Geneva & Romandie · Comparison
Chèque service or Clino: What Does Your Cleaner Really Cost? (2026)
Geneva's chèque service isn't a company. It's the canton-subsidized payroll declaration system, run since 2008 by PRO. entreprise humaine, a labour-reintegration foundation. It's a serious, 18-year-old reference. But what does it really cost, and how is it different from Clino? We ran the numbers live in their own calculator.
The answer in francs
Chèque service Geneva
≈ CHF 65 per month
≈ CHF 776 per year
5.48% of the gross wage from 8 hours a week (5.98% below), at most CHF 2'200 a year. Example: 10 hours a week, about CHF 1'180 gross a month.
Clino
CHF 19.90 per month
CHF 238.80 per year
Fixed price, any hours, every canton. Clino prepares, you sign and submit.
- You live in Geneva and want to hand everything over: Chèque service. It handles the declarations and accident insurance under mandate, and its Ménage emploi service matches you with helpers for free.
- Very few hours: Below about CHF 330 gross wage a month, the chèque service fee is lower than Clino's price.
- More hours, or outside Geneva: Clino, about CHF 537 less a year in the example above. Signing and submitting stays with you.
Rates and cap re-checked in the chèque service terms (art. 12) on 25.09.2026. Clino publishes this comparison, so we are not neutral. Source: chequeservice.ch, CGU art. 12
Comparison: Chèque service, quitt, Clino
| Dimension | Chèque service | quitt.ch | Clino |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage | 1 canton (Geneva) | 26 cantons | 26 cantons |
| Pricing model | Commission 5.48-5.98%, max. CHF 2'200/yr | 3 tiers: 8% / 5% / 0% by tier | CHF 19.90/month flat, 0% always |
| Prefunding | Yes - credit balance required | No | No |
| Power of attorney | Yes - signed mandate | Yes, on every plan | Never - you stay in control |
| Insurance choice | None - Helsana/La Bâloise fixed | Optional via Baloise/TCS | 9-insurer comparator by real eligibility |
| Matching/recruiting | Yes - free “Ménage emploi” | No | No (CV-PDF only, no directory) |
| Employee portal activation | Manual - “contact us” | Digital | Self-service via invite |
| Paper fallback | Yes - mailed coupon book | No | No |
What is Chèque service?
Chèque service has been run since 1 January 2008 by PRO. entreprise humaine, a foundation whose core mission is labour reintegration for people excluded from the ordinary job market (disability, etc.). Chèque service is one of its programs, not a tech company.
How it works: employer and employee sign a paper mandate form (online registration exists too), attaching a copy of the AVS card/ID and work permit if applicable. Chèque service then opens an account and bills quarterly provisional advances for social charges. Only a credit balance on that account allows a salary to be recorded. Monthly salary declaration runs online or via a paper coupon book mailed back and forth, a method their own site describes as part of their success.
A service Clino doesn't have: “Ménage emploi”
Alongside the admin side, Chèque service runs “Ménage emploi”: a genuinely free matching service. Employers can request pre-vetted candidates, or a worker can submit her CV to be contacted. It's real recruiting, not just a form. Clino has no equivalent (see “Who should pick which” below).
Who deals with the compensation fund?
Chèque service
Before a wage can be entered, the account needs a balance: Chèque service bills quarterly advance payments. You then declare the wage every month online or with the coupon book.
Clino
Clino prepares everythingClino prepares every form and calculation; you sign and submit them yourself.
Already hired someone directly?
Many families hire someone first, through an acquaintance, an ad, a recommendation, and only later realise that declaring them is mandatory. Chèque service is designed for clean starts; regularising an existing, informal employment after the fact is more cumbersome through it.
This is exactly the case Clino is built for: Clino guides you through regularising an existing job, covering registration, contract, correct payslips and insurance, without you having to start from scratch.
The duty to declare applies retroactively
What does Chèque service really cost?
We ran it directly in Chèque service's own live calculator (2026 rates): cleaner, CHF 25/h net, 10h/week, vacation included in the wage, with optional daily-sickness insurance (APGM) turned on.
Recomputed live in their own calculator
Anatomy
The one line this is all about: the chèque-service fee grows with every paid hour (verified rate 5.5-7%).
With Clino that percentage line does not exist: CHF 19.90 a month, flat, however many hours you settle.
That CHF 1.49 fee equals 5.48% of the gross wage, Geneva's rate from 8 hours a week (5.98% below that). It grows with the wage but is capped at CHF 2'200 a year per contract (terms, art. 12). Chèque service also requires quarterly advance payments, a prefunding requirement that ties up capital before a salary can even be recorded.
What happens at higher hours
Because the fee is a percentage, it grows with the wage. Clino stays at CHF 19.90/month regardless of hours. For a full-time nanny, it is also worth comparing dedicated nanny payroll service providers. Two scenarios, computed with the verified rate (5.48%, at most CHF 2'200 a year):
| Scenario | Monthly gross wage | Chèque service | quitt (cheapest tier) | Clino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part-time cleaner, 10h/week | ≈ CHF 1'180 | ≈ CHF 65/mo | ≈ CHF 72/mo | CHF 19.90 |
| Full-time nanny/caregiver, 40h/week | ≈ CHF 4'330 | ≈ CHF 183/mo (capped) | ≈ CHF 83/mo (Flat tier) | CHF 19.90 |
Scenario 2 is a projection applying the same verified rate, not a fresh live calculator run. The key difference: the saving against quitt settles around 76%, because quitt also has a capped Flat tier (CHF 990/yr). Chèque service is capped at CHF 2'200 a year per contract: in scenario 2 that is about CHF 183 a month, more than nine times Clino.
Calculator: which option works out cheaper?
Admin layer only. Mandatory social contributions (~9-10% of gross wages) are identical across all options and are excluded here.
Admin cost per year
First year with 30 days free (11 months billed).
Zero fees - but the CTT contract, AVS registration, UVG, BVG, payslips and annual statement are on you.
- At this wage, the local office's percentage fee already exceeds the fixed CHF 19.90 per month.
- But remember: the local office also calculates and transfers contributions and wages for you. If that full delegation matters to you, the gap may be worth it.
- And going directly through the compensation office remains free, if you have the time.
Next question: who registers her and does the payslip every month?
Register with these numbers →Only Geneva? The regional network
Geneva's chèque service is one node of the umbrella association “Chèques-Emploi Suisse,” which groups six legally independent organizations. Each has its own brand, fee, and tools, and is active only in French-speaking Switzerland.
- 1
GenevaChèque service (PRO. entreprise humaine) - 2
VaudEPER - Entraide Protestante Suisse - 3
ValaisTop relais (Sàrl) - 4
FribourgChèque Emploi Fribourg (CIS) - 5
NeuchâtelTAC - Travail au Clair - 6
Jura & Bernese JuraCaritas Jura - Rest of Switzerland (17-20 cantons: ZH, BE, BS, BL, TI...)None - direct registration with the cantonal compensation fund (simplified procedure / VAVplus)
For German-speaking Switzerland: no comparable semi-public system exists, so the employer registers directly with the compensation fund. Ticino has no cantonal scheme either, but PrAmAsSa, a private provider, takes on the same administration (7% of the gross wage, min. CHF 150 and max. CHF 500 per employee and year, as of 03.08.2026). More detail in our guide for the rest of French-speaking Switzerland. Chèque service across the rest of French-speaking Switzerland
Who should pick which?
Chèque service fits you if...
you live in Geneva, want a fully delegated mandate with advance payments, don't mind the variable commission, and value 21 years of experience plus phone-based advice.
Clino fits you if...
you live outside Geneva (or inside it, but want a flat price), want to keep control (no power of attorney), want a contract + monthly payslip + automatic reminders, and your wage level means a variable percentage ends up costing more long-term.
Honestly
If you want to frame the decision more broadly, the hiring models comparison puts direct employment, agencies and payroll services side by side. And if you employ your cleaner yourself, the register a cleaner page shows how the registration takes five minutes.
Register your cleaner - flat price, no power of attorney
Whether in Geneva, Vaud, Valais or any other canton: Clino prepares your contract and payslip and guides you through registration, for CHF 19.90/month, no commission. 30 days free.
Register now - 30 days freeFrequently Asked Questions
Is Geneva's Chèque service really free?
No. Registration itself is free, but every payroll run is billed an administration fee of 5.48% of the gross wage (5.98% under 8 hours a week), capped at CHF 2'200 a year per contract.
Why does Chèque service ask for money upfront?
Chèque service runs on quarterly provisional advances. You need a credit balance before a salary can be recorded. That's a prefunding mechanism, not a normal subscription.
Does Chèque service exist in the canton of Vaud or Valais?
Not under that name. Vaud, Valais, Fribourg, Neuchâtel and the Jura each have their own organization (e.g. EPER in Vaud), with distinct fees and tools, not a shared platform.
Is there an equivalent in German- or Italian-speaking Switzerland?
No - there, everything runs directly through the cantonal compensation fund, with no intermediary organization.
Chèque service or Clino: which is cheaper?
It depends on the wage: with a 5.48-5.98% commission, Chèque service is cheaper below about CHF 330 gross wage a month; above that its cost rises with the wage up to the cap of CHF 2'200 a year. Clino stays at CHF 19.90/month regardless of what your employee earns.
Do I have to give Chèque service power of attorney?
Yes, via a signed mandate - Chèque service then acts in your name with the compensation fund. Clino never asks for that: we prepare everything, but you submit the registration yourself.
Sources
- Chèque service (chequeservice.ch) - calculator, FAQ, “about us”, recomputed live 16.07.2026
- ge.ch - Geneva canton's official page on chèque service
- cheques-emploi-suisse.ch - umbrella association of the 6 Romandie organizations
- RTS, “Plateformes, chèques emploi, entreprises classiques: le ménage à domicile se réinvente,” April 2026
- quitt.ch/en - pricing, live-checked 16.07.2026
As of 16 July 2026. Cantonal rules, rates and amounts change - check the current status before each hire.
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