PostFinance vs Stripe
Swiss financial institution vs. international developer PSP
As a well-known Swiss financial institution, PostFinance offers its own payment solution with a direct connection to the Swiss banking system. Stripe is an internationally known payment solution with a strong focus on developers and API flexibility. Both providers cover the Swiss market – but there are important differences when it comes to costs, payment methods, and setup.
Total monthly costs of PostFinance and Stripe at a turnover of EUR 20,000
Total monthly costs of PostFinance and Stripe with a turnover of EUR 100,000
What are the advantages and disadvantages of PostFinance and Stripe?
PostFinance convinces with high brand awareness, all Swiss payment methods including PostFinance Pay, lower overall costs and personal support. Disadvantages are the one-time setup costs of up to EUR 249, missing e-commerce tools, no Samsung Pay and the low Google rating (2.2 stars).
Stripe points with high API flexibility, no fixed monthly costs, many customisation options and omnichannel support. Disadvantages are the significantly higher transaction fees, no PostFinance Pay, no personal support and a complex setup.
Comparison table advantages and disadvantages PostFinance vs Stripe
PostFinance
Advantages
Numerous payment methods (including TWINT and PostFinance Pay)
Free plugins
Low transaction fees
Free trial available
Swiss company
High recognition in Switzerland
Personal support
Disadvantages
Samsung Pay not supported
No e-commerce tools
High setup costs (one-off)
Low Google rating
Stripe
Advantages
Numerous payment methods (including TWINT)
Free plugins
No monthly fixed costs
Ideal for international payments
Many customisation options
Support for omnichannel payments (POS)
Disadvantages
No support for
PostFinance PayComplex setup
No e-commerce tools
High transaction fees
Only email and chat support
Average Google rating
Which payment methods do PostFinance and Stripe offer?
Both providers support credit cards, TWINT, Apple Pay and Google Pay. PostFinance additionally offers PostFinance Pay, WIR Pay and Reka – three payment methods that are completely missing from Stripe. Stripe supports neither PostFinance Pay nor WIR Pay. With 14 compared to 10 payment methods, PostFinance has a clear advantage for Swiss online shops with local clientele.
Comparison table payment methods PostFinance vs Stripe
PostFinance
Stripe
Mastercard
Yes
Yes
Visa
Yes
Yes
PostFinance Pay
Yes
No
Twint
Yes
Yes
American Express
Yes
Yes
Entdecken
Yes
Yes
PayPal
Yes
Yes
ApplePay
Yes
Yes
GooglePay
Yes
Yes
SamsungPay
No
No
WIRpay
Yes
No
REKA
Yes
No
CENTI
No
No
CRYPTO
Yes
Yes
Purchase on account
Yes
Yes
Zahlen mit Bank
No
No
How do the integrations of PostFinance and Stripe differ?
Stripe offers free plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, Shopware, JTL, Ecwid, Drupal, Magento and Prestashop, as well as automation tools like Make and Zapier. PostFinance offers free plugins for WooCommerce, Shopware, JTL, Ecwid, Drupal, Magento and Prestashop, but does not support Shopify. Neither offers e-commerce tools. Stripe has the broader integration landscape with Shopify and automations.
Comparison table plugins and integrations PostFinance vs Stripe
PostFinance
Stripe
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
What is the status of the support at PostFinance and Stripe?
PostFinance offers personal support in Switzerland. Stripe offers exclusively email and chat support without personal assistance. Google reviews: Stripe 3.1 stars (8 reviews), PostFinance 2.2 stars (178 reviews). Stripe has a slightly higher rating, but on a very small basis. PostFinance offers the advantage of direct contact with Swiss contact persons.
For whom is PostFinance suitable and for whom Stripe?
PostFinance is the better choice for Swiss companies looking for a cost-effective solution with all Swiss payment methods and personal support. Stripe is suitable for companies with their own developer team, an international focus and the need for highly flexible API integrations. For the Swiss market, PostFinance offers the stronger overall package.
How easy is the setup with PostFinance and Stripe?
PostFinance charges one-off setup fees of 199–249 EUR, but offers a 30-day simulation mode and requires no programming knowledge. Stripe requires developer skills and offers a developer-centric integration process. For Comerciantess without technical expertise, PostFinance is the more accessible entry point, while Stripe offers more flexibility for developer teams.
How much does PostFinance cost compared to Stripe?
With a monthly turnover of 20,000 EUR, PostFinance costs 365.90 EUR, whereas Stripe costs 640 EUR. PostFinance is therefore 274.10 EUR cheaper per month or 43% more cost-effective. With a turnover of 100,000 EUR, the difference grows: PostFinance 1,749.90 EUR, Stripe 3,200 EUR – a saving of 1,450.10 EUR monthly. Stripe does not charge fixed monthly costs, but compensates for this with significantly higher transaction fees (2.9% + 0.30 EUR).
Comparison table costs PostFinance vs Stripe
Provider
Subscription
Set-up costs
Monthly costs
Transaction fees
PostFinance
Checkout All-in-One
CHF 199.00
CHF 14.90
2.50%
+
CHF 0.00
PostFinance
E-Com Bundle
CHF 0.00
CHF 19.90
1.55%
+
CHF 0.18
PostFinance
Checkout Flex
CHF 19.90
1.55%
+
CHF 0.18
Stripe
Stripe
CHF 0.00
CHF 0.00
2.90%
+
CHF 0.30
Additional remarks
PostFinance
Use of PostFinance Checkout requires a PostFinance business account or a credit card for fee billing. In addition, one-off setup costs of 199 EUR (Checkout All-in-One) to 249 EUR (Checkout Flex) apply. A free simulation mode enables Comerciante:innen to test the integration in advance.
Stripe
For the implementation of Stripe, merchants should have development knowledge. For verification, a valid photo ID and a commercial register number are required. For large companies, Stripe offers special terms that can be requested from sales.
Conclusion: PostFinance or Stripe – which provider is the better fit?
PostFinance offers personal support in Switzerland. Stripe offers exclusively email and chat support without personal assistance. Google reviews: Stripe 3.1 stars (8 reviews), PostFinance 2.2 stars (178 reviews). Stripe has a slightly higher rating, but on a very small basis. PostFinance offers the advantage of direct contact with Swiss contact persons.
