REKA Savings in Switzerland: Check Your Employer Benefit Before Enrolling

Quick answer: REKA is a Swiss employee benefit that lets you buy restricted-purpose spending credit for less than its face value. Your employer may subsidise part of the purchase, so CHF 800 from your pocket might become CHF 1,000 of Reka-Pay credit in a common 20% discount example. The exact discount, annual allowance, enrolment window and available type of REKA money are set by your employer. Ask HR or payroll for the current terms before you enrol or transfer money.

For newcomers, the scheme can sound like a savings account or a cashback card. It is neither. REKA credit is an earmarked payment method for categories such as holidays, leisure, transport and food. Its value comes from the discount you receive when acquiring the credit, usually through work, and from using it on expenses you would have paid anyway.

What is REKA money?

The Swiss Travel Fund cooperative issues several forms of REKA money. Digital credit sits in a REKA account and is normally spent with the Reka-Card, which works much like a debit card at participating terminals. The card can also be registered in supported apps and online shops.

• Reka-Pay is intended for holidays and leisure. Typical uses include public transport, mountain railways, hotels, restaurants, museums, leisure attractions and selected petrol stations.
• Reka-Lunch is employer-provided meal credit for restaurants, staff canteens, bakeries and takeaways.
• Reka-Rail+ is restricted to public transport, mountain railways and eligible sustainable-mobility services such as e-charging or shared mobility.

These balances are not interchangeable cash. An acceptance point may take one type but not another. If a terminal supports multiple balances, REKA says you can choose the required one on the terminal; contactless payment does not offer that selection. In an app such as SBB Mobile, each form may need to be registered separately.

How the employer saving works

Your employer defines an annual quota and the discount attached to it. REKA’s employer calculator describes 20% as a common Reka-Pay discount and gives the example of a CHF 1,000 annual quota with a CHF 200 employer-funded discount. In that illustration, the employee pays CHF 800 and receives CHF 1,000 of earmarked credit.

Employers can choose different quotas, discounts, currencies and distribution methods. Some may offer REKA as a fringe benefit, some as a bonus, and others may not participate at all. That is why a colleague’s deal, an old intranet page or a figure from another company is not enough to make a decision.

Ask HR these questions before enrolling

1. Which REKA product is offered? Reka-Pay, Reka-Lunch and Reka-Rail+ have different spending rules.
2. What is my discount? Ask for both the percentage and a francs-and-centimes example.
3. What is the annual quota? Find out the maximum discounted credit you may buy and whether you can choose a smaller amount.
4. How and when do I pay? Some schemes use an annual invoice; others may have a different internal process or enrolment window.
5. Does the employer cover fees? REKA’s employer calculator displays an account-management fee, but who bears any cost depends on the arrangement.
6. What happens if I leave the company? Confirm whether existing credit stays available and whether scheduled purchases stop automatically.
7. How will payroll treat it? REKA states that employer-issued credit can receive favourable salary-certificate treatment within stated limits, including up to CHF 600 for a fringe-benefit discount and CHF 600 for a bonus per calendar year. Your payroll team should confirm how your specific benefit is recorded.

Do not enrol based only on the headline percentage. First compare the restricted credit with spending already in your household budget. A discount is valuable when it replaces CHF expenses you genuinely expect. It is not a saving if it encourages an unplanned holiday, meal or day trip.

Where can you use Reka-Pay?

REKA’s private-customer information says the Reka-Card is accepted at thousands of locations across Switzerland. Categories include accommodation and restaurants, wellness and fitness, museums and attractions, public transport, mountain railways, selected filling stations and online partners. Because partners and accepted balances can change, use the official REKA acceptance-point finder before counting on a particular purchase.

Useful possibilities for many expat households include:

• adding the appropriate Reka-Card balance as a payment method in SBB Mobile;
• paying for eligible train, bus, boat or mountain-railway travel;
• covering planned hotel stays, family attractions or ski-area costs;
• using Reka-Pay at participating restaurants or petrol stations;
• using Reka-Lunch for routine meals where that specific balance is accepted.

Always check the exact location and the exact currency. “Accepts REKA” does not necessarily mean every REKA balance can pay for every product.

When is REKA a good deal?

REKA is usually strongest when three things are true: your employer offers a meaningful subsidy, you already spend enough in eligible categories, and you can keep the balance organised. A commuter buying SBB tickets, a household planning Swiss weekend trips, or a skier who knows an eligible lift operator may use a quota naturally.

A simple break-even check is:

Expected eligible spending × employer discount = likely annual saving

If you expect to spend CHF 600 at confirmed acceptance points and your employer discount is 20%, buying CHF 600 of credit would cost CHF 480 and save CHF 120. Buying a full CHF 1,500 quota simply because it is available would tie up more cash than your current plan requires.

When should you take a smaller quota or skip it?

• Your emergency fund is thin and you need cash to stay liquid.
• You rarely travel, eat out or use the listed leisure partners.
• Your preferred merchants do not accept your specific REKA balance.
• You may leave Switzerland soon and do not have a clear plan for the credit.
• The discount is small enough that another payment method’s rewards and flexibility matter more.
• You would need to manufacture spending to use the allowance.

REKA credit can be topped up, but the discounted employer quota is the valuable part. Keep that distinction clear. REKA’s public FAQ also lists ways private individuals can obtain Reka-Pay outside an employer, including online at a stated 2% discount or through participating Coop channels with a Supercard at a stated 3% discount. Those public offers can change and may be much less generous than a workplace arrangement.

How to enrol without overcommitting

1. Download your last 12 months of transport, holiday, leisure, restaurant and fuel spending.
2. Mark only purchases that are accepted for the precise REKA currency your employer offers.
3. Use the lower of that total or your employer’s discounted quota.
4. Reduce the amount again if you need the cash for debt repayment or an emergency reserve.
5. Ask HR for written terms, then enrol through the employer’s stated process.
6. After receiving the card, activate the account, protect the PIN and add the correct balance to supported apps.
7. Review the balance quarterly so the benefit replaces planned spending rather than creating new spending.

Tax and salary-certificate note

REKA markets employer-issued credit as a tax-efficient benefit within defined limits. Tax and payroll treatment can depend on how the employer structures the benefit, the amount and current reporting guidance. Treat the figures on REKA’s employer page as a starting point, not personalised tax advice. Ask payroll how the benefit appears on your salary certificate, especially if you receive both a discounted quota and a separate REKA bonus.

The bottom line

REKA can be one of Switzerland’s easiest employee-benefit wins: buy useful credit below face value, then spend it on transport, holidays, meals or leisure that was already in your budget. But the benefit is employer-specific and the money is restricted.

Before enrolling, ask your employer which REKA currency you receive, the exact discount, your annual quota, the payment deadline, any fees and what happens when employment ends. Then choose an amount based on confirmed acceptance points and realistic annual spending. That turns a perk into a saving instead of turning your cash into an unused balance.

Official sources and further reading

• REKA private-customer FAQ
• REKA employer cost and benefit calculator
• REKA information for employers
• Official acceptance-point finder
• REKA terms and fee documents

Information checked on 12 August 2026. Employer terms and acceptance points can change. This article is independent editorial information and is not sponsored by or affiliated with REKA.