PostFinance vs Stripe
Swiss financial institution vs. international developer PSP
As a well-known Swiss financial institution, PostFinance offers its own payment solution with a direct connection to the Swiss banking system. Stripe is an internationally known payment solution with a strong focus on developers and API flexibility. Both providers cover the Swiss market – but important differences emerge when it comes to costs, payment methods, and setup.
Total monthly costs of PostFinance and Stripe with a turnover of CHF 20,000
Total monthly costs of PostFinance and Stripe with a turnover of CHF 100,000
What are the advantages and disadvantages of PostFinance and Stripe?
PostFinance impresses with high brand awareness, all Swiss payment methods including PostFinance Pay, lower total costs and personal support. Disadvantages are the one-off setup costs of up to 249 CHF, missing e-commerce tools, no Samsung Pay and the low Google rating (2.2 stars).
Stripe scores with high API flexibility, no monthly fixed costs, many customisation options and omnichannel support. Disadvantages are the significantly higher transaction fees, no PostFinance Pay, no personal support and a complex setup.
Comparison table advantages and disadvantages PostFinance vs Stripe
PostFinance
Advantages
Numerous payment methods (including TWINT and PostFinance Pay)
Free plugins
Low transaction fees
Free trial available
Swiss company
High awareness in Switzerland
Personal support
Disadvantages
Samsung Pay not supported
No e-commerce tools
High setup costs (one-time)
Low Google rating
Stripe
Advantages
Numerous payment methods (including TWINT)
Free plugins
No monthly fixed costs
Ideal for international payments
Many customisation options
Support for omnichannel payments (POS)
Disadvantages
No support for
PostFinance PayComplex setup
No e-commerce tools
High transaction fees
Only email and chat support
Average Google rating
Which payment methods do PostFinance and Stripe offer?
Both providers support credit cards, TWINT, Apple Pay and Google Pay. PostFinance additionally offers PostFinance Pay, WIR Pay and Reka – three payment methods that are completely missing from Stripe. Stripe supports neither PostFinance Pay nor WIR Pay. With 14 compared to 10 payment methods, PostFinance has a clear advantage for Swiss online shops with local customers.
Comparison table of payment methods PostFinance vs Stripe
PostFinance
Stripe
Mastercard
Yes
Yes
Visa
Yes
Yes
Postfinance Pay
Yes
No
Twint
Yes
Yes
American Express
Yes
Yes
Entdecken
Yes
Yes
PayPal
Yes
Yes
ApplePay
Yes
Yes
GooglePay
Yes
Yes
SamsungPay
No
No
WIRpay
Yes
No
REKA
Yes
No
CENTI
No
No
Crypto
Yes
Yes
Purchase on account
Yes
Yes
Bezahl mit Bank
No
No
How do the integrations of PostFinance and Stripe differ?
Stripe offers free plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, Shopware, JTL, Ecwid, Drupal, Magento and Prestashop, as well as automation tools like Make and Zapier. PostFinance offers free plugins for WooCommerce, Shopware, JTL, Ecwid, Drupal, Magento and Prestashop, but does not support Shopify. Neither offers e-commerce tools. Stripe has the broader integration landscape with Shopify and automations.
Comparison table plugins and integrations PostFinance vs Stripe
PostFinance
Stripe
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
How is the support at PostFinance and Stripe?
PostFinance offers personal support in Switzerland. Stripe offers support exclusively via email and chat with no personal assistance. Google reviews: Stripe 3.1 stars (8 reviews), PostFinance 2.2 stars (178 reviews). Stripe has a slightly higher rating, but on a very small basis. PostFinance offers the advantage of direct contact with Swiss contact partners.
Who is PostFinance suitable for, and who is Stripe suitable for?
PostFinance is the better choice for Swiss companies looking for a cost-effective solution with all Swiss payment methods and personal support. Stripe is suitable for companies with their own developer team, an international focus and the need for highly flexible API integrations. PostFinance offers the stronger overall package for the Swiss market.
How easy is the setup with PostFinance and Stripe?
PostFinance charges one-time setup fees of CHF 199–249, but offers a 30-day simulation mode and requires no programming knowledge. Stripe requires developer knowledge and offers a developer-centric integration process. For merchants without technical know-how, PostFinance is the more accessible entry point, while Stripe offers more flexibility for developer teams.
How much does PostFinance cost compared to Stripe?
With a monthly turnover of 20'000 CHF, PostFinance costs 365.90 CHF, while Stripe costs 640 CHF. PostFinance is therefore 274.10 CHF cheaper per month or 43% more cost-effective. At a turnover of 100'000 CHF, the difference grows: PostFinance 1'749.90 CHF, Stripe 3'200 CHF – a monthly saving of 1'450.10 CHF. Stripe waives monthly fixed costs, but compensates for this with significantly higher transaction fees (2.9% + 0.30 CHF).
Comparison table of costs PostFinance vs Stripe
Provider
Subscription
Setup costs
Monthly costs
Transaction fees
PostFinance
Checkout All-in-One
CHF 199.00
CHF 14.90
2.50%
+
CHF 0.00
PostFinance
E-Com Bundle
CHF 0.00
CHF 19.90
1.55%
+
CHF 0.18
PostFinance
Checkout Flex
CHF 19.90
1.55%
+
CHF 0.18
Stripe
Stripe
CHF 0.00
CHF 0.00
2.90%
+
CHF 0.30
Additional remarks
PostFinance
For the use of PostFinance Checkout, a PostFinance business account or a credit card for fee billing is required. In addition, one-time setup costs of 199 CHF (Checkout All-in-One) to 249 CHF (Checkout Flex) apply. A free simulation mode allows merchants to test the integration in advance.
Stripe
To implement Stripe, you need developer knowledge. For verification, a valid photo ID and a company registration number are required. For large companies, Stripe offers special terms, which you can request from sales.
Conclusion: PostFinance or Stripe – which provider is a better fit for you?
PostFinance offers personal support in Switzerland. Stripe offers support exclusively via email and chat with no personal assistance. Google reviews: Stripe 3.1 stars (8 reviews), PostFinance 2.2 stars (178 reviews). Stripe has a slightly higher rating, but on a very small basis. PostFinance offers the advantage of direct contact with Swiss contact partners.
