The introduction of the electronic motorway vignette in Switzerland quickly attracted motorists. In 2024, approximately 35% of stickers sold are now digital, an adoption that continues to grow. According to official figures, almost 2.35 million electronic stickers have been spent. This new version is particularly popular with foreign drivers, especially those coming fromGermanyof France andItalywho appreciate it for its ease of online purchase and its immediate validity.
The electronic vignette has many advantages. Its purchase is made exclusively online, via an official website, which saves time and facilitates the management of administrative procedures. Once the purchase is made, the sticker is immediately valid and linked to the vehicle registration plate. Unlike the traditional sticker, it does not require installation or removalwhich makes life easier for drivers. In addition, in the event of a change of vehicle or windshield, it is not necessary to purchase a new sticker as long as the plate remains the same.
However, this success comes with risks, particularly linked to misleading commercial practices. Of many unofficial sites offer the electronic sticker at prices well above those set by the Confederation, taking advantage of online visibility to deceive consumers.
Prices inflated by unofficial resellers
The rise of the electronic motorway sticker has opened the way to questionable commercial practices. Many unofficial resellers are taking advantage of the craze to offer the sticker at prices much higher than the official price. According to the media Blickwhile the Confederation sets the price of the electronic sticker at 40 francs on the official website e-vignette.chsome sites, such as ch-vignette.com et vignetteswitzerland.compropose it respectively to 44 francs et 49 francs.
These unofficial sites often benefit from increased visibility on search engines like Google, which misleads poorly informed consumers. Indeed, several of these platforms position themselves as a priority in searches linked to the electronic vignette, thus attracting the attention of motorists who, particularly abroad, are not necessarily aware of the official channel. Additionally, some of these sites add extra fees for services like English customer support or a wider range of payment methods, features that may appeal to international users. However, these services do not justify the inflated prices.
According to experts and consumer protection associations, such as the Foundation for Consumer Protection, the best solution remains to purchase the electronic motorway sticker via the official website of the Confederation, e-vignette.chwhere the price remains fixed at 40 francs. This platform is the only one to offer the sticker at the official price, which prevents consumers from being scammed by private resellers.
Why is this vigilance necessary?
Consumer defense associations point out that although these third-party sites sometimes offer additional servicesthe excessive prices are in no way justified. Additionally, private resellers are not required to follow the same terms as the official channel, which may lead to issues with support, returns, or refunds in the event of a dispute.
In 2024, almost 40% of electronic stickers were purchased by foreign drivers, which partly explains the high demand for multilingual sites or offering customer support in English. However, the Confederation specifies that even foreign motorists can purchase the sticker via the official Swiss website, at no additional cost and at a lower price than that charged by private sites.
