Split Payment
Split Payment is the automatic tax-free division of a payment into several partial amounts — e.g. merchant share, platform commission and fees — directly at the time of the transaction.
Split Payment
Split payment (also known as payment splitting) refers to the automatic division of a payment amount among multiple recipients. In a marketplace context, this means: A customer pays CHF 100, and the amount is automatically split — e.g. CHF 85 to the seller, CHF 10 platform commission, and CHF 5 transaction fees.
The central advantage of split payment: The platform never holds the buyer's funds in its own account. The PSP takes over the distribution directly at the time of the transaction and pays out the partial amounts to the respective recipients. This reduces the regulatory risk (no licensing requirement as a financial intermediary) and the accounting effort.
In a multi-seller shopping cart (a shopping cart with articles from multiple sellers), split payment becomes particularly complex: The total amount must be split among three or more parties — including shipping costs per seller, proportional platform commission, and correct VAT allocation.
Split Payment Examples
A customer makes a purchase on a marketplace for CHF 200. The PSP automatically splits the payment: CHF 170 to the seller, CHF 20 commission to the platform, CHF 10 transaction fees.
A multi-seller shopping cart with 3 sellers: The total amount of CHF 350 is split into 3 seller shares plus platform commission — the buyer sees a single payment.
In the event of a refund, the split is also reversed: The seller receives the chargeback amount and the platform receives the proportional commission back.
Split Payment FAQ
What is split payment?
Split Payment is the automatic splitting of a payment among multiple recipients — e.g. seller, platform and PSP. The buyer pays once, and the distribution takes place in the background.
Why is split payment important for marketplaces?
Split Payment prevents the platform from having to hold buyer funds in its own account. This reduces regulatory risks (FINMA licensing) and simplifies accounting.
Does split payment work with TWINT?
Yes, split payment is technically independent of the payment method. Whether the buyer pays via TWINT, credit card or Klarna — the PSP splits the amount upon receipt.
How does a refund work with split payment?
With a refund, the split is reversed: the merchant's share is charged back, and the platform receives the proportional commission back. In the case of partial refunds, only the affected share is charged back.
