoff is 15:00 UK time for same-day CHF release. SWIFT USD wires from the US can take hours to arrive in Europe; sending in the US morning gives the best chance of reaching Switzerland before SIC's daily windows close. Late afternoon US bookings often miss same-day Swiss settlement.
AML compliance review on private banking transfers. Swiss private banks apply rigorous AML and source-of-funds checks, particularly for new beneficiary relationships or larger amounts. These reviews are usually clear within a few hours but can occasionally extend settlement to T+1, especially for first-time transfers above CHF 100,000.
Swiss public holidays. Switzerland has both federal and cantonal holidays. Notable federal ones for FX: Swiss National Day (1 August), Christmas, New Year. Cantonal holidays vary widely. US-only holidays don't affect CHF outbound but US holidays do delay USD-side processing — plan around both calendars.
For high-value transfers to Swiss private banks or large corporate payments, we recommend booking the day before to allow buffer for compliance review. Forward contracts are commonly used for Swiss property completions and ongoing executive compensation arrangements between US firms and Swiss subsidiaries.
USD/CHF is the corridor for US residents and businesses with meaningful Swiss-franc obligations, plus anyone with Swiss banking, property, or business interests. Common use cases:
US buyers purchasing Swiss alpine property, particularly in Verbier, St Moritz, Zermatt, and Crans-Montana. Swiss property purchases by foreign buyers are subject to specific rules (Lex Koller); forward contracts are essential given the typical 2-3 month closing timeline and CHF's safe-haven volatility.
US residents with Swiss employment — pharma in Basel, banking in Zurich, international organisations in Geneva. Regular USD→CHF conversion for Swiss living costs, plus periodic CHF→USD repatriation for US tax obligations. Standing arrangements smooth out the rate exposure.
US residents transferring to or topping up Swiss private banking accounts. These are typically large one-off amounts where broker spreads vs bank spreads make a meaningful difference, and where settlement timing is less time-critical than amount certainty.
US businesses sourcing Swiss watches, pharmaceuticals (Roche, Novartis), machinery, and luxury goods. Tight spreads on regular high-volume payments protect margin in industries where Swiss premium pricing already applies.
US families with children at Swiss boarding schools (Le Rosey, Aiglon, Beau Soleil) or Swiss universities. Annual fee schedules are predictable, making forwards or rate alerts a natural fit.
US pharmaceutical and biotech companies funding Swiss operations or paying Swiss collaborators. Roche and Novartis dominate Swiss pharma; many US biotechs partner with them on licensing and clinical trials, generating recurring USD→CHF flow.
You can convert dollars to Swiss francs through your bank, through a transfer app, or through a broker. USD/CHF is a major liquid pair, and given Swiss banking's premium pricing structure, the gap between broker and bank rates is often wider than for other major pairs.
Everything clients typically ask about sending dollars to Swiss francs. Still have questions? Message us on WhatsApp — a real dealer, not a bot, will reply.
We never forecast — but the chart above puts today's rate in context. CHF tends to strengthen in global stress episodes and weaken in calm periods, so timing USD/CHF often comes down to a view on broader risk sentiment. The pair is also tightly correlated with EUR/USD — when EUR/USD rises, USD/CHF typically falls. Rate alerts let you set a target and wait passively.
US and Swiss banks typically mark up USD/CHF by 2–4% for retail customers. SummitFX spreads are 0.3–0.7% depending on size. On a CHF 500,000 property deposit that's a saving of CHF 8,500–CHF 18,500 in your favour.
Book and fund by 15:00 UK time on a business day and CHF typically lands in your beneficiary's Swiss account the same business day — usually within a few hours via the SIC clearing system. Late bookings settle T+1. Private banking accounts can occasionally take longer due to compliance review.
Yes — and we strongly recommend it given Swiss property's sensitivity to CHF strength. A forward contract fixes today's rate for delivery on completion day. You pay a deposit (typically 5–10% of the trade) upfront and settle the balance at completion. Swiss conveyancing typically runs 2–3 months — plenty of time for USD/CHF to move materially.
No hard minimum — we handle trades from $500 to $5m+. Below around $5,000 the spread widens slightly to cover fixed execution costs. For recurring smaller payments to Swiss expats or schools, market orders or standing arrangements work better than ad-hoc bookings.
The rate shown on Google, XE, or the chart above is the mid-market rate — the midpoint of interbank buy and sell quotes. Nobody gets exactly that rate; providers add a margin. US and Swiss banks typically 2–4%, Wise around 0.4–0.6%, SummitFX 0.3–0.7% — with our clients also getting a named dealer and WhatsApp access.
Because CHF and EUR are highly correlated. Switzerland is geographically and economically integrated with the eurozone; the SNB also targets a stable CHF/EUR relationship. So when EUR strengthens against USD (EUR/USD rises), CHF typically strengthens against USD too — pushing USD/CHF lower in lockstep. The correlation isn't perfect but holds the majority of trading days.
Your rate is locked the moment you reply CONFIRM on a quote. Even if CHF spikes 1% on a risk-off event before your USD clears to us, the rate you receive stays exactly as booked. CHF can move sharply on global news — the 2015 'francogeddon' saw CHF strengthen 30% in minutes after the SNB removed its EUR/CHF cap. Locking in advance is essential for any time-critical Swiss payment.
Message us on WhatsApp and we'll have a live executable rate back in seconds.