FAQ

Frequently asked questions

About neon Joint account Profile About neon green Trees Partner Details Wooden card

With neon green, you can choose between the green card made from recycled plastic and the unique wooden card made from cherry wood – unique becuase at the time of the launch, it was the first wooden card in Switzerland. On the one hand, it is a statement for a more sustainable lifestyle – every time you take it out, you show for what you live, and what is important to you. On the other hand, the wooden card shows that a lot can be done to reduce plastic – it is made of 80% less plastic than its plasticised counterparts.


Wood is known to be somewhat more sensitive than plastic. Both in terms of pliability and water resistance. The wooden card is a novelty on the market, which is why we can't say for sure. However, initial usability tests, which were necessary for approval, have been positive. There are also good experiences from other markets, as our colleagues from Tomorrow can confirm. However, we recommend that you neither use it as a chair nor take it into the shower. :)


Our cards are produced by our partner Exceet, who pays great attention to sustainable and environmentally friendly production. They want to avoid the use of plastic as much as possible and switch to alternative materials. This is how the wooden card came into being - fine cherry wood from sustainably managed forests in Austria. However, a thin plastic core made of recycled PET-G cannot (yet) be avoided. This, together with a built-in chip, a magnetic strip and a fine antenna, enable you to make contactless payments with your wooden card. And although it is not completely made of wood to offer you the usual functionalities, it consists of 80% less plastic than a conventional card. So it's much more sustainable than your current card. But you can't dispose of it in the compost yet. Also, don't worry: The production of the cards is sustainable and for 100'000 cards, only 1 tree is needed. We will add it to the trees we've already planted. 


Quite simply: Yes! Thanks to the built-in features, you can pay with it as usual at the checkout via terminal or contactless. Mobile payment also works as before, of course.


If you take care, this shouldn't happen. If it does, write to us, and tell us what happened, and send us a photo. If it was the card and not you, we'll replace it free of charge. You can decide whether you want a card made of cherry wood again or if you prefer a green one made of recycled plastic.


According to researchers at ETH Zurich, nothing is more effective at combating climate change than reforestation. Planting trees has the potential to absorb two-thirds of the harmful CO2 emissions caused by humans to date. With our renowned partner Eden Reforestation Projects, we want to do our bit to help stabilise the climate by planting trees.


We calculate this figure using a conversion factor of 300 kg of neutralised CO2 per tree. This calculation is based on the total amount of CO2 neutralised by an average mangrove tree during an average life span of 25 years. Why mangroves? The mangrove absorbs a particularly large amount of CO2, making it one of the tree species preferred by our tree planting partner Eden Reforestation Projects.


neon green users plant trees on the go and actively support the climate. Why? In its average lifespan of 25 years, a tree neutralises around 300 kg of CO2 in the atmosphere. For example, if you plant 48 trees by using your neon green card (equivalent to spending 2’000 CHF per month), these trees will neutralise around 14 tonnes of CO2 over their lifetime, which is more than the average annual emissions per Swiss resident.


No, we’re busy working on the cheapest and most sustainable account app in Switzerland. We’d rather leave the tree-planting to the professionals, which is why we work with Eden: People + Planet. This NGO plants the trees in countries such as Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya and Nepal.


By restoring and planting trees, Eden: People + Planet is contributing to the fight against climate change, while also providing sustainable, durable support to people in various regions. So, it’s not just about restoring forests, it’s also about supporting the local population and economy. Local people are employed to plant and look after the trees. In short, we work with our tree-planting partner to make sure it’s as easy and effective as possible for you to do your bit for climate protection.


We plant some of the trees in our own neon forests. One forest is called «Ankarafantsika 3» and is located in the northwestern Mahajanga region in Madagascar. Our other designated planting site called «Tudor Creek», is found in Mombasa county in the southeastern part of Kenya. Starting 2022 Eden will plant a total of 2’200’000 trees in the neon forests over the next five years – a maximum of 440’000 trees per year.

For those who have now done the exact (and correct!) maths: Our neon green community plants a lot more than 440'000 trees per year. Therefore, Eden: People + Planet divides the remaining trees among its various locations in Nepal, Madagascar, Mozambique, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Honduras, and Brazil and plants them where they are needed most. Read more about it here.


Since 2020, we have been supporting specific carbon offset projects through myclimate in order to neutralise our inevitable CO2 emissions. This includes travelling between our locations in Zurich and Belgrade, the journeys to the office, the office buildings themselves, and all IT infrastructure. In addition, we not only neutralise our CO2 footprint as a company, but also the so-called «Product Carbon Footprint (PCF)» of your neon green account. You can find more detailed information about our partnership with myclimate here and the certificate for our climate protection contribution here.


You get a three-year warranty extension for all electronic products you buy with your card after opening your neon green account or after switching from neon free to neon green. Thanks to our partner, Europäische Reiseversicherung (ERV), your electrical and electronic devices are insured with neon green, on top of your normal warranty of two years, for a total of five years. Although our partner’s company name translates as «European travel insurance», the warranty extension does not apply to flights or travel.


The warranty extension no longer applies to new purchases from the time you switch to neon free. Purchases made while you were on neon green are covered for a total of 5 years from the date of purchase (2 years under the original manufacturer's warranty and an additional 3 years under the warranty extension).


The three-year warranty extension applies to grey, white and brown goods – never heard these terms before? Well, they refer to all the electronic devices you can no longer live without: your smartphone, your games consoles («grey goods»), your television («brown goods»), your washing machine and toaster («white goods») and much more. Your electronic products must be worth at least 50 CHF and the maximum benefit – i.e., the prices of all your grey, white and brown goods added together – is capped at 6,000 CHF per year. There are a few exceptions; for example, if you bought the products second-hand or if your device does not have a serial number (more details available here).


If your device breaks, you can claim your extended warranty via our partner's online portal. Keep the following documents ready to upload them on the portal: A copy of the sales receipt, the manufacturer’s warranty including the indication of the original warranty period, and – if applicable – a cost estimate including contact details of the certified repair centre.



Let’s make the world a little bit greener together!


If you meet the requirements (age, place of residence, tax liability), you can download the app easily via the Apple Store, Google Play Store or the Huawei AppGallery. Then grab your smartphone, passport or ID and residence permit, make sure you have a good internet connection and sit in a quiet corner for just under 10 minutes while you follow the app instructions. During these 10 minutes, you’ll select the neon green account, enter your personal details, confirm these via a free video call or using photo identification and set your login code. That’s it. We’ll take care of the rest! Click here to read about the identification process in detail.


It’s great that you want to switch to neon green! Open up your neon app, click on «Profile» and then, under your name at the top, click on «neon free». You will then see your active account (neon free) and can switch to neon green by swiping right. Let the tree planting begin! If you switch to neon green, we will send you a wooden card.


We don’t have our own banking licence, which means we are not allowed to accept or invest customer funds. Your money is deposited with our partner bank Hypothekarbank Lenzburg, where it is also covered by the deposit protection scheme (up to 100'000 CHF per personal account including Spaces and per joint account). Hypothekarbank Lenzburg mainly finances projects in the Lenzburg/Aargau region, most of which are mortgages.


The 5 CHF will always be charged at the beginning of the month – so you will always pay for each new month in advance.

It’s a shame that you won’t be planting any more trees with us! But it couldn’t be easier to switch back: we like you just as much as a neon free user. Open up your neon app, click on «Profile» and then, under your name at the top, click on «neon green». You will then see your active account (neon green) and can switch to neon free by swiping left.




neon green is yours for 5 CHF a month. The green card made of recycled plastic is available free of charge. If you want the unique card made of cherry wood, it costs CHF 20. The same unbeatable conditions for neon free also apply to neon green: card payments are free – even when you’re abroad. No exchange-rate spreads. And you also get two free cash withdrawals in Switzerland a month. Click here to see a detailed overview of the prices.


All the great features available with neon free are also included with neon green: a Swiss account with one Mastercard for everything as well as ultra-affordable and transparent prices – everything is digital, simple, and secure in one app. But with neon green, you also make a difference when using your card. Because for every 500 CHF you spend with your card, we plant a tree for you. You’ll also get a three-year warranty extension on new electrical and electronic products you purchase with your green card. Click here to see a comparison between neon free and neon green.


Simply offsetting CO2 emissions by planting trees is the first step. In future, we want to discuss features that could enable us to provide a more detailed system for offsetting your consumption. This might include making our compensation scheme smarter. After all, spending 100 CHF at a petrol station generates more of a carbon footprint than spending 100 CHF in a health-food shop – so we could offer you additional compensation for your expenditure at the petrol station.


The green stands for climate awareness. We believe that far too little is being done in our industry. And we want to change this. Which is why your neon green account plants trees on the go. For every 500 CHF you spend with your neon green card, we will plant a tree for you. This helps the climate as well as the local people who plant the trees. What a good feeling! In addition, neon green includes a warranty extension of 3 years on electronic devices (with a minimum value of 50 CHF) that you purchase with your neon green card. And, last but not least, we finance climate protection projects with our partner myclimate to mitigate the neon accounts’ inevitable CO2 emissions.


Alongside the many brilliant features that are also available with neon free, the app also includes a special neon green section. In it, you can see how many trees you’ve already planted by using your card, which planting level you’re on and how many trees the entire neon green community has already planted. We’ll also show you how much CO2 the entire community has already neutralised by planting trees.


For every 500 CHF you spend with your neon green card, we plant a tree for you. This includes all transactions you make with your card, whether electronically or physically. This does not include, for example, ATM withdrawals or bill payments.


Your tree planting level is based on the number of trees you plant by using your card. The more trees you plant, the higher the level you reach. You start at the «Deciduous forest» level – once you plant 25 deciduous trees, you’ll reach the «Coniferous forest» level. A few more coniferous trees will take you to the «Rainforest» level. And somewhere down the line, you’ll come across some wonderful cherry blossoms, and you’ll be able to plant prickly cacti and fragrant citrus trees – and much more – in the app’s soil.

No, the neon green and neon metal benefits only apply to private accounts. 


Do you like neon? Recommend neon and invite your friends.

To do so, go to «Profile» in the app and then tap on «Invite a friend». There you will find your personal referral code, which you can directly share with your friends. They will then have to enter your code during their account opening. And you will see in the app how many friends you have successfully invited to neon. A referral is considered successful when your friend has fully opened their account and transferred at least 1 CHF.

Thanks to neon2neon transfers, you can send money to your friends who also have a neon account at lightning speed. And with your recommendation, you help us continue to grow and change the market for the better. Around 70'000 users have already joined neon through referrals – your trust is our best publicity. And: More users allow us to keep our fees low and to invest more time and money into developing new features.

On January 15, 2024, we introduced a new referral model: The previous referral bonuses of CHF 10 per person have been replaced by a promo mode. Meaning that there will be promos on various topics several times a year. You will be informed by email as soon as a promo is available.


We receive certificates from our tree planting partner Eden: People + Planet every quarter. Those certificates state the number of planted trees. You can view these certificates here.


Our green account is of course open to everyone. Basically, it is intended for all climate-conscious people who want to do something good in a simple way. neon green is not a substitute for questioning your habits and reducing your personal emissions. But it does offer an opportunity to make a difference while spending money with your card. Both by planting trees and by having extended warranty.


Give us feedback