1. Online Payments: Theory for Understanding

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

1. Acceptance Contract (Acquiring Contract): This is made with an acquirer (see Chapter 1.2).

2. Processing Contract: This is made with a payment provider (PSP) (see Chapter 1.1).

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

1.1 What is a Payment Provider?

A payment provider (also known as 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, online merchants (also Comerciante) can work directly with a PSP. This way, they receive all the desired payment methods, integration systems, and e-commerce tools from one provider, while also fulfilling the required security standards.

The Processing Contract with the payment provider regulates the technical handling of payments, i.e., the connection between the online shop, the payment provider, and the banks. In some cases, merchants may also require an acceptance contract with an acquirer – unless the PSP takes on this role itself as a Payment Facilitator (see Chapter 1.3).

Figure 1) Functionality of a Payment Provider (PSP)

1.2 What are an Acquirer and an Acceptance Contract?

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 needs an acceptance contract. This governs the acceptance and processing of card payments and defines fees, security requirements, and chargeback processes. 

1.3 What is a Payment Facilitator?

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

The Payment Facilitator thus allows different payment methods from various acquirers to be integrated into an online shop with just one contract – for instance, Visa, Mastercard, TWINT, PostFinance, and Reka. 

Figure 2) Functionality of a Payment Facilitator (PF)

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

2. How to Choose the Right Provider?

Choosing the right provider depends on several factors. Merchants should ask themselves the following questions:

• Which payment methods do I want to offer? A diverse payment offering increases customer satisfaction and conversion rate. Merchants should therefore check which payment methods their customers prefer. Not all providers support the same payment methods – especially for nationally popular options like TWINT or PostFinance Pay, selecting the right provider is crucial.

• What shop system am I using? The technical integration of a payment provider can be simplified by pre-made plugins¹. For well-known systems like Shopify or WooCommerce, most providers offer ready-made plugins for easy integration. For individually developed shops, some providers offer flexible API solutions.

• What tools do I need? The functionalities of a payment provider should align with the shop's requirements. While some providers offer specialized solutions for donation platforms or subscription-based business models, there are also all-in-one platforms covering a wide range of business models.

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

• What target group do I want to address? Depending on the clientele, different payment methods are relevant – young consumers often expect wallet solutions, while companies or international customers benefit from fast and cost-effective alternatives like Instant Payment. Instant Payment (also Pay by Bank) enables direct bank transfers in real-time and particularly saves fees in international payment transactions. Currently, Payrexx is the only provider in Switzerland offering Pay by Bank.

Besides these functional and security-related aspects, especially a straightforward and stable connection, a wide range of payment methods and tools, reliable support, and a cost-effective pricing model are crucial for merchants to avoid unnecessary expenses.

Additionally, it is advisable to choose a provider that also acts as an acquirer or Payment Facilitator. This way, merchants have a single point of contact for all payment processes.

¹ Extensions for shop systems that enable the integration of payment providers without programming.

3. Overview of the Functions of Individual Payment Providers

The following table shows which payment methods are supported by individual providers. For an easier overview, only the most common payment methods are considered. The table also indicates which providers offer plugins for common shop systems.

Some payment providers also offer their own, usually very rudimentary, shop systems that allow a small online shop for products, vouchers, subscriptions, or donations to 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 ratings of all providers.

Figure 3) Function matrix of the different payment providers

4. Cost Analysis

This section calculates the monthly costs (subscription and transaction fees) of the different providers. The analysis is conducted for two example online shops: one with a turnover of 20,000 EUR and one with 100,000 EUR.

For the calculation, the cheapest offers of the individual payment providers were selected for the corresponding business turnover. The information on the fees refers to transactions via Mastercard and Visa. The price details are sourced from the websites of the respective Payment Service Providers². Any setup fees are not included in the diagram.

4.1 Online Shop with a Turnover of 20,000 EUR per Month

The following cost analysis shows the monthly fees for smaller online shops with a business turnover of 20,000 EUR with 200 credit card transactions per month. The average value of a transaction is thus 100 EUR per purchase.

Figure 4) Monthly costs for a turnover of 20,000 EUR (excluding setup)

² With Datatrans's offer, a separate acquiring contract must also be concluded. The cost for acquiring therefore depends on the choice of the acquirer, which is why an exemplary value of 1.6 percent was calculated (average of all other providers).

A small online shop benefits from the lowest fees at Payrexx, closely followed by PostFinance. With costs of 790 EUR, PayPal is the most expensive option for online shops of this volume. The price difference between Payrexx and PayPal is 435 EUR. The costs of the cheapest payment provider, Payrexx, are thus more than 50 percent lower than those of the most expensive.

Additionally, Payrexx offers exclusive discounts to start-ups and non-profit organisations: 30 percent for start-ups and 50 percent for non-profit organisations on all subscriptions.

4.2 Online Shop with a Turnover of 100,000 EUR per Month

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

With monthly costs of 1,579 EUR, 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 2,371 EUR, saving over 60 percent.

For large online shops with turnover exceeding 100,000 EUR per month, no calculation was made. This is because many payment providers offer individual special conditions for larger customers – including Datatrans, Payrexx, Stripe, wallee, Worldline, and zahls.ch.

5. All Payment Providers in Detail

5.1 Payrexx

Payrexx is a Swiss omnichannel payment provider and facilitator offering merchants a central platform to accept payment methods such as credit cards, TWINT, PostFinance Pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay – without separate contracts with acquirers.

The provider is characterized by its simple setup and free plugins for all common shop systems, like WooCommerce and Shopify. Furthermore, the platform offers a range of practical e-commerce tools, innovative solutions for local trade, and universal QR payment codes that can be used not only via TWINT but all desired payment methods.

Payrexx convinces with low fees and discounts for start-ups and non-profit organisations. All functions of Payrexx can be tested free of charge for 30 days. The Google rating is 3.9 out of 5 stars with 155 reviews.

5.1.1 Price Overview of Payrexx

³ No plugins and API connection are included in Payrexx's Free subscription.

5.1.2 Additional Remarks

Thanks to its extensive offering, Payrexx provides an attractive alternative aside from the major, often expensive providers. The Swiss company stands out for flexibility, personal support, and specialization in SMEs. To register with this provider, merchants need a valid photo ID, a document confirming the address, and, if applicable, the commercial register entry. Applications submitted before 4 pm are reviewed the same day.

5.2 PostFinance

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

Notably, the direct connection to the Swiss banking system and high customer acceptance make this provider particularly suitable for companies primarily operating in the domestic market.

PostFinance also offers a 30-day free trial in a simulation mode. The average Google rating is 2.2 out of 5 stars with 178 reviews.

5.2.1 Price Overview of PostFinance

5.2.2 Additional Remarks

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

5.3 Worldline

Worldline offers both acquirer and payment provider services and thus typically provides their offerings in packages tailored to the specific application. With the Worldline e-commerce package, payments in online shops can be accepted without monthly fixed costs.

As a global provider of payment solutions, Worldline is distinguished by years of experience and comprehensive services. Especially for larger companies, the provider offers a scalable solution with a wide range of payment methods. Furthermore, Worldline specializes in dynamic currency conversion so that international customers can easily pay in their own currency.

For easy integration, Worldline provides numerous free and paid plugins. Furthermore, larger companies benefit from additional services and extensive reporting tools. Worldline has an average Google rating of 2.9 out of 5 stars with a total of 674 reviews.

5.3.1 Price Overview of Worldline

5.3.2 Additional Remarks

Medium and larger companies as well as omnichannel solutions require an individual offer that cannot be ordered online. To find the right package, it is advisable to contact Worldline sales directly.

5.4 Datatrans by Planet

Datatrans by Planet 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 like WooCommerce, Shopify, and Magento. Especially for companies with more complex requirements, Datatrans offers a tailor-made solution.

A significant advantage of Datatrans is that the company regulates the connection to an acquirer via a separate contract. Especially for companies with high transaction numbers, this is an efficient and reliable solution. However, for smaller companies, this separate acquirer contract might become a hurdle, especially due to the additional financial burden.

Once an acquirer contract is in place, a test account can also be created with Datatrans. The average Google rating of this provider is 4.1 out of 5 stars from 26 reviews.

5.4.1 Price Overview of Datatrans

5.4.2 Additional Remarks

Since Datatrans is neither an acquirer nor a Payment Facilitator, merchants additionally require an acceptance contract with a separate acquirer. To include this factor, a fee of 1.6 percent was used in this analysis. This is an assumed value derived from the average of the other providers. The transaction fee can vary depending on the chosen acquirer.

5.5 PayPal

PayPal is a globally known, simple and standardized solution for online merchants. The provider enables accepting payments in various currencies and offers a high level of security, particularly for international transactions.

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

PayPal has an average Google rating of 1.6 out of 5 stars with a total of 56 reviews.

5.5.1 Price Overview of PayPal

5.5.2 Additional Remarks

Setting up PayPal is very simple. Merchants only need to provide their company information and commercial register number. Large companies can also request special conditions for a scalable solution at PayPal.

5.6 Stripe

Stripe is a well-known and flexible payment solution, particularly geared towards developers who need a highly customizable payment process. The provider supports numerous payment methods, including credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and various regional payment methods. 

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

The provider has a Google rating of 3.1 out of 5 stars with 8 reviews.

5.6.1 Price Overview of Stripe

5.6.2 Additional Remarks

For the implementation of Stripe, merchants should have developer knowledge. A valid photo ID and a commercial register number are also required for verification. For large companies, Stripe also offers special conditions that can be requested from the sales department.

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. Additionally, wallee offers both free and paid plugins for various shop systems.

wallee offers an 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 to large companies with specific requirements for their payment solution.

Online merchants can thoroughly test wallee in the free trial mode. The platform has been rated on Google with an average of 3.4 out of 5 stars with 133 reviews.

5.7.1 Price Overview of wallee

5.7.2 Additional Remarks

To use one of the many integrations from wallee, merchants typically need to perform some technical steps. This includes setting up a wallee plugin for their shop system or direct integration via the API.

5.8 saldiaPay

saldiaPay is an innovative Swiss payment provider that enables online payments through 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 various solutions like accounting, online shops, or logistics services. For merchants without their own webshop, saldiaPay also offers its own shop system “saldiaShop”, which makes it easy to create a webshop.

saldiaPay also provides free plugins for well-known shop systems like WooCommerce and Shopware. All functions of the platform can be tested for 30 days free of charge. saldiaPay has an average Google rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars with a total of 39 reviews.

5.8.1 Price Overview of saldiaPay

5.8.2 Additional Remarks

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

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 wide range of payment methods, including TWINT, PostFinance, and credit cards.

In addition to traditional payments, the offer from zahls.ch 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 provides free plugins for the most well-known shop systems and scores with easy setup and integration.

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

5.9.1 Price Overview of zahls.ch

5.9.2 Additional Remarks

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

Conclusion: Which is the Right Payment Provider?

Before online merchants decide on a payment provider, they should clearly define the individual requirements of their online shop. Besides costs, the range of functions, supported shop systems, and offered payment methods play a decisive role.

For young, digital companies, Payrexx can be an exciting option. As all-in-one payment solution, Payrexx is compatible with all common shop systems and is also the cheapest provider – followed by PostFinance and wallee. PayPal and Stripe, on the other hand, have higher transaction fees, and Datatrans charges high monthly costs. To find the best solution, all providers offer a free trial period.

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

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

In terms of easy integration, PayPal, Payrexx, and zahls.ch are particularly convincing, while Stripe, Worldline, and Datatrans score with more customization options. As the setup at some providers involves a high level of technical know-how, this point should also be considered when making a selection.

In summary, it is worthwhile considering newer and lesser-known providers. These often offer attractively priced and at the same time powerful payment solutions, and can also better cater to the individual needs of the merchants. For small and medium-sized shops, Payrexx and wallee are a good choice, whereas for larger companies, an established provider might be more worthwhile. In terms of price, range of functions, and user-friendliness, Payrexx is clearly among the leaders.

Sources

Prices

Datatrans by Planet, PayPal, Payrexx, PostFinance, Stripe, wallee, Worldline, saldiaPay, zahls.ch

Plugins for Shop Systems

Datatrans by Planet, PayPal, Payrexx, PostFinance, Stripe, wallee, Worldline, saldiaPay, zahls.ch

Payment Methods

Datatrans by Planet, PayPal, Payrexx, PostFinance, Stripe, wallee, Worldline, saldiaPay, zahls.ch

Legal

We make no warranty 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 other 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 offer at any time without separate notice. We are also entitled to supplement, delete, or temporarily or permanently discontinue this comparison article.

As of: February 2026.

Contact Information

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