Note: This is the 2025 version. The current 2026 edition can be found here.

1. Online payments: theory for understanding

To accept payments in an online shop, merchants need two contracts:

1. Acceptance agreement (acquiring agreement): This is concluded with an acquirer (see section 1.2).

2. Processing agreement: This is concluded with a payment provider (PSP) (see section 1.1).

The following explains exactly what an acquirer and a payment provider are and how they work with the online shop.

1.1 What is a payment provider?

A payment provider (also Payment Service Provider or PSP) enables the technical integration of online payment methods such as Mastercard, TWINT, PostFinance and Apple Pay into an online shop. Instead of negotiating with each financial institution individually and integrating the payment methods separately into their shop, online merchants (also merchants) can work directly with a PSP. This gives them all the desired payment methods, integration systems and e-commerce tools, while also meeting the necessary security requirements.

The processing agreement with the payment provider regulates the technical processing of payments, that is, the connection between the online shop, the payment provider and the banks. In some cases, however, merchants also need an acceptance agreement with an acquirer — unless the PSP takes on this role itself as a Payment Facilitator (see section 1.3).

How a payment provider (PSP) works

1.2 What is an acquirer and an acceptance agreement?

An acquirer (also called acquiring bank ) is a financial institution that processes credit and debit card payments for merchants. To accept such payments, an online shop requires an acceptance agreement. This regulates the acceptance and processing of card payments and sets out fees, security requirements and chargeback processes. 

1.3 What is a Payment Facilitator?

A Payment Facilitator (also PF or Collecting PSP) simplifies payment processing for merchants by acting as the link between them and the acquirer (see figure 2). The Payment Facilitator can sign the acceptance agreement on behalf of the acquirer. Merchants, in turn, conclude their contract directly with the Payment Facilitator and therefore do not need a separate acceptance agreement with an acquirer.

The Payment Facilitator therefore makes it possible to integrate various payment methods from different acquirers into an online shop with just one contract — for example Visa, Mastercard, TWINT, PostFinance and Reka. 

How a Payment Facilitator (PF) works

In addition to these two basic models, there are other hybrid forms, which are not explained in more detail in this article for simplicity.

2. How do you choose the right provider?

The choice of the right provider depends on several factors. Merchants should ask themselves the following questions:

• Which payment methods should be offered? A diverse payment offering increases customer satisfaction and the conversion rate. Merchants should therefore check which payment methods their customers prefer. Not all providers support the same payment methods — especially for regionally popular options such as TWINT or PostFinance Pay, choosing the right provider is crucial.

• Which shop system is used? The technical integration of a payment provider can be made easier by pre-built plugins¹. For well-known systems such as Shopify or WooCommerce, most providers offer ready-made plugins for easy integration. For custom-developed shops, some providers offer flexible API solutions.

• Which tools are needed? The functionality of a payment provider should match the shop's requirements. While some providers offer specialised solutions for donation platforms or subscription-based business models, there are also all-in-one platforms that cover a broad range of business models.

• What costs are involved? In addition to transaction fees, any monthly fixed costs, setup fees and additional costs for special features should also be taken into account. This helps to avoid unexpected costs.

• Which target group is being addressed? Depending on the customers, different payment methods are relevant — young consumers often expect wallet solutions, while companies or international customers benefit from fast and cost-effective alternatives such as instant payment. Instant Payment (also Pay by Bank) enables direct bank transfers in real time and saves fees, especially in international payment transactions. At present, Payrexx is the only provider in Switzerland offering Pay by Bank.

In addition to these functional and security-related aspects, an easy and stable connection, a broad range of payment methods and tools, reliable support and a cost-efficient pricing model are particularly decisive for merchants in order to avoid unnecessary expenses.

It is also advisable to choose a provider that also acts as an acquirer or Payment Facilitator. This gives merchants a single point of contact for all payment processes.

¹Extensions for shop systems that make it possible to integrate payment providers without programming.

3. Overview of the functions of the individual payment providers

The following table shows which payment methods are supported by the individual providers. For better clarity, only the most common payment methods are considered. In addition, the table shows which providers offer plugins for common shop systems.

Some payment providers also offer their own, usually very rudimentary shop systems, with which a small online shop for products, vouchers, subscriptions or donations can be created without programming knowledge. Such solutions are listed in the table as “E-commerce tools”.

To better assess customer satisfaction and service quality, the table also includes the Google reviews of all providers.

Function matrix of the various payment providers

4. Cost analysis

In this section, the monthly costs (subscription and transaction fees) of the different providers were calculated. The analysis is carried out for two example online shops: one with turnover of CHF 20’000 and one with CHF 100’000.

For the calculation, the cheapest offers from each payment provider for the relevant sales volume were selected. The price details come from the websites of the respective Payment Service Providers¹. Any setup fees are not taken into account in the diagram.

4.1 Online shop with turnover of CHF 20’000 per month

The following cost analysis shows the monthly fees for smaller online shops with sales of CHF 20’000 and 200 credit card transactions per month. The average value of a transaction is therefore CHF 100 per purchase.

Monthly costs for turnover of CHF 20’000 (without setup)

For a small online shop, Payrexx offers the lowest fees, closely followed by PostFinance. With costs of CHF 790, PayPal is the most expensive for online shops of this volume. The price difference between Payrexx and PayPal is CHF 435. The costs of the cheapest payment provider, Payrexx, are therefore more than 50 per cent lower than those of the most expensive.

In addition, Payrexx offers exclusive discounts for start-ups and non-profit organisations: 30 per cent for start-ups and 50 per cent for non-profit organisations on all subscriptions.

¹With the Datatrans offer, a separate acquiring agreement must also be concluded. The costs for acquiring therefore depend on the choice of acquirer). For this reason, a value of 1.7 per cent was assumed (average of all other providers).

4.2 Online shop with turnover of CHF 100’000 per month

The next cost analysis shows the monthly fees for medium-sized online shops with sales of CHF 100’000 and 1,000 credit card transactions per month. The average value of a transaction is therefore CHF 100 per purchase.

Monthly costs for turnover of CHF 100’000 (without setup)

With monthly costs of CHF 1’579, Payrexx is the cheapest provider for medium-sized online shops, followed by wallee. PayPal and Stripe are significantly more expensive than the others. The price difference between Payrexx and the most expensive provider is CHF 2’371, which corresponds to a saving of more than 60 per cent.

No calculation was carried out for large online shops with a turnover of over CHF 100’000 per month. This is because many payment providers offer individual special terms for larger customers — including Datatrans, Payrexx, Stripe, walle, Worldline and zahls.ch.

5. All payment providers in detail

5.1 Payrexx

Payrexx is a Swiss omnichannel payment provider and facilitator that offers merchants a central platform for accepting payment methods such as credit cards, TWINT, PostFinance Pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay — without separate contracts with acquirers.

The provider is characterised by its easy setup and free plugins for integration into all common shop systems, such as WooCommerce and Shopify. The platform also offers a range of practical e-commerce tools that are particularly attractive for smaller online merchants without their own online shop. Also included are innovative POS and SoftPOS solutions for in-store sales, as well as universal QR code payment stickers that can be used not only with TWINT, but with all desired payment methods.

Payrexx impresses with low fees and discounts for start-ups and non-profit organisations. All Payrexx functions can be tested free of charge for 30 days. The average Google rating is 4 out of 5 stars from 144 reviews.

5.1.1 Price overview of Payrexx

¹The Free subscription of Payrexx does not include plugins or API integration.

5.1.2 Additional remarks

Thanks to its comprehensive offering, Payrexx provides an attractive solution outside the large, often expensive providers. The company from Switzerland is characterised by flexibility, personal support and its specialisation in SME merchants. In this way, Payrexx sets itself apart from global mass-market solutions. To register with this provider, merchants need a valid photo ID, a document confirming the address and, where applicable, an entry in the commercial register. Anyone who registers by 4 p.m. will be reviewed on the same day.

5.2 PostFinance

PostFinance offers a payment solution specially tailored to the Swiss market and enables companies to accept payments quickly and securely. The provider includes all common payment methods (PostFinance Pay, TWINT, as well as Visa and Mastercard) and also provides various free shop plugins for integration into well-known shop systems.

Particularly noteworthy is the direct connection to the Swiss banking system and the high level of customer acceptance, making the provider especially suitable for companies that are mainly active domestically.

PostFinance also offers a free 30-day test phase in simulation mode. The average Google rating is 2.4 out of 5 stars from 158 reviews.

5.2.1 Price overview of PostFinance

5.2.2 Additional remarks

To use PostFinance, the company must have its registered office in Switzerland or the Principality of Liechtenstein and have a business account with PostFinance or a credit card for fee billing. Billing is in Swiss francs, but payouts can also be made in foreign currencies depending on the acceptance partner.

5.3 Worldline

Worldline offers both acquirer and payment provider services and therefore usually provides its offerings in packages tailored to the respective use case. With the Worldline E-Commerce package, payments in the online shop can be accepted without monthly fixed costs.

As a global provider of payment solutions, Worldline is characterised by many years of experience and comprehensive services. Especially for larger companies, the provider offers a scalable solution with a broad selection of payment methods. Worldline also specialises in dynamic currency conversion, so that foreign customers can pay in their own currency without any complications.

For easy integration, Worldline provides numerous free and paid plug-ins. In addition, larger companies benefit from additional services and extensive reporting tools. Worldline has an average Google rating of 2.9 out of 5 stars from a total of 589 reviews.

5.3.1 Price overview of Worldline

5.3.2 Additional remarks

Medium-sized and large companies as well as omnichannel solutions require a customised offer that cannot be ordered online. To find the right package, it is advisable to contact Worldline sales directly.

5.4 Datatrans (planet)

Datatrans is an established Payment Service Provider that is particularly suitable for larger companies and those with high transaction volumes. The platform offers a wide range of payment methods as well as free and paid plugins for shop systems such as WooCommerce, Shopify and Magento. Datatrans offers a tailored solution, especially for companies with more complex requirements.

One key advantage of Datatrans is the direct connection to acquirers, which represents an efficient and reliable solution for companies with high transaction numbers. However, this also applies to smaller companies, for which the separate contract with an acquirer can be more of an obstacle.

Once an acquirer contract is in place, a test account can also be created with Datatrans. The average Google rating for this provider is 4.3 out of 5 stars from 22 reviews.

5.4.1 Price overview of Datatrans

5.4.2 Additional remarks

As Datatrans is neither an acquirer nor a Payment Facilitator, merchants also need an acceptance agreement with a separate acquirer. To take this factor into account, a fee of 1.7 per cent was used in this analysis. This is an assumed value based on the average of the remaining providers. However, the transaction fee can vary depending on the acquirer selected.

5.5 PayPal

PayPal is a globally known, simple and standardised solution for online merchants. The provider enables payments to be accepted in various currencies and offers a high level of security, especially for international transactions.

With over 400 million users and broad acceptance, PayPal is particularly suitable for companies that want to reach a large number of international customers. The platform supports a wide range of payment methods, including credit cards, Apple Pay, Venmo and many more. PayPal also offers some free plugins for common e-commerce systems such as WooCommerce, Magento and Shopware. In addition, tools such as payment links, email invoices and QR payments are available.

PayPal has an average Google rating of 1.8 out of 5 stars from a total of 618 reviews.

5.5.1 Price overview of PayPal

5.5.2 Additional remarks

Setting up PayPal is very easy. Merchants only need to provide their company information and the commercial register number. Large companies can also apply to PayPal for special terms for a scalable solution.

5.6 Stripe

Stripe is a well-known and flexible payment solution that is particularly aimed at developers who need highly customisable payment processing. The provider supports numerous payment methods, including credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and various regional payment methods. 

Stripe is suitable both for start-ups and for larger companies with an international focus. The solution can be easily integrated into common e-commerce platforms such as WooCommerce and Shopify. In addition to numerous free plugins, Stripe also offers paid extensions.

The provider has a Google rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars from 76 reviews.

5.6.1 Price overview of Stripe

5.6.2 Additional remarks

To implement Stripe, merchants should have developer knowledge. In addition, a valid photo ID and a commercial register number are required for verification. For large companies, Stripe also offers special terms that can be requested from sales.

5.7 wallee

wallee is a Swiss omnichannel payment provider that enables merchants to process payments seamlessly across various sales channels. The platform supports a wide range of payment methods, including credit cards, mobile wallets and other local payment methods. In addition, wallee offers both free and paid plugins for various shop systems.

wallee offers API integration. The modular architecture also allows companies to choose only the functions they really need. This flexibility makes this provider an excellent choice for medium-sized to large companies with specific requirements for their payment solution.

Online merchants can try out wallee extensively in the free test mode. The platform has an average Google rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars from 112 reviews.

5.7.1 Price overview of wallee

5.7.2 Additional remarks

To use one of wallee's many integrations, merchants usually need to carry out a few technical steps. These include, for example, setting up a wallee plugin for their shop system or connecting directly via the API.

5.8 saldiaPay

saldiaPay is an innovative Swiss payment provider that enables online payments via a unified platform. Here, merchants can accept payments via credit cards, TWINT, PostFinance and many other methods.

A unique feature of saldiaPay are the “saldiaApps” — integrations for diverse solutions such as accounting, online shops or logistics services. For merchants without their own website shop, saldiaPay also offers its own shop system “saldiaShop”, which makes it easy to create a web shop.

saldiaPay also provides free plugins for well-known shop systems such as WooCommerce and Shopware. All functions of the platform can be tested free of charge for 30 days. saldiaPay has an average Google rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars from a total of 38 reviews.

5.8.1 Price overview of saldiaPay

5.8.2 Additional remarks

In addition to the broad range of integrated plugins and shop systems, saldiaPay also offers many other webshop integrations on request. Merchants need a photo ID and, if available, the entry in the commercial register for registration.

5.9 zahls.ch

zahls.ch is a Swiss payment provider distinguished by particularly transparent and simple pricing. With zahls.ch, merchants can accept a broad range of payment methods, including TWINT, PostFinance and credit cards.

In addition to classic payments, zahls.ch's offering also includes e-commerce tools, such as an online terminal, payment links, digital invoices or a self-configurable payment page (small online shop). This payment provider also offers free plugins for the best-known shop systems and scores points for its easy setup and integration.

zahls.ch enjoys an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars, although it has only been reviewed three times on Google.

5.9.1 Price overview of zahls.ch

5.9.2 Additional remarks

Using the integrated tools from zahls.ch, merchants can easily create their own online shop, or they can connect the provider directly to their existing online shop. A valid photo ID and, if available, the entry in the commercial register are required for the verification process.

Conclusion: Which is the right payment provider?

Before online merchants choose a payment provider, they should define the individual requirements of their online shop precisely. In addition to costs, the range of functions, the supported shop systems and the payment methods offered also play a decisive role.

For young, digital companies, Payrexx can be an interesting option. As an all-in-one payment solution, Payrexx offers broad support for all common shop systems and is also the cheapest provider for medium-sized online shops — followed by PostFinance and wallee. PayPal and Stripe, on the other hand, charge comparatively high transaction fees, while Datatrans has high monthly fixed costs. To find the best solution, each provider offers a free trial period .

Almost all providers offer plugins for popular shop systems such as WooCommerce, Shopware or Shopify. While the plugins are free with Payrexx, PostFinance, PayPal and Stripe, additional costs may apply with Worldline, Datatrans and wallee. With saldiaPay and zahls.ch, plugins are often available on request.

Another important point is the range of payment methods. While all providers offer a broad range of payment options, the difference often lies in the support of regional payment methods such as TWINT, PostFinance, Reka and so on. Here, Swiss providers such as Payrexx, Datatrans, saldiaPay or zahls.ch have the advantage. Those with many international customers, on the other hand, benefit from global providers such as PayPal or Stripe.

With regard to easy integration , PayPal, Payrexx and zahls.ch are particularly convincing, while Stripe, Worldline and Datatrans score with more customisation options. Since setup with some providers requires a high level of technical know-how, this point should also be taken into account when making a choice.

In summary, it is worth considering newer and lesser-known providers. They often offer payment solutions that are attractive in price and powerful at the same time, and can also better address the individual needs of merchants. For small and medium-sized shops, Payrexx and wallee are a good choice, while for larger companies an established provider may be more worthwhile. In terms of price, range of functions and user-friendliness, Payrexx is clearly among the leaders.

Sources

Prices: Datatrans, PayPal, Payrexx, PostFinance, Stripe, wallee, Worldline, saldiaPay, zahls.ch
Plugins for shop systems: Datatrans, PayPal, Payrexx, PostFinance, Stripe, wallee, Worldline, saldiaPay, zahls.ch
Payment methods: Datatrans, PayPal, Payrexx, PostFinance, Stripe, wallee, Worldline, saldiaPay, zahls.ch

Legal

We accept no liability whatsoever for the accuracy, completeness, timeliness or quality of the data and information provided in this comparison article. In particular, it is important that online merchants obtain information about prices and any additional costs directly from the respective providers. Some providers also have further unofficial offers and conditions that are not visible on the websites.

We expressly reserve the right to change the data provided in this comparison article or our entire offering at any time without separate notice. Likewise, we are entitled to supplement, delete or temporarily or permanently discontinue publication of this comparison article at any time.

Status: February 2025.

Contact information

Author: Melanie Frutiger, Payrexx AG
Email address: melanie.frutiger@payrexx.com