Payment defaults are the greatest risk when purchasing on account — but they are predictable and avoidable. Swiss online stores have three levers: credit checks before purchase (via credit agencies such as CRIF or Intrum), professional dunning processes in accordance with the Debt Collection and Bankruptcy Act (SchKG), and outsourcing the risk to BNPL providers such as Klarna or CembraPay. The right mix of prevention and protection depends on the default rate, basket size, and customer profile.

This guide shows you the specific tools for prevention and security — from real-time credit checks at checkout to debt collection proceedings under the SchKG.

1. Why payment defaults in purchase on account are a calculable risk — not a reason to avoid it

Payment defaults in purchase on account in Switzerland typically range between 1 and 5 %, depending on the industry, customer profile, and existing protection mechanisms. This sounds like very little, but can become significant with high order volumes.

Calculation example: An online store with 1,000 orders per month at CHF 120 on account and a default rate of 3 % loses CHF 3,600 per month — or CHF 43,200 per year. The question is: Is this amount higher or lower than the cost of prevention (credit check) and protection (BNPL fees)?

The answer is almost always: Prevention is cheaper. A credit check via CRIF or Intrum costs a few cents per query. Outsourcing to Klarna costs 1.60–2.40 % — at CHF 120 that is CHF 2.12 to 3.18 per order, i.e. CHF 2,120–3,180 per month for 1,000 orders. This is less than the CHF 3,600 loss at 3 % default.

Therefore, not offering purchase on account is rarely the right solution — rather, it is about managing the risk professionally.

2. Credit check before buying: How CRIF, Intrum, and Deltavista work

The credit check is the first line of defense against payment defaults. There are four relevant credit reference agencies in Switzerland:

CRIF AG: The largest Swiss credit agency. CRIF issues a numerical score (1 to 600) reflecting the payment probability. Data sources are debt collection registers, commercial registers, debt collection data, and positive payment behavior.

Intrum AG: Offers debt collection services in addition to credit checks. Intrum offers plugins for Shopware and Shopify, allowing credit checks directly in the checkout process.

Dun & Bradstreet Schweiz AG: Focused on corporate creditworthiness (B2B). Offers the D-U-N-S score for companies.

Creditreform: Swiss association with a local network. Particularly strong in the SME sector.

In practice, the real-time credit check at checkout works like this: If a customer selects "purchase on account", the shop system sends an API query to the credit agency in the background. Within milliseconds, a score is returned. If the score is above your defined threshold, the payment method is approved. If it is below, the payment method is hidden — the customer only sees credit card, TWINT, or other risk-free options.

Important: You are only allowed to query credit data in Switzerland with a justified interest and in compliance with the Data Protection Act (FADP). A legitimate interest exists if you supply goods to a person on credit (i.e., on account).

3. Setting up the dunning process correctly: Payment reminder, 1st dunning letter, 2nd dunning letter — deadlines and wording

If an invoice remains unpaid despite a credit check, the dunning process begins. In Switzerland, there is no legal obligation to send warnings — you could submit a debt collection request immediately after the deadline has expired. In practice, however, a multi-stage process is recommended to protect the customer relationship:

Payment reminder (5–7 days after deadline): Friendly note that payment is still outstanding. This is often enough — many payment defaults are simply forgetfulness. No dunning fee.

First dunning letter (14 days after deadline): Formal tone, new payment deadline of 10 days. A dunning fee of CHF 10–20 is common in the industry — but must be anchored in the T&Cs.

Second dunning letter (24 days after deadline): Final warning with threat of debt collection. New payment deadline of 10 days. Dunning fee of CHF 20–30.

Automation is key here: Modern e-commerce systems and accounting tools (Bexio, Abacus, Run my Accounts) can fully automate the dunning process — including sending emails with payment reminders and new QR-bills.

4. From dunning process to debt collection: How the SchKG procedure works in Switzerland

If all warnings remain unsuccessful, debt collection proceedings under the Debt Collection and Bankruptcy Act (SchKG) are the next step. The process:

Debt collection request (Art. 67 SchKG): You submit a debt collection request to the debt collection office at the debtor's place of residence — in writing, verbally, or online. Costs: CHF 7–400, depending on the claim amount. You must advance the costs.

Summons to pay (Art. 69 SchKG): The debt collection office serves the debtor with a summons to pay — with a demand to pay within 20 days and notification that an objection (Rechtsvorschlag) can be filed within 10 days.

Objection (Art. 74 SchKG): If the debtor files an objection, you as the creditor must enforce the claim in court. In the case of a written contract or a signed order confirmation, you can apply for provisional dismissal of the objection (Art. 82 SchKG).

Request for continuation: If no objection is filed, you can request the continuation of the debt collection proceedings at the earliest 20 days after service of the summons to pay.

For online stores with many small claims (CHF 20–200), debt collection proceedings are often disproportionately complex. In these cases, outsourcing to a debt collection agency or using BNPL with risk assumption is more economical.

5. Risk assumption by third parties: When is a BNPL provider with a payment guarantee worthwhile?

BNPL providers such as Klarna, CembraPay, POWERPAY, and TWINT Pay Later fully assume the default risk. You are guaranteed to receive the amount — regardless of whether the customer pays in the end. The question is: When is it worth it?

Rule of thumb: BNPL with risk assumption is worth it if your default rate is higher than the BNPL fee. With a default rate of 3 % and a BNPL fee of 2.40 %, you effectively save 0.60 % per transaction with BNPL — and save all the effort for dunning and debt collection.

6. In-house vs. outsourcing: Cost-benefit calculation for Swiss SMEs

The choice between own risk and outsourcing depends on three factors:

Order volume: With fewer than 50 purchase on account orders per month, the administrative overhead for your own dunning process is manageable. From 200 orders per month, outsourcing almost always becomes more economical.

Default rate: Below 1 % default, own risk with QR-bill is cheaper. From 2–3 % default, losses exceed BNPL fees. From 5 % default, BNPL with risk assumption is highly recommended.

Basket size: With large shopping baskets (over CHF 500), every default weighs heavily. Even with a low default rate, individual unpaid orders can tip the monthly result. Protection via BNPL or a credit check is particularly important here.

A pragmatic approach for Swiss SMEs: QR-bill with credit check (CRIF/Intrum) for regular customers and B2B customers, complemented by Klarna or TWINT Pay Later for new customers and high-risk segments.

7. Prevention in checkout: Order limits, address validation, and fraud detection

In addition to credit checks and BNPL, there are other preventive measures that reduce payment defaults:

Order limits for new customers: Limit the maximum purchase on account amount for first-time buyers — for example, to CHF 100. After the first successful payment, the limit can be increased.

Address validation: Check whether delivery and billing addresses match. Discrepancies are a risk signal. Swiss Post offers an API for address validation.

Velocity Checks: Detection of conspicuous order patterns — for example, multiple orders on account within a short period of time from the same address or IP.

Only verified payment methods for purchase on account: Make purchase on account available only to customers with verified accounts and checked addresses. Guest orders only receive risk-free payment methods such as credit card or TWINT.

Limit outstanding claims: Do not allow a new purchase on account order as long as a previous invoice is still outstanding.

Checklist: Systematically minimize payment defaults for purchase on account

• Calculate your current default rate: What percentage of purchase on account orders go unpaid?

• Compare default costs with BNPL fees: At what point does risk assumption become worthwhile?

• Implement a real-time credit check at checkout (CRIF or Intrum) to filter out high-risk transactions.

• Set up an automated dunning process: Payment reminder → 1st warning → 2nd warning → debt collection.

• Set order limits for new customers when purchasing on account.

• Check delivery and billing addresses for plausibility.

• Combine own risk (QR-bill for regular customers) with BNPL (for new customers).

• Document your T&Cs: Dunning fees, default interest, and warnings of debt collection must be anchored in the T&Cs.