# Bivial: Business account

> A Swiss business account from Bivial AG, which holds a FINMA fintech licence: Swiss IBAN accounts in 19 currencies, virtual IBANs, SIC, SEPA, SWIFT and UK payments, Visa corporate debit cards and payment acceptance for online businesses. Opened remotely with a video call; prices are sent by email.

Finzil profile: https://finzil.com/providers/bivial · Provider website: https://bivial.com · Facts checked: 2026-10-20

## Key facts

- **Monthly fee:** Not published (sent by email)
- **Currencies:** 19 (to hold; payments in 90+)
- **Onboarding:** 3–5 days (typical)
- **Provider type:** Swiss fintech licence (Article 1b)
- **IBAN:** Swiss IBANs in several currencies, plus virtual IBANs
- **Payment rails:** SIC, SEPA, SWIFT, Bacs, Faster Payments
- **Cards:** Visa corporate debit cards
- **Safeguarding:** Safeguarded at a Swiss bank
- **Remote opening:** Yes
- **Non-residents:** Accepted
- **Headquarters:** Switzerland
- **Currency codes:** EUR, USD, GBP, CHF, CAD, AUD, JPY, AED, CZK, DKK, HKD, HUF, MXN, NOK, PLN, SEK, SGD, TRY, ZAR

## Who can apply

- **Non-resident owners** (owner or director living outside the company's country): Accepted. Non-residents are accepted: owners and directors do not need to live in the country where the company is registered.
- **Countries of incorporation accepted:** Not published
- **Countries of incorporation refused:** Not published
- **Owner residency accepted:** Not published
- **Owner residency refused:** Not published
- **Owner nationality refused:** Not published
- **Company types accepted:** Registered companies with turnover over CHF 2 million, Freelancers and startups under CHF 2 million (small business account)

## Industries

- **Industries served:** Affiliate marketing, Marketplaces, E-commerce, Financial institutions
- **Prohibited industries (provider's own list):** Not published
- **Permitted industries (provider's own list):** Affiliate networks; Marketplaces; Affiliates; Marketers; Social influencers; Online merchants; Fintechs; Payment service providers

## Licences

- Switzerland: FINMA, Fintech licence (Article 1b Banking Act), Bivial AG (https://www.finma.ch/en/~/media/finma/dokumente/bewilligungstraeger/pdf/fintech.pdf)

Safeguarding: Bivial holds a FINMA fintech licence, which allows it to accept deposits without being a bank. It says client money is safeguarded at a Swiss bank, which it does not name. Deposits with a fintech licence holder are not covered by Swiss deposit protection (esisuisse).

## Fees

Source: https://www.bivial.com/faq (checked 2026-10-20)

### Plans

- **Business account:** Custom pricing

### Currency exchange (FX)

- FX markup: Not published

## Opening an account

Opening an account typically takes three to five business days.

1. **Apply.** Create a profile and fill in the online business-account form.
2. **Documents.** Upload the certificate of incorporation, registers of directors and shareholders, articles, ownership chart, latest accounts and owners' IDs.
3. **Video call.** Book and complete a two-way video verification.
4. **Account live.** After approval, add CHF and other currency accounts and virtual IBANs from the dashboard.

Documents: Not published

## Pros and cons

- Pro: Swiss IBAN accounts in 19 currencies, including CHF, EUR, USD, GBP, AED and SGD
- Pro: Virtual IBANs created from the dashboard
- Pro: Accepts foreign companies with any ownership structure
- Pro: SIC, SEPA, SWIFT, Bacs and Faster Payments, and payouts in 90+ currencies
- Pro: Built for online merchants, affiliates, marketplaces, fintechs and PSPs
- Con: No prices published; Bivial sends them by email
- Con: Fintech licence, not a bank: no Swiss deposit protection
- Con: Companies need CHF 2 million turnover for the full account; smaller ones get a small business account
- Con: No list of refused industries published
- Con: Opening includes a video verification call

## Finzil's take (opinion)

Bivial is one of the few Swiss-licensed providers that actively takes foreign companies, with IBANs in 19 currencies and payment acceptance for online businesses such as affiliates and marketplaces. It is a fintech licence, not a bank, so balances have no deposit protection, and the price only arrives by email.

## Alternatives

- [Amnis](https://finzil.com/providers/amnis): Payment institution · Liechtenstein
- [Yapeal](https://finzil.com/providers/yapeal): Fintech licence · Switzerland
- [Relio](https://finzil.com/providers/relio): Fintech licence · Switzerland
- [Wise Business](https://finzil.com/providers/wise): E-money institution · UK, Belgium

## FAQ

**Is Bivial a bank?**

No. Bivial AG holds a FINMA licence under Article 1b of the Swiss Banking Act (the fintech licence), which lets it accept deposits without being a bank. Client money is safeguarded at a Swiss bank.

**How much does Bivial cost?**

Bivial publishes no prices; it sends its pricing by email to accounts@bivial.com.

**Can a foreign company open a Bivial account?**

Yes. Bivial says it serves foreign companies with diverse ownership structures and is available in over 160 countries. Companies with turnover over CHF 2 million get the full business account; freelancers and startups below that can open a small business account.

**Which currencies does Bivial support?**

CHF, EUR, USD, GBP, AED, AUD, CAD, DKK, HKD, HUF, JPY, MXN, NOK, PLN, SEK, TRY, ZAR, CZK and SGD, with payouts in more than 90 currencies.

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