Frequently asked questions

To open an account with Alpian, begin by downloading the app, available for both iOS and Android devices. During the sign-up process, you will be asked to provide some personal information and complete a quick ID verification to ensure security and compliance.

Eligibility requirements: You must hold a valid Swiss residence permit and provide an original, valid passport or national ID. Please note that photocopies will not be accepted.

Activating your account: The final step to activate your account involves making a deposit that must come from a bank account registered in your name at a licensed bank located either in Switzerland or a FATF country.

Important: Because of FINMA regulations, deposits from neo-banks and financial platforms that do not hold a banking license such as Neon, PayPal, Revolut, Yuh, or Wise are not accepted.

To see where you stand in the application process, please go to the initial page of the app where your progress is displayed. For further details, feel free to contact our support team via chat or schedule a call here.

To activate your account, the first transfer must meet specific criteria mandated by the Swiss regulator FINMA for banks accepting clients through digital channels:

• Source of transfer: The transfer must originate from an account held in your name. Transfers from third-party or company accounts are not accepted.

• Type of bank: The transfer must come from a licensed bank that adheres to the standards of the Swiss regulator. We do not accept initial transfers made from fintech or payment companies (e.g., Neon, PayPal, Revolut, Yuh, Wise, ZAK).

• Bank location: The transfer must be from a bank located in a Financial Action Task Force (FATF) member country. These countries adhere to stringent guidelines regarding customer due diligence and wire transfers, ensuring a higher level of regulatory compliance.

FATF-compliant countries include: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong (China), Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, and USA.

Please ensure that your initial transfer conforms to these criteria. Once your account is activated, you can perform all standard banking transactions normally.

Our multi-currency account allows you to hold the four most commonly used currencies—CHF, EUR, USD, and GBP—under a single IBAN. This feature enables you to hold, transfer, pay, save, and receive money in these currencies without the need for multiple bank accounts.

Funds are credited in the currency they are received in. For example, if you receive 100€, it will be credited and stored in euros. This is perfect for frequent travelers and expats, as it allows you to manage your finances without commissions or high exchange rates.

Your IBAN can be easily found with just a few clicks. To locate it: Open your Alpian app > Click on the Accounts menu (second menu from the left) > Click on the Details icon on the right.

Open your Alpian app > Click on your profile icon at the top right > Select Documents > Select My Uploads > Click on the +.

Open your Alpian app > Click on your profile icon at the top right > Documents > Statements.

To change your phone number, please contact our support team via the live chat or by scheduling a video call with a wealth advisor. You will be required to verify your new phone number as part of the process to ensure the security of your account.

Open your Alpian app > Click on your profile icon at the top right > Select Personal Details > Change address here.

To receive your debit card, you must first manually order it via the Alpian app following these steps:

• Tap on the top right icon of the app and then select Cards Management from the menu.

• Request your physical debit card.

The debit card typically takes between 5 and 7 business days to arrive. Always ensure that you have used the correct address and that your name is clearly labeled on your mailbox. If there are any discrepancies, please contact us.

While waiting for your card, you can use your Alpian account by creating virtual cards, digital debit cards that you can use for payments when added to your e-wallet or for online shopping.

Activating your debit card is a straightforward two-step process:

Step 1: Activate it within the app

• Open the Alpian app on your device.

• Tap on the icon at the top right corner to access your profile options.

• Navigate to the Cards Management section.

• Tap on Activate Card to enable it for online payments.

Note: If you see a code in your card package, it is not your PIN. Please ignore it.

Step 2: Activate it with a transaction

• Enable the contactless feature by inserting your card into a Swiss ATM or using it at a merchant terminal in Switzerland.

• Perform one transaction with your card to fully activate it for contactless payments.

Your 4-digit PIN, required for transactions, is available under the Cards Management section within the app. Remember, this PIN is different from any code you might have received with your card package.

Open your Alpian app > Click on your profile icon at the top right > Select the Cards Management tab > Select the card > Click on PIN.

If you need to change your PIN, you can do so at any ATM across Switzerland. Please note that only 4-digit PINs are supported.

Open your Alpian app > Click on your profile icon at the top right > Select the Cards Management tab > Select the card > Click on the "eye" icon at the bottom left of the card > Enter your Alpian app access code.

Investing with Alpian is straightforward and fully digital, allowing you to begin quickly without any paperwork or office visits. After you’ve downloaded Alpian and created your account, here's how you can start:

1) Open the Alpian app and tap the Investments tab, located as the third icon from the left on your screen.

2) Tap Start Now to select the investment mandate that best fits your style:

• Managed by Alpian (discretionary mandate): Hands-off wealth management.

• Managed by Alpian Essentials (discretionary mandate): Located inside the 'Managed by Alpian' mandate, wealth management for small budgets.

• Guided by Alpian (advisory mandate): Investing with the recommendation of investment professionals.

3) After you select the right mandate, complete a 10-minute questionnaire to provide information about your financial knowledge, situation, investment objectives, and risk tolerance. This assists us in tailoring an investment strategy specifically for you. You will also have the opportunity to set preferences for geographical areas and asset classes to include or exclude, and your desired impact level.

4) Once you finished the questionnaire, we have crafted your strategy that you can now review. Here is all you can check before actually committing to invest:

• Portfolio allocation: You’ll see a detailed breakdown of how your funds would be allocated across fixed income, equities, and alternative investments. Modifications are possible at this stage.

• Risk/return projections: You’ll understand the potential risks and expected returns of your strategy.

• Impact score: You can assess the social and environmental impact of your portfolio. Here you have the option to increase or decrease the impact level.

• Risk level: You can see how your strategy compares to others at Alpian based on your risk profile.

• Historical performance: You can review the past performance of your selected strategy to understand how it would perform if you go for it.

• Exposure: You can examine the countries and sectors your investments will touch.

5) If you agree with the proposed strategy, it’s now time to accept the proposal.

6) Finally, you need to sign the contract to get you started and transfer funds to your investment account.

7) Congratulations, you are now investing!

Alpian provides three tailored investment solutions to cater to various investor needs and preferences:

Managed by Alpian: Ideal for clients preferring a hands-off approach, this solution starts with CHF 30,000. Our experts manage your investments, focusing on crafting a strategy that maximises returns aligned with your long-term financial objectives.

Managed by Alpian Essentials: Start investing with as little as CHF 2,000. Choose from one of four pre-designed ETF savings plans managed by our experts, providing a simple and effective way to start growing your wealth.

Guided by Alpian: Perfect for clients who want more involvement in their investment decisions with a starting point of CHF 10,000. This option offers the flexibility of making your own investment choices with the added benefit of receiving real-time, professional guidance.

Alpian offers a variety of investment solutions tailored for all budget sizes:

Managed by Alpian – Essentials (discretionary mandate):

• Available from: CHF 2,000

• Description: ETF-savings plans, fully managed by our team, ideal for those new to investing.

Guided by Alpian (advisory mandate):

• Available from: CHF 10,000

• Description: Offers professional investment guidance, empowering you to make the final investment decisions.

Managed by Alpian (discretionary mandate):

• Available from: CHF 30,000

• Description: Provides full-service wealth management with extensive personalisation and optimisation, managed entirely by our experts.

For more information about Alpian's investments solutions, head to our pricing page.

Once you deposit funds into your Alpian account, the investment process depends on the mandate you have chosen:

• Managed by Alpian and Managed by Alpian Essentials: Your funds are typically invested at the next rebalancing session, which occurs every weekday morning when financial markets are open. Please note that rebalancing does not occur on weekends or public holidays.

• Guided by Alpian: After depositing funds, you need to submit your investment orders yourself. These orders are processed at the next investment cut-off, with all transactions being grouped and executed around midday.

Unlike traditional and private banks, which often involve cumbersome paperwork and in-person meetings, our streamlined approach makes it easy for you to get started.

Our management mandates are based on ETFs. To select the ETFs included in our portfolios, we followed a rigorous selection process across 4 sub-asset classes: Fixed income, equities, commodities, and digital assets. Learn more

Your investments are securely stored in a personal account at Interactive Brokers. This independent custodian arrangement ensures that your assets are safe and accessible at any time, while you benefit from our expert management.

Yes, our portfolios are primarily hedged in Swiss francs. This hedging strategy effectively reduces currency risk, providing greater stability, especially for Swiss investors. Unlike many competitors, whose performance can fluctuate significantly with currency movements—such as when the euro fluctuates—our approach helps ensure a more stable investment experience for you.

Our daily investment cycle ensures that your orders are processed every day when markets are open. This means your money is actively working for you, maximizing its potential without delay. Unlike other investment options that may not offer this frequency, we prioritize keeping your funds engaged in the market.

To ensure smooth processing, we follow a clear execution policy: while orders are typically executed within a day, we may take up to 3 days in exceptional cases, such as system interruptions or market disruptions. This policy ensures transparency and reliability, even when unexpected delays occur.

Orders may take up to one hour to appear after execution. Please check back later to see it reflected in your app.

Settlement takes 2 working days to process. For "Managed by Alpian" investments, funds are credited to your current account two working days after the order execution.

For "Guided by Alpian" investments, funds are credited to the cash bucket of the mandate two working days after the order is executed.

Absolutely, there are no lock-in periods with your investments at Alpian. You can access your funds anytime, with liquidation typically occurring within two working days after your request.

When you request a withdrawal or close an investment mandate:

• For Managed by Alpian / Managed by Alpian Essentials mandates: Orders are executed during the next rebalancing.

• For Guided by Alpian: Orders are executed at the next investment cut-off (around midday) after you submit them.

Please note that it takes 2 working days for trades to settle (the exchange of the instrument for cash with our broker). Once settled, the cash will be available to you.

You can view a chart showing the performance of the discretionary mandate since its inception on our dedicated "Managed by Alpian" page. For more detailed information and to discuss how these investments can work for you, please book a meeting with one of our advisors.

After establishing your investor profile in the app to create the investment strategy, you will have access to various data on past performance, risk profile, volatility, and much more.

Alpian, as a bank supervised by FINMA, offers the suite of protections and safeguards inherent to Swiss banks. The protection of your wealth and personal information is our utmost priority.

On our blog, you’ll find a comprehensive selection of investment articles, videos, and podcasts, along with a two-season email series designed specifically for beginner investors.

It is not possible to create two investment mandates of the same type. However, you can have both a "Managed by Alpian" mandate and a "Guided by Alpian" mandate.

Open your Alpian app > Click on the Accounts menu (second menu from the left) > Click on the Payments icon > Click on the QR code at the top right > Scan the QR invoice.

Learn how to add your Alpian card to Apple Pay by following the instructions here.

Here's how to add your card to the  Google Wallet:

Open the Google Wallet app.

• Tap Payment card and then New credit or debit card.

• Enter your card details.

• Scroll to the bottom, tap Save and Continue.

• Read the Issuer Terms and accept them.

That's it! Your Alpian card is now ready for you to use with your Android devices. 

Transfers don’t show up immediately. Here’s what you need to know:

Local CHF transfers: Payments made from a CHF account in Switzerland, whether under your name or a third party, may take up to 2 working days to reflect in your account.

International transfers: Transfers from accounts outside Switzerland or in another currency, whether under your name or a third party, can take up to 5 business days to arrive.

Rest assured, your funds will be credited as soon as they arrive.

Yes, Alpian is a fully regulated and licensed bank under the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).

Alpian complies with Swiss banking regulations, which are among the strictest in the world. Alpian unifies everyday banking with accessible investment and private banking services in a hassle-free mobile app so that your financial life fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. The combination of human expertise and system intelligence is how we fulfil our promise: to always be at your side on your journey to wealth beyond money.

Opening and maintaining an Alpian bank account is free of charge. We charge a management fee of 0.75% per year for investments. For more specific details, please visit our pricing page.

At Alpian, you have the freedom to book unlimited sessions with our wealth advisors. We understand the importance of readily available financial guidance, so our advisors are available to you whenever you need them.

There is no fee for wealth advisory meetings at Alpian. This service is available for all Alpian account holders, regardless of whether they are currently investing or not. For more information, please visit our pricing page.