Reduce payment fees – what card payment in Switzerland really costs

Payment fees are one of the few cost types that Swiss SMEs can directly control. If you pay 2% on every turnover instead of 1%, you lose CHF 100 net margin for every CHF 10'000 monthly turnover – every month. This guide shows what card payment in Switzerland really costs, how to compare different providers, and when a subscription model is cheaper than the turnover-based version.

This guide shows you concrete fee calculations for Swiss industries, explains the difference between in-person and online fees – and gives you the basis to specifically lower your business's payment costs.

1. Why payment fees have become a margin issue

According to the Deloitte 2026 Retail Industry Global Outlook, 82% of retail executives expect margin increases – with 73% adjusting their sales prices upwards at the same time. In an environment where every cost category is under the microscope, payment fees are particularly relevant: They apply to every turnover, they can be fixed contractually, and they differ significantly between providers.

For Swiss SMEs, there is a specific factor: TWINT and PostFinance Pay are cheaper payment methods than international credit cards – but only if you have a provider that supports these methods natively. If you only rely on a provider without TWINT, you miss out on the cheapest payment channels and risk losing customers at the same time.

2. In-person payments: What a transaction really costs

The most common mistake when comparing fees: Only the percentages are compared, not the fixed fees per transaction. For small amounts (CHF 8–20), a fixed fee of CHF 0.15 can massively increase the effective percentage.

Example: A CHF 0.15 fixed fee on a CHF 8 transaction already corresponds to a 1.88% fixed share – even before the percentage fee is applied.

The following table shows the effective costs per transaction for a receipt of CHF 30 as well as the online fee comparison (as of May 2026). Worldline prices are not publicly available and have not been included.

Note on SumUp: The 0.99% rate for «Payments Plus» applies to debit and credit cards – but exclusively for cards. Neither TWINT nor PostFinance Pay are available with SumUp.

SumUp is a card provider – Payrexx is a Swiss PSP

This is the crucial difference that pure fee comparisons conceal: SumUp is a card reader provider. Payrexx is a complete Swiss Payment Service Provider with TWINT, PostFinance Pay, QR-bill, subscription payments, and online checkout from a single system.

The following overview shows what each provider actually supports:

A hairdressing salon or food truck with a 30% TWINT share that switches to SumUp won't lose these customers over fees – they will lose them entirely. They won't pay differently, they will leave.

3. Total monthly costs: Subscription vs. turnover-based

Whether a subscription model is cheaper than a purely turnover-based billing method depends on the monthly turnover and payment mix. The following table shows three typical scenarios for Swiss SMEs (as of May 2026). Calculation based on POS transactions:

From CHF 4'000–5'000 in monthly card sales, a subscription model is almost always worth it. Below that, the turnover-based version without fixed costs is cheaper – especially for seasonal businesses like food trucks, pop-up stores, or weekly markets. Important: As soon as TWINT is in the mix, the comparison changes fundamentally, as SumUp simply does not offer this option.

4. Online payments: Fees for Swiss e-commerce

For online transactions, there is no POS infrastructure, but there is a higher risk of fraud and card-not-present surcharges. Payrexx communicates the following fees for Swiss online merchants (as of May 2026):

With the Premium plan (CHF 49/mth.), Visa/MC fees drop to 1.35% + CHF 0.18. This pays off from a monthly online card turnover of around CHF 30'000 – depending on the payment mix. For merchants with a very high TWINT share, Premium is less worthwhile, as TWINT fees are identical in Standard and Premium.

5. The break-even: When which plan pays off

For the Standard plan (CHF 19/mth.): The subscription advantage compared to the Free plan is apparent from a monthly turnover of around CHF 2'500–3'500 with a typical Swiss payment mix. Below this threshold, the Free plan is interesting for occasional transactions.

For the Premium plan (CHF 49/mth.): The lower transaction fees pay off the higher subscription from around CHF 20'000 monthly turnover. For seasonal businesses with fluctuating turnover, the Free plan with Tap to Pay (also included) is often the most sensible entry option. POS terminals require at least the Standard plan.

6. Connected costs: What fee lists don't show

In addition to transaction fees, there are other cost components that are often missing from comparisons:

Particularly relevant for Swiss SMEs: Payrexx bundles all payments – POS, Online, Tap to Pay, Payment Links – into a single weekly or monthly payout to the IBAN. This saves accounting effort that does not appear in any fee list.

Checklist: targeted optimization of payment fees

• Analyze your current payment mix: What % Debit, Credit, TWINT?

• Calculate break-even: Subscription vs. turnover-based based on real monthly figures

• Check TWINT share: No TWINT = potential loss of customers in Switzerland

• Activate PostFinance Pay: unlocks further payers at no extra cost

• Pay attention to fixed fees for small receipts: CHF 0.15 on a CHF 8 receipt = +1.88% effective

• Include terminal rental costs in the overall calculation

• Seasonal businesses: Check Free plan + Tap to Pay instead of subscription

• Compare online and POS: If you need both, you benefit from an integrated provider

Payrexx offers Swiss SMEs transparent, publicly visible fees: TWINT POS at 1.25%, Debit card POS at 0.95% + CHF 0.15, Credit card POS at 1.25% + CHF 0.15 – all via the Standard plan for CHF 19/mth., including TWINT, PostFinance Pay, QR-bill and online payments from a single system.