Here you are standing in front of Cornèr Bank, one of Lugano’s shining business icons. It was founded back in 1952 by Vittorio Cornaro-imagine men in sharp suits, the gentle rustle of papers, and the click-clack of shoes on marble floors. Cornèr Bank has always been a family affair: it’s still run by the Cornaro family today, passing the baton across generations, with Vittorio Cornaro (son of Paolo) now at the helm.
But don’t let its classical beginnings fool you. Cornèr Bank is the James Bond of banks, always ahead of the curve. In 1975, it became the very first bank in Switzerland to introduce the Visa card-so you could say it dealt Switzerland its first credit ace. Later, they led the charge with Mastercard, and by 2007, more than 900,000 Cornèrcards were zipping through wallets nationwide. That’s nearly a million wallets feeling much lighter!
As tech evolved, so did the bank. They were among the pioneers to offer mobile payments like Fitbit Pay-so if you ever want to pay for your coffee with a flick of the wrist, thank Cornèr Bank for the magical moment. Today, they’re not just in Lugano but in Alain, Zurich, overseas in Liechtenstein, London, and even sunny Nassau. Now, let’s see if their vault has enough room for all your Swiss chocolate shopping sprees!
