Let tourists pay at the weekly market and farm shop: Card, Apple Pay and foreign currency in Switzerland

Tourists at Swiss weekly markets and farm shops usually do not have TWINT, often lack Swiss cash – but almost always carry a contactless credit card or Apple Pay. Market stallholders who only accept TWINT and cash miss out on these customers. In tourist regions such as Lucerne, Interlaken, Zermatt, or Montreux, this can account for 20–40% of potential turnover.

This guide shows which payment methods international guests expect, how you accept them at your stall, and what transactions with foreign cards cost.

1. Why tourists at weekly markets and farm shops do not carry cash

Swiss francs are a foreign currency for most tourists. Many no longer exchange cash – they rely on cards and smartphones. Particularly younger travellers from Scandinavia, the Netherlands, the Asian region, and increasingly also from Germany pay almost exclusively cashless. At the weekly market in Lucerne or at the farm shop in Grindelwald, these customers stand at the stall, wanting to buy cheese, honey, or alpine flowers – and are unable to pay if only cash or TWINT is accepted.

In addition: even tourists with Swiss cash often only have large banknotes (CHF 50 or CHF 100), which are impractical at a market stall for a CHF 8 purchase. Contactless payment solves both problems – no currency exchange, no change.

2. Which payment methods international guests expect

Payment habits vary depending on the country of origin. European guests (Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Scandinavia) predominantly use Visa Debit, Mastercard, and increasingly Apple Pay or Google Pay. American and Canadian guests almost always carry a Visa or Mastercard credit card, frequently with contactless functionality, and use Apple Pay intensively. Asian guests (China, Japan, South Korea) rely on Alipay, WeChat Pay, or contactless cards. British guests use Visa Debit (formerly Maestro) and Apple Pay/Google Pay.

The common denominator: Visa and Mastercard (contactless) and Apple Pay cover the vast majority of international clientele. If you additionally accept Alipay and WeChat Pay, you also reach Chinese travel groups – though this is primarily relevant in hotspots like Lucerne, Interlaken, and Zurich.

3. TWINT does not work for tourists: What alternatives exist

TWINT is a purely Swiss app that requires a Swiss bank account. No tourist has TWINT. Displaying solely a TWINT QR sticker at your market stall excludes all international guests.

The alternatives:

First: A card terminal (physical or Tap to Pay) that accepts Visa, Mastercard, and mobile wallets. Second: QR Pay – a QR code leading to a payment page where the customer pays using their own card or wallet. Third: Cash in CHF – remains as a fallback, but fewer and fewer tourists carry it.

The first and second options can be combined: A terminal for fast processing, alongside a QR Pay code for customers who prefer to pay on their own smartphone. Both accept international cards.

4. Card payments in foreign currencies: Euro, USD, and currency conversion (DCC)

When a tourist pays at your terminal with a foreign card (e.g. EUR card from Germany), the CHF amount is automatically converted into the home currency by the card scheme. The tourist sees the amount on their account statement in euros. You receive the amount in CHF. The currency conversion is handled by the card network (Visa, Mastercard) – you do not have to do anything.

What is DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion)?

DCC is an optional service where the terminal offers the customer to pay directly in their home currency instead of CHF. Advantage for the customer: They immediately see the price in their familiar currency. Disadvantage: The DCC exchange rate usually includes a surcharge of 2–4% compared to the standard interbank rate. Consumer protection organisations therefore often recommend paying in the local currency (i.e. CHF).

DCC must be offered as an option – it must not be forced. The customer chooses at the terminal between “Pay in CHF” and “Pay in EUR”. For you as a merchant, DCC can generate a small commission, but it is not available with all providers. For most market stalls and farm shops, DCC is not a critical criterion – the standard conversion via the card network functions automatically.

5. Apple Pay, Google Pay, and contactless payment: How it works at the weekly market

Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay work at the terminal or via Tap to Pay just like a contactless card: The customer holds their smartphone or smartwatch to the device, confirms with Face ID, fingerprint, or PIN, and the payment is complete. The linked card (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX) is charged.

For the stallholder, it makes no technical difference whether the customer presents a physical card or a smartphone – the terminal or Tap to Pay treats both the same. The fees are identical. Tourists with Apple Pay from the US, Europe, or Asia can pay just as easily as regular Swiss customers with a debit card.

6. QR Pay as a universal solution: One QR code for Swiss locals and tourists

QR Pay is the most universal solution for a mixed clientele: A single QR code works for regular Swiss customers (TWINT) and for tourists from all over the world (Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay). Without hardware, without language barriers, without separate systems. The payment page is multilingual and automatically adapts to the customer's smartphone.

7. Costs for international cards: What interregional transactions cost

When a tourist pays with a foreign card, the transaction is more expensive for you as a merchant than a Swiss domestic transaction. The reason: The so-called interchange fee – the fee received by the card-issuing bank – is higher for cross-border transactions.

In practice, this means: Instead of 0.95% + CHF 0.15 for a Swiss debit card, you may pay 1.5–2.5% for a European credit card, depending on the provider and contract. The exact fees for interregional transactions depend on the payment provider and are often not listed separately – check with your provider.

Despite higher fees, it pays off: A cheese sale of CHF 25 to a tourist that would not have taken place otherwise generates CHF 24 in revenue after fees – instead of CHF 0.

8. Checklist: Preparing your farm shop or market stall for international customers

• Accept Visa and Mastercard (contactless) – this covers the majority of international cards.

• Offer Apple Pay and Google Pay – both work automatically via any terminal or Tap to Pay.

• Display a QR Pay code so that tourists can also pay without a terminal.

• Display card symbols clearly at the stall: Visa, Mastercard, contactless symbol, Apple Pay. Tourists immediately recognise that card payment is accepted.

• Label in English: «Cards accepted» or «We accept Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay».

• Check whether your provider supports Alipay and WeChat Pay – relevant in hotspots with Chinese clientele.

• Factor the higher fees for interregional cards into your pricing.

• Keep cash as a fallback – some tourists carry CHF cash from the hotel or ATM.

• Check with your provider regarding DCC – optional, but a helpful service for some customers.