How long does a pawn loan last in Geneva and Zurich?

Two terms to choose from at the Geneva CPPG

The Geneva public pawn office (CPPG) offers a contract of 6 months or 12 months, depending on the choice made at the counter. Because the 6% pledge fee (droit d'engagement) is charged only once, the term chosen does not change this initial charge.

What Geneva law says about the term

The law on the public pawn office (LCPPG, rsGE D 2 10) does not set the term itself: its article 6 paragraph 4 refers to the office's internal regulations, which also determine the minimum safety margin between valuation and loan.

A fixed six months at the Zurich Pfandleihkasse

In Zurich, the ZKB pawn office (Pfandleihkasse) issues 6-month contracts. Its general terms and conditions, 2021 edition, state in clause 7 that each loan falls due six months after it is paid out, with no annual option comparable to Geneva's.

Extending by paying a 20% instalment

In Geneva, the loan is extended at each due date against an instalment equal to 20% of the amount lent. In the example published by the CPPG, interest and the pledge fee are added to the balance carried forward; the pledge stays in storage while the contract is renewed.

A fresh valuation at every renewal

Article 6 paragraph 4 LCPPG provides that renewal follows a new valuation, taking into account the depreciation of the item. A watch or handbag whose market value has fallen may therefore support a smaller renewed loan than at the outset.

The Zurich extension timetable

The ZKB sends an invoice roughly 20 days before the due date; the extension is paid at the counter at Zurlindenstrasse 105 or by post. Under clause 10 of the terms, it may be full or partial, on presentation of the Versatzschein.

Days on which renewal is no longer possible

The Pfandleihkasse general terms rule out any renewal on the day of the auction and the day before. Waiting until the final week is therefore risky, all the more so as the Zurich office opens only in the morning on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Repaying before the agreed term

The CPPG allows full early repayment at any time. In Zurich, interest of 1% per month is due for the whole month from its first day: redeeming on the 3rd or the 28th of a month costs the same monthly interest.

Four extensions in the official Geneva example

The CPPG publishes a theoretical example: a watch pawned for CHF 2,500 over 12 months, extended year after year with an instalment of CHF 500. After four extensions, the outstanding balance falls to CHF 1,288.50, according to this non-contractual calculation.

After the due date: reminders and late charges

In Geneva, a reminder letter costs CHF 8 and the notice of sale CHF 15; a default charge (droit moratoire) of 1% of the balance is added one month after the notice. These amounts appear on the CPPG loans page, as at October 2026.

How long before the item is sold

In Zurich, the general terms provide for a written reminder, publication in the cantonal official gazette, then the auction. In Geneva, the procedure for auctions of pledged items in Switzerland requires two publications and an eight-day wait.

Comparing with France and Belgium

The pawn loan term in France and the length of a pawn loan in Belgium follow different rules. For the cost attached to each month in Switzerland, see Swiss pawn loan rates.

Offices and texts that set the term

• Caisse publique de prêts sur gages (CPPG): Geneva public-law institution offering 6- or 12-month contracts, renewable against a 20% instalment.
• Pfandleihkasse der Zürcher Kantonalbank: Pawn office of the Zurich cantonal bank, with six-month contracts that can be extended at the counter or by post.
• Loi sur la caisse publique de prêts sur gages (LCPPG): Geneva law rsGE D 2 10; article 6 paragraph 4 governs renewal after a new valuation.

Managing a pledge's due date in Switzerland

1. Note the due date shown on the Geneva contract or the Zurich Versatzschein from the day you deposit the item.
2. In Geneva, choose between 6 and 12 months according to how long you think you will need to repay.
3. Set aside the instalment of 20% of the amount lent if you plan to extend your contract at the CPPG.
4. In Zurich, pay the invoice received about 20 days before the due date, at the counter or by post.
5. Avoid turning up the day before or the day of an auction: the ZKB no longer accepts renewals then.
6. If you redeem, bring the pawn ticket and the sum owed to collect the item the same day.

Terms and time-related charges

What to bring to extend or redeem

• Original pawn ticket or Versatzschein
• Valid official identity document
• The 20% instalment amount in Geneva
• Accrued interest in cash or payment of the Zurich invoice
• Any reminder invoice received

Common mistakes about deadlines

• Believing the Zurich contract lasts a year: the ZKB Pfandleihkasse sets the due date at six months after the loan is paid out.
• Forgetting the 20% instalment in Geneva in the belief that paying the interest alone is enough to roll the loan over.
• Repaying in Zurich at the end of the month to save money: interest for the whole month is due from the first day.
• Assuming the amount lent stays the same on renewal, when Geneva law requires a new valuation that reflects depreciation.
• Ignoring reminders: letter charges, the Geneva default charge and then a public sale follow one another within a few weeks.

General information, up to date as of October 2026 and non-contractual: always check the terms with the Crédit Municipal or the institution concerned.