Trading USD/CHF
The USD/CHF currency pair is one of the most popular majors in the forex trading world. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Swissy’, it combines the US Dollar and the Swiss Franc. In this article, we’ll discuss how to trade the USD/CHF. We’ll look beyond the candlestick and bar chart to review the history of the pair and other fundamental analysis factors. We’ll provide a guide to the best FX strategies, correlations and trading times.
USD/CHF Trading Brokers
-
Pepperstone provides forex spreads on the EUR/USD averaging just 0.12 pips with their Razor account. This is highly competitive. Their extensive portfolio includes over 100 currency pairs, which exceeds what most rivals offer. Furthermore, Pepperstone stands out by offering three unique currency indices: USDX, EURX, and JPYX, which are rare on other platforms. They have been recognised with our 'Best Forex Broker' award twice.
GBPUSD Spread EURUSD Spread GBPEUR Spread 0.4 0.1 0.4 Total Assets FCA Regulated Platforms 100+ Yes MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist, DupliTrade, Quantower -
XTB offers over 60 currency pairs with competitive spreads, averaging 1 pip on major pairs. The xStation platform is user-friendly, featuring over 30 indicators in its charting package and a variety of order types, supporting diverse trading strategies and risk management.
GBPUSD Spread EURUSD Spread GBPEUR Spread 1.4 1.0 1.4 Total Assets FCA Regulated Platforms 70+ Yes xStation -
FXCC champions its competitive forex trading environment. ECN spreads can drop to an impressive 0.0 pips during busy trading periods. Offering more variety than many competitors, it supports over 70 currency pairs. Furthermore, traders benefit from MT4, renowned for its exceptional charting capabilities, specifically designed for forex trading.
GBPUSD Spread EURUSD Spread GBPEUR Spread 1.0 0.2 0.5 Total Assets FCA Regulated Platforms 70+ No MT4, MT5 -
IBKR offers a vast range of over 100 forex pairs, including major, minor, and exotic currencies, outstripping most competitors except CMC Markets. Trading is available across multiple platforms with institutional-grade spreads beginning at 0.1 pips. There are also 20 sophisticated order types, such as brackets, scale, and one-cancels-all (OCA) orders, enhancing trading strategies.
GBPUSD Spread EURUSD Spread GBPEUR Spread 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value 0.08-0.20 bps x trade value Total Assets FCA Regulated Platforms 100+ Yes Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Desktop, GlobalTrader, Mobile, Client Portal, AlgoTrader, OmniTrader, TradingView, eSignal, TradingCentral, ProRealTime, Quantower -
Vantage provides over 55 currency pairs, exceeding the industry norm, giving traders ample opportunities. With a robust liquidity pool, forex spreads start at 0.0 pips on the ECN account, often beating other options. Additionally, there are no commissions, deposit fees, or hidden charges.
GBPUSD Spread EURUSD Spread GBPEUR Spread 0.5 0.0 0.5 Total Assets FCA Regulated Platforms 55+ Yes ProTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView, DupliTrade -
IC Markets remains dedicated to offering tight 0.0-pip spreads on major currency pairs like EUR/USD, ensuring outstanding execution with an average speed of 35 milliseconds. Ideal for traders seeking high performance, those dealing in large volumes can also enjoy rebates of up to $2.50 per forex lot.
GBPUSD Spread EURUSD Spread GBPEUR Spread 0.23 0.02 0.27 Total Assets FCA Regulated Platforms 75 No MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, TradingCentral, DupliTrade, Quantower -
FOREX.com remains a leading FX broker, providing 80 currency pairs with highly competitive fees. EUR/USD spreads can reach as low as 0.0, with a $7 commission per $100k, making it a standout choice.
GBPUSD Spread EURUSD Spread GBPEUR Spread 1.3 1.2 1.4 Total Assets FCA Regulated Platforms 84 Yes WebTrader, Mobile, MT4, MT5, TradingView
Pepperstone
XTB
FXCC
Interactive Brokers
Vantage FX
IC Markets
Forex.comSafety Comparison
Compare how safe the Trading USD/CHF are and what features they offer to protect traders.
| Broker | Trust Rating | FCA Regulated | Negative Balance Protection | Guaranteed Stop Loss | Segregated Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
| XTB | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| FXCC | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
| Interactive Brokers | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
| Vantage FX | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
| IC Markets | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | |
| Forex.com | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ |
Payments Comparison
Compare which popular payment methods the Trading USD/CHF support and whether they have trading accounts denominated in British Pounds (GBP).
| Broker | GBP Account | Debit Card | Credit Card | Neteller | Skrill | Apple Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| XTB | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| FXCC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Interactive Brokers | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
| Vantage FX | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| IC Markets | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Forex.com | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
Mobile Trading Comparison
How good are the Trading USD/CHF at mobile trading using apps or other mobile interfaces.
| Broker | Mobile Apps | iOS Rating | Android Rating | Smart Watch App |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| XTB | iOS & Android | ✔ | ||
| FXCC | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| Interactive Brokers | iOS & Android | ✔ | ||
| Vantage FX | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| IC Markets | iOS & Android | ✘ | ||
| Forex.com | iOS & Android | ✘ |
Beginners Comparison
Are the Trading USD/CHF good for beginner traders, that might want an affordable setup to get started, along with good support and educational resources?
| Broker | Demo Account | Minimum Deposit | Minimum Trade | Support Rating | Education Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | ✔ | $0 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| XTB | ✔ | $0 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| FXCC | ✔ | $0 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| Interactive Brokers | ✔ | $0 | $100 | ||
| Vantage FX | ✔ | $50 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| IC Markets | ✔ | $200 | 0.01 Lots | ||
| Forex.com | ✔ | $100 | 0.01 Lots |
Advanced Trading Comparison
Do the Trading USD/CHF offer features that allow for more advanced trading strategies?
| Broker | Automated Trading | Pro Account | Leverage | VPS | AI | Low Latency | Extended Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✔ | 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
| XTB | - | ✔ | 1:30 | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
| FXCC | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✘ | 1:500 | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Interactive Brokers | Capitalise.ai, TWS API | ✘ | 1:50 | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Vantage FX | Myfxbook AutoTrade, Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✘ | 1:30 | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
| IC Markets | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader, Myfxbook AutoTrade | ✘ | 1:30 (ASIC & CySEC), 1:500 (FSA), 1:1000 (Global) | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ |
| Forex.com | Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader | ✘ | 1:30 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ |
Detailed Rating Comparison
Use this heatmap to compare our detailed ratings for all of the Trading USD/CHF.
| Broker | Trust | Platforms | Mobile | Assets | Fees | Accounts | Support | Research | Education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperstone | |||||||||
| XTB | |||||||||
| FXCC | |||||||||
| Interactive Brokers | |||||||||
| Vantage FX | |||||||||
| IC Markets | |||||||||
| Forex.com |
Our Take On Pepperstone
"Pepperstone is a premier trading platform, providing tight spreads, swift execution, and sophisticated charting tools for seasoned traders. Beginners benefit from no minimum deposit, comprehensive learning materials, and outstanding 24/7 support."
Tobias Robinson
Reviewer
Pros
- Pepperstone offers rapid execution speeds of approximately 30ms, enabling swift order processing and execution, making it ideal for traders.
- Support for top-tier charting platforms such as MT4, MT5, TradingView, and cTrader. These tools accommodate different short-term trading methods, including algorithmic trading.
- Pepperstone presents itself as an economical choice for traders, offering spreads as low as 0.0 in its Razor account. The Active Trader programme provides rebates up to 30% on indices and commodities, plus $3 per lot on forex.
Cons
- Although its market range has improved, its crypto offerings remain limited compared to brokers specialising in this sector, lacking real coin investment options.
- Pepperstone's demo accounts expire after 30 days, which may not provide sufficient time to explore various platforms and evaluate trading strategies.
- Pepperstone doesn't offer cTrader Copy, a favoured feature for copying trades found in the cTrader platform, which is available on other platforms such as IC Markets. However, Pepperstone has launched its own user-friendly copy trading app.
Our Take On XTB
"XTB excels for novice traders with its superb xStation platform, minimal trading costs, no required deposit, and outstanding educational resources, many of which are fully integrated into the platform."
William Berg
Reviewer
Pros
- XTB offers a superb array of educational resources, such as training videos and articles, embedded within the platform to assist traders of all experience levels.
- XTB offers a diverse array of instruments, including CFDs on shares, indices, ETFs, commodities, forex, crypto, real shares, real ETFs, and share dealing, along with newly introduced Investment Plans. This allows XTB to serve both short-term traders and long-term investors efficiently.
- The xStation platform stands out with its user-friendly design and intuitive tools, such as adaptable news feeds, sentiment heatmaps, and a trader calculator. These features streamline the learning process for new traders.
Cons
- It is frustrating that XTB products do not allow traders to modify the default leverage level. Manually adjusting leverage can greatly reduce risk in forex and CFD trading.
- XTB lacks a raw spread account, a feature increasingly offered by competitors such as Pepperstone. This omission might not satisfy traders seeking the most competitive spreads.
- XTB has stopped supporting MT4, restricting traders to its own platform, xStation. This decision may discourage experienced traders accustomed to using the MetaTrader suite.
Our Take On FXCC
"FXCC remains a top choice for forex traders, offering over 70 currency pairs, very tight spreads from 0.0 pips in tests, and high leverage up to 1:500 with the ECN XL account."
Pros
- FXCC offers competitive and transparent ECN spreads starting from 0.0 pips, with no commissions. This makes it one of the most cost-effective forex brokers available.
- There are no deposit fees other than standard cryptocurrency mining charges, which benefits active traders.
- FXCC has introduced MT5, which in our evaluations, mirrored the trading conditions of MT4 by offering swift execution, improved charting, and market depth tools.
Cons
- Unaware traders might face steep withdrawal fees, such as a notable $45 for bank transfers.
- The variety of currency pairs surpasses most options, but the choice of other assets is limited. Notably, stocks are absent.
- While the MetaTrader suite excels in technical analysis, its outdated design detracts from the overall trading experience, particularly when contrasted with contemporary platforms such as TradingView.
Our Take On Interactive Brokers
"Interactive Brokers ranks highly for seasoned traders due to its robust charting platforms, live data, and bespoke layouts via the new IBKR Desktop app. Its competitive pricing and sophisticated order choices appeal to traders, and its wide equity options are industry-leading."
Pros
- IBKR is a highly respected brokerage, regulated by top-tier authorities, ensuring the integrity and security of your trading account.
- The new IBKR Desktop platform combines the top features of TWS with customised tools such as Option Lattice and MultiSort Screeners, providing an impressive trading experience for traders of all skill levels.
- The TWS platform is tailored for intermediate and advanced traders, featuring over 100 order types and a dependable real-time market data feed with exceptional uptime.
Cons
- Support can be sluggish and frustrating. Tests reveal that you may face challenges reaching customer service quickly, which could result in delays in issue resolution.
- You are limited to a single active session per account, meaning you cannot use both your desktop programme and mobile app at the same time. This restriction can occasionally lead to a frustrating experience for traders.
- IBKR offers a variety of research tools, but their inconsistent placement across trading platforms and the 'Account Management' webpage creates a confusing experience for users.
Our Take On Vantage FX
"Vantage is an ideal choice for CFD traders looking for a well-regulated broker with access to the dependable MetaTrader platforms. With a swift sign-up process and a minimum deposit of $50, starting trading is simple and fast."Tobias Robinson
Reviewer
Pros
- The trading software suite is outstanding, featuring the acclaimed MT4 and MT5 platforms.
- The broker recently expanded its range of CFDs, offering more trading opportunities.
- Hedging and scalping strategies are fully permitted without any short-term restrictions.
Cons
- Based on tests, average execution speeds of 100ms to 250ms are slower compared to other options.
- It's unfortunate that some clients must register with the offshore firm, which provides reduced regulatory safeguards.
- To access optimal trading conditions, a substantial deposit of $10,000 is required. This includes a commission of $1.50 per transaction per side.
Our Take On IC Markets
"IC Markets provides excellent pricing, swift execution, and easy deposits. With cutting-edge charting tools like TradingView and the Raw Trader Plus account, it continues to be a preferred option for intermediate and advanced traders."
Pros
- IC Markets provides reliable 24/5 support, especially for account and funding queries, drawing from direct experience.
- In 2025, IC Markets earned DayTrading.com's accolade for 'Best MT4/MT5 Broker' due to its top-tier MetaTrader integration. This achievement highlights the broker's continuous refinement over the years to enhance the platform experience.
- Access over 2,250 CFDs across diverse markets like forex, commodities, indices, shares, bonds, and cryptocurrencies. This variety enables traders to employ diversified strategies.
Cons
- Although there are four top-tier third-party platforms available, the absence of in-house software or a trading app tailored for novice traders is notable.
- The tutorials, webinars, and educational resources require enhancement, lagging behind competitors such as CMC Markets, which diminishes their appeal to novice traders.
- IC Markets provides metals and cryptocurrencies for trading through CFDs, though the selection is narrower compared to brokers such as eToro. This limits opportunities for traders focused on these asset classes.
Our Take On Forex.com
"FOREX.com excels in serving traders of all levels, offering more than 80 currency pairs, spreads starting at 0.0 pips, and competitive commissions. Its robust charting platforms provide over 100 technical indicators and comprehensive research tools."
Pros
- FOREX.com provides top-tier forex rates beginning at 0.0 pips, along with attractive cashback rebates up to 15% for dedicated traders.
- An abundance of educational resources is available, such as tutorials, webinars, and an extensive YouTube channel, designed to enhance your understanding of financial markets.
- The in-house Web Trader remains a standout platform, excellently crafted for budding traders. It features a sleek design and offers more than 80 technical indicators for thorough market analysis.
Cons
- US clients are not protected against negative balances, which means you could end up owing more than your initial deposit.
- Although FOREX.com has expanded its range of instruments, its product offering is confined to forex and CFDs. Consequently, there are no investment options for actual stocks, ETFs, or cryptocurrencies.
- Funding choices are restricted when compared to top options such as IC Markets. Many popular e-wallets, including UnionPay and POLi, are noticeably absent.
The USD/CHF Explained
USD/CHF is the value of the US dollar against the Swiss Franc. It is mostly displayed as a single number, for example 0.89, which means that for 1 dollar (the base currency) you’ll be able to purchase 0.89 Swiss Francs (the quote currency). It may also be displayed as a ratio, e.g in 1:0.89. By definition, USD/CHF is a major currency pair. This is because the USD makes up one half of the relationship.
Like any exchange rate currency, the value of the USD vs CHF will move over time. The current price can be obtained by looking at a live forex chart. This will give you the latest view of the pair’s value right now. It is the change in price which makes trading the pair profitable. Successful forex traders will forecast whether the value of the Swiss Franc is likely to rise or fall against the dollar, performing analysis daily, weekly and monthly to aid in their forecasts.
Both the USD and CHF have stable economies underpinning their value. For this reason, both currencies are known as safe havens and volatility is not a problem for the pair. For example, the average daily range was 66 in 2020 vs 131 for GBP/USD in the same date period. However, less volatility also typically means fewer opportunities to make money.
Fundamental Analysis
Fundamental analysis involves looking at macroeconomic factors to make a prediction on the movement of an exchange rate. Certain factors, such as interest rates, inflation and unemployment levels in the market impact a currency’s value. For example, if the Swiss National Bank (SNB) wanted to head off a potential recession, they might lower interest rates to encourage forward spending. This makes lending money less lucrative and therefore devalues the franc vs the dollar.
Experienced traders will be watchful of exchange rate news channels such as Yahoo and Google Finance, Bloomberg and Reuters. These are reliable sources that report on the latest news that is likely to impact such economic factors. They provide an assessment of the FX rate today and projections of USD/CHF movements in the future.
It’s vital that forex traders have a grasp of macroeconomics beyond the charts and graphs when speculating on the USD vs CHF outlook. Those starting out should look outside the real-time live chart, to see the 10, 20, 30 and even 50 year history of USD/CHF.
Switzerland & The Swiss Franc
Despite its geographical location in central Europe, Switzerland is not part of the EU. The small country of just over 8.5 million people has a long history of secrecy and protection of financial assets. In fact, Switzerland holds around one third of all privately held wealth in its banks. It is world-renowned as a safe haven and can attract those who want to evade tax or commit financial crime. For this reason, the value of the Swiss Franc rises in times of economic difficulty.
Despite its infamous stability, in 2015 the Swissy was sitting at 1.20 against the Euro, when the Swiss National Bank abandoned its ceiling value against it. This caused the value of the franc to soar against both the euro and the dollar, trading at a 25% price high compared to before the announcement.
The jump caused many traders to stop out and the stock market to plummet. This served as a warning to central banks not to manipulate exchange rates and led to the development of further protections for retail traders. Since 2015, the yearly average of USD/CHF has steadily fallen. In 2020, it reached 0.939, the lowest in the five-year period.
USA & The Dollar
The dollar is the most traded currency in the world. It makes up one half of all major currency pairs and therefore, half of their trading volume. 20% of Switzerland’s exports go to the US, vs just 1.7% of the US’s to the Swiss. As the world’s reserve currency, the USD is usually a fairly safe bet. In the 2008 financial crisis, the USD held strong while other currencies faltered.
Comparably, as another safe haven currency, the CHF also performed well. The USD/CHF slid 620 pips (5.4%), whilst the pound sterling suffered greatly, GBP/USD saw a drop of 5487 pips.
Technical Analysis
Technical analysis of the USD/CHF involves looking at online price charts and historical data to spot a trend. Since there are profits to be made from minute movements in price, most forex trading strategies involve some level of technical analyses. A weekly market outlook provides traders with a view on whether to buy or sell in the near future. These are closely relied upon by traders with almost any strategy.
USD/CHF Trading Strategies
- Day trading – The USD/CHF is popular for those who are new to day trading as it’s comparably less volatile than other currency pairs. Day trading involves holding a position for a very short period of time – 5 minute interactive charts are not uncommon. But, no position is held overnight, reducing margin fees and maximising profits.
- Price action – This form of technical analysis involves generating signals from recent historical price movements. Experienced traders may hunt for pivot points (known as support and resistance lines) in the data and use this to forecast profits today. It is a subjective strategy which can vary from trader to trader based on their prior experience with the forex market.
- Sentiment trading – Useful for trading futures and options on USD/CHF, this involves using sentiment indicators to understand the volume being traded. If the price was declining but suddenly volume is high, this could mean a bullish trend is likely to begin. Essentially, sentiment trading is based on the psychology of other market traders.
Trading strategy should be unique to the investor’s experience and the forex pair. For example, whilst Elliott Wave analysis might suit the USD/CHF, a carry trade strategy might not because of the low interest rates applied by both national banks. Similarly, arbitrage is a struggle with such a high volume pair. Live streaming data and complex automated bots are primed to pounce at institutional firms, sometimes leaving retail traders behind.
USD/CHF Correlation
Switzerland has close ties to Europe, being surrounded on all sides by the eurozone. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the USD/CHF has an almost perfect negative correlation against the EUR/USD.
Another interesting correlation with USD/CHF is the USD/JPY. The yen and the franc are safe haven currencies. Therefore in times of economic turmoil, investment tends to move to these parts of the world, strengthening their value against the dollar. Currency correlations, therefore, are a great way to supplement and inform trading decisions.
Final Word On Trading USD/CHF
In conclusion, the USD/CHF is a steady currency pair with comparably low volatility compared to its neighbours, the GBP and EUR. This makes it a solid pair for those that are new to daily forex trading as stop outs are less common than other pairs.
However, the Swiss National Bank’s history of manipulating exchange rates mean profits are not guaranteed. Traders should be aware that low volatility does not mean no risk. Careful analysis of indicators, charts and graphs is vital for trading spot forex, exchange traded funds (ETF) and e-micro futures and options.
Find out more about forex trading.
FAQ
What Does USD/CHF Stand For?
USD/CHF refers to the currency pair between the US dollar and the Swiss Franc. The CH stands for ‘Confoederatio Helvetica’ which is latin for the Swiss Confederation.
Is USD/CHF Prone To Volatility?
The USD/CHF does not traditionally see the extreme high low volatility seen by other currency pairs. Both are seen as traditionally safe assets over the long term. With that said, low liquidity and geopolitical events can cause the price to shift significantly.
What Is The Average Broker Spread On USD/CHF?
The latest analysis shows the average spread on the USD/CHF is 2 pips between the bid and the ask. However, in 2015 when the Swiss National Bank announced a removal of the ceiling against the Euro, a movement of over 600 pips was seen in the pair. Therefore, despite it’s often low volatility, there are profits to be made.
At What Time Of Day Can You Trade USD/CHF?
Forex charts and markets are open 24 hours a day from Sunday to Friday. The Swiss Franc is no different. However, trading times do vary in popularity, for example markets tend to be more liquid between 9am and 5pm GMT. For the USD/CHF, the most liquid time of day is between 12pm and 3pm GMT when both US and Swiss traders are active.
Where Can I Find The Best Forecast For USD/CHF?
TradingView is a great source for USD/CHF chart forecasts for today and this week. Investors can find 10, 20, and 30 years of price history in charts. They also offer trading forums where you can discuss projections with other traders and learn new strategies. For fundamental analysis, Bloomberg and Reuters are reliable sources of world news and its impact on the forex market.