Payment defaults are the biggest risk when buying on account — but they are calculable and avoidable. Swiss online shops have three levers: credit checks before the purchase (via credit agencies such as CRIF or Intrum), professional dunning procedures 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, the shopping cart size and the customer profile.

This guide shows you the concrete instruments for prevention and protection — from real-time credit checks in the checkout to debt collection proceedings under the SchKG.

1. Why payment defaults when buying on account are a calculable risk — not a reason to do without it

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

Calculation example: An online shop 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 costs for 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. That is less than the CHF 3,600 loss at 3 % default.

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

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

The credit check is the first line of defence against payment defaults. In Switzerland, there are four relevant credit agencies:

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

Intrum AG: In addition to credit checks, also debt collection services. Intrum offers plugins for Shopware and Shopify that enable credit checks directly in the checkout process.

Dun & Bradstreet Schweiz AG: Focused on company 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 in the 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 comes back. 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 may only query credit data in Switzerland with a legitimate interest and in compliance with the Data Protection Act (FADP). A legitimate interest exists if you deliver goods to a person on credit (i.e. on account).

3. Setting up the dunning system correctly: Payment reminder, 1st dunning notice, 2nd dunning notice — 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 a dunning notice — you could initiate debt collection proceedings immediately after the deadline expires. In practice, however, a tiered process is recommended, which protects the customer relationship:

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

First dunning notice (14 days after the 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 GTCs.

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

Automation is crucial 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 the dunning system to debt collection: How the SchKG procedure works in Switzerland

If all dunning letters remain unsuccessful, the debt collection procedure under the Debt Collection and Bankruptcy Act (SchKG) is 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 amount of the claim. You must advance the costs.

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

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

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

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

5. Assumption of risk by third parties: When is a BNPL provider with payment guarantee worth it

BNPL providers like 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 this 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 the entire effort for dunning and debt collection.

6. DIY vs. outsourcing: Cost-benefit analysis for Swiss SMEs

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

Order volume: With fewer than 50 purchase on account orders per month, the administrative effort for your own dunning system 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, the losses exceed the BNPL fees. From 5 % default, BNPL with risk assumption is strictly query recommended.

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

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

7. Prevention in the 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 the delivery and billing addresses match. Deviations are a risk signal. Swiss Post offers an API for address validation.

Velocity checks: Detection of unusual order patterns — for example several orders on account within a short time from the same address or IP.

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

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

Checklist: Systematically minimize payment defaults when buying on account

• Calculate your current default rate: What percentage of purchase on account orders are not paid?

• Compare the default costs with the BNPL fees: At what point is risk assumption worth it?

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

• Set up an automatic dunning system: Payment reminder → 1st dunning notice → 2nd dunning notice → debt collection.

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

• Check delivery and billing addresses for plausibility.

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

• Document your GTCs: Dunning fees, interest on arrears and threat of debt collection must be anchored in the GTCs.