The Practical Guide: Card Payment in TCM and Natural Health Practices in Switzerland

In Traditional Chinese Medicine and natural healing practices, a significant proportion of services are collected directly from patients – either because the treatment is not covered by health insurance or because supplementary insurance only covers a portion. A terminal, Tap to Pay on an Android smartphone, or a payment link are the three practical solutions for Swiss individual practices.

This guide explains which services in TCM and natural healing practices are collected directly, what EMR/ASCA recognition means for the payment flow, and which solution fits your individual practice.

1. EMR, ASCA and health insurance: What is paid where?

In Swiss complementary medicine, whether a treatment is covered by insurance depends on two factors: the therapy method and the recognition of the therapist. The most important recognition registries are EMR (Erfahrungsmedizinisches Register) and ASCA (Swiss Foundation for Complementary Medicine). Many supplementary insurances of Swiss health insurers reimburse treatments with EMR or ASCA accredited therapists – but not all and not in full.

Mandatory basic health insurance (KVG) only covers complementary medicine to a very limited extent: acupuncture has been mandatory under KVG again since 2017, but only if it is performed by a doctor with a recognised further training title. Non-medical acupuncturists, TCM therapists, and natural health practitioners therefore bill almost exclusively through supplementary insurance or directly with patients.

In practice, this means: A significant portion of your income must be collected directly at the session. If you only accept cash or TWINT transfers, you limit your options unnecessarily – especially for patients without supplementary insurance who bear the full amount themselves.

2. Typical amount ranges and payment volume

In Swiss TCM and natural healing practices, session prices typically range between CHF 100 and CHF 200 per treatment, depending on the therapy method, duration, and region. Initial consultations with a detailed anamnesis are often invoiced at a higher rate (CHF 150 to CHF 250). Herbal prescriptions are billed separately and range between CHF 20 and CHF 80 per prescription depending on the quantity.

If you carry out 15 to 20 sessions per week as an individual practitioner and collect CHF 130 per session, you will achieve a monthly direct turnover of CHF 7'800 to CHF 10'400. With this volume, the choice of payment provider makes a noticeable difference – not only in terms of transaction fees but also regarding the administrative effort due to outstanding items.

3. Terminal, Tap to Pay or payment link: What fits your individual practice?

POS terminal at the reception

A stationary POS terminal is suitable for practices with a reception area. Patients pay directly after the session. The Nexgo N6 or N86 from Payrexx is currently available for free in the rental model (regularly CHF 25/month), but requires a Standard or Premium plan. The terminal accepts cards, TWINT, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.

Tap to Pay on an Android smartphone

Tap to Pay turns an NFC-enabled Android smartphone (Android 8.1 or higher) into a payment terminal – without any hardware. The Payrexx Tap to Pay app is installed on the Android device and connected to your account. This is ideal for practices without a reception area or if you want to collect payments directly in the treatment room. Tap to Pay is available in all plans including Free. iPhone is not supported. Fees: Debit 0.95% + CHF 0.15, Credit 1.25% + CHF 0.15, TWINT 1.25% + CHF 0.00 (as of May 2026).

Payment link after the session

A payment link is created in the Payrexx Dashboard and sent to the patient via SMS or WhatsApp after the treatment. They then pay on their smartphone. This is particularly useful when the exact amount is only determined after the session – for example, if additional herbs are prescribed. Payment links work in all plans including Free. Online fees for TWINT: Standard 1.25% + CHF 0.18, for cards: Standard 1.65% + CHF 0.18.

4. TWINT as the standard method in complementary medicine practices

TWINT is particularly widespread in Swiss complementary practices – many patients pay via TWINT transfer anyway. The difference compared to a professional TWINT setup via a PSP: the incoming payments can be tracked in a structured way, refunds are possible, and all transactions end up in the same Dashboard as card payments. The TWINT fee via Tap to Pay or terminal is 1.25% without a fixed fee – for a session of CHF 130, that's CHF 1.63.

A static TWINT QR code via Payrexx QR Pay costs 1.25% + CHF 0.00 per transaction and can be placed as a counter display in your practice or laminated on the treatment table. Patients enter the amount themselves and confirm. Ideal as a complementary solution or when no device is close at hand.

5. Herbal medicine and additional services: Separate billing

TCM herbal prescriptions, moxa treatments, or specific diagnostic tools are often billed separately and are rarely covered by insurance. Here, a payment link with the specific amount, sent by you via WhatsApp after the session, is recommended. Patients can then pay with TWINT, card, or mobile wallet – even after they have already left the practice.

For practices that regularly prescribe herbs: a Payrexx Page with standard packages (e.g. 4-week herbal cure CHF 60, 8-week CHF 110) saves time and avoids individual link creation for each prescription.

6. Accounting: Separating insurance-covered and non-covered services

For accounting and VAT billing, the clean separation between supplementary insurance claims and direct payments is important. Complementary medical services provided by accredited therapists are usually VAT-exempt (Art. 21 para. 2 no. 3 MWSTG). Herbal products and dietary supplements, however, may be subject to VAT – your trustee can clarify this.

In the Payrexx Dashboard, all transactions can be assigned reference text and exported as CSV. This allows for clean allocation: session fee (VAT-exempt) vs. herbal product (possibly subject to VAT). Recommendation: consistently use one reference text per transaction – e.g. 'Acupuncture', 'Herbs', 'Initial consultation'.

7. Cost comparison: What is worth it from which turnover?

* Nexgo N6 and N86 are currently free of charge in the rental model, while stocks last. Regular price CHF 25/month. As of May 2026.

Checklist: Setting up card payments in your TCM and natural healing practice

• Clarify which services you collect directly: session fee, herbal prescriptions, initial consultations

• Decide between Tap to Pay (Android), POS terminal, or payment link – or a combination

• Set up TWINT as a payment method – the standard in Swiss complementary practices

• Create a static QR Pay code for your practice as a simple complementary solution

• Use payment links for variable amounts (herbs, additional services after the session)

• Establish a standard reference text list: e.g. 'Acupuncture', 'Herbs', 'Initial consultation'

• Check with your trustee which services are subject to VAT

• Inform patients about the new payment options when confirming appointments

Payrexx offers TCM and natural healing practices Tap to Pay, Payment Links, QR Pay, and POS terminal from a single account – with TWINT, debit card, credit card, and mobile wallets without separate contracts. The Free plan with Tap to Pay and payment links is a complete setup without fixed costs for individual practices with manageable transaction volumes.