Digital with Payrexx: VERD, the fair Swiss payment card, goes online
VERD.cash, the charitable payment method of the VERD cooperative, can now also be used in Swiss e-commerce. Payrexx is integrating VERD pro bono into its payment solution, opening up around 7,000 Swiss online stores for payments with the orange VERD card.
Chrisitan Wohlwend and Andrea Bargetzi present the orange VERD card, which can also be used to make online purchases in future thanks to Payrexx.
The most important facts in brief:
Pay for the common good: With VERD, the transaction fees flow back into the villages and neighborhoods of the cardholders - they determine which projects are financed.
Immediately available online: Thanks to the Payrexx integration, VERD.cash can be used immediately in thousands of Swiss webshops.
Attractive conditions: For merchants, payments only cost 0.6 % in-store or via Payrexx QR Pay and 0.85 % online.
Value-based: VERD and Payrexx share a focus on regionality, sustainability and SMEs.
"VERD is like a toolbox," says Christian Wohlwend, founder and initiator of the VERD cooperative, "and with the tools it contains, anyone can generate money for their own village." Andrea Bargetzi, Managing Director of VERD.cash, takes the floor: "The VERD.cash payment method is precisely one of these tools. Every payment with VERD.cash generates money that is later distributed via the VERD cooperative. This promotes projects and invests in vibrant villages and neighborhoods."
For users, VERD behaves like a prepaid debit card: pay contactlessly in the store and enter the card details online - with one crucial difference. The fees collected do not go to anonymous networks, but flow back into local projects, villages and neighborhoods via the VERD cooperative. You can become a member of the cooperative when you order the free card by paying a one-off fee of 5 francs.
For merchants, on the other hand, VERD is characterized by low transaction fees: In stores, you only pay 0.6 percent per payment - significantly less than with other payment methods. VERD also strengthens the local profile of stores, restaurants and hotels. Those who accept VERD visibly support regional values - and reach a clientele that consciously makes charitable payments.
VERD has picked up noticeable momentum in recent months: Over 400 cards have been activated, more than 2,200 transactions have been carried out, over CHF 140,000 has been paid into card accounts and around 100 stores now accept VERD. The online launch is the next logical step.
Entry into e-commerce thanks to exclusive partnership
Together with the Thun-based payment provider Payrexx, VERD.cash will not only be available in village stores in future, but also online. Thanks to the integration into all Payrexx products and services, around 7,000 Swiss merchants will have access to VERD.cash and will be able to let their customers pay with the orange card. In order to support the non-profit concept of VERD, Payrexx will also cover all costs incurred and carry out the entire integration pro bono. In addition, the transaction costs for online payments are only 0.85%.
"VERD and Payrexx have a lot in common," explains Ivan Schmid, founder and CEO of Payrexx AG, who also initiated the collaboration with VERD. "Both companies want to support small and medium-sized enterprises, both care about the region and both want to bring about change in the traditional payment business. A collaboration was therefore only logical for us."
According to Christian Wohlwend, it makes sense for VERD to tackle online retail as early as possible: "A vibrant village needs a vibrant business and many village stores already have an online store these days. This allows them to offer their products and services independently of opening hours." By integrating into the Payrexx network, regional businesses can increase their visibility. "We are also concerned with self-determination," emphasizes Andrea Bargetzi, "users should be able to decide for themselves how or where to shop. No one should be forced to go to the store to support their village."
