In-person payments for hairdressers and barbershops in Switzerland: How to set up card payments, TWINT and tips

Swiss hairdressing salons and barbershops benefit from cashless payment solutions: TWINT is used by over 6 million people in Switzerland, and a large proportion of brick-and-mortar businesses already accept the payment app. For salons, this means: those who do not offer a card terminal or TWINT lose potential walk-in customers and make the topic of tipping unnecessarily difficult for themselves. The right payment solution depends on the sales volume, the desired TWINT integration, and whether appointment booking and payment should be linked.

This guide explains step by step which payment solutions are suitable for hairdressing salons and barbershops in Switzerland, how much they cost, and how you set up tips, appointment booking, and accounting properly.

1. Why Swiss customers want to pay cashlessly in the hair salon

Payment habits in Switzerland have changed significantly in recent years. According to the Swiss Payment Monitor by ZHAW, the debit card is the most frequently used means of payment in brick-and-mortar retail, followed by cash and TWINT. For hairdressers and barbershops, this change has three concrete effects.

Firstly: customers simply expect to be able to pay cashlessly. A salon that only accepts cash no longer seems contemporary – particularly to younger customers who consider debit cards, TWINT, or Apple Pay as the standard. Secondly: TWINT has a particularly high penetration in Switzerland. In 2025, 901 million transactions were processed via TWINT, 65% of them in face-to-face retail. Thirdly: cashless payment solves an everyday problem in the salon – tipping. When customers carry no cash, the tip is often omitted. A tipping function on the terminal or via the payment page makes it easy to leave a tip anyway.

In addition: salons wishing to introduce advance payment or no-show fees for online bookings strictly require an electronic payment solution. Without card payment or TWINT, such models cannot be implemented.

2. Terminal, Tap to Pay or QR code: Which solution suits the salon?

For hairdressing salons and barbershops, four basic approaches come into consideration: a physical card terminal, Tap to Pay on a smartphone (iPhone or Android), a standalone TWINT QR code, or a PSP-based QR code that covers credit cards and further payment methods alongside TWINT. Each variant has advantages and disadvantages that depend on turnover volume, technical equipment, and desired payment methods.

Physical card terminal

A classic card terminal – for instance from Worldline (formerly SIX Payment Services), SumUp, or Payrexx – accepts debit cards, credit cards, and contactless payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay). Worldline and Payrexx terminals additionally support TWINT and PostFinance Card. SumUp terminals do not accept TWINT. Payrexx offers POS terminals (N910 Pro, Nexgo N6, Nexgo N86) with an integrated SIM card for EUR 25 per month rental – the devices function independently of the smartphone and require no Wi-Fi in the salon. For salons with regular card turnover starting from EUR 3,000 per month, a Worldline or Payrexx terminal is worthwhile due to lower transaction fees compared to SumUp.

Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android

Since March 2025, Tap to Pay on iPhone has also been available in Switzerland. The smartphone becomes a card terminal – without additional hardware. Providers such as SumUp, Worldline, Stripe, and myPOS support the iPhone variant for debit and credit cards, as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay. On Android, several providers offer SoftPOS solutions, including Payrexx Tap to Pay: the app turns any NFC-capable Android smartphone into a card terminal and accepts TWINT, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay in addition to cards – an advantage over the iPhone variant, which does not support TWINT. The transaction fees for Payrexx Tap to Pay on the free InStore plan are 1.65% + EUR 0.15 per transaction (TWINT 1.30%), with no monthly fixed costs for the first device; with the Better Fees add-on (EUR 9/month), the terminal rates of 0.95% or 1.25% + EUR 0.15 apply. For sole traders and mobile hairdressers, Tap to Pay is an uncomplicated entry-level solution. Limitation: a stable internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile network) is mandatory.

TWINT QR code (static or dynamic)

A static TWINT QR code at the reception is the simplest option: the customer scans the code with the TWINT app and enters the amount manually. Transaction fee: 1.3%. This solution is suitable as a supplement to the terminal or as a standalone option for very small businesses. The disadvantage: only customers with the TWINT app can pay – tourists or people without TWINT are left out.

PSP-based QR code (e.g. Payrexx QR Pay)

An evolution of the standalone TWINT QR code are QR codes generated via a payment service provider. The principle: the QR code can be scanned both with the TWINT app and with a normal smartphone camera. In the second case, a payment page opens where the customer can choose between TWINT, credit card, PostFinance, Apple Pay, and other payment methods. This is particularly practical for salons with international clientele or walk-in customers without TWINT. The QR code can be configured with an open, fixed, or minimum amount and placed as a poster or sticker at reception. The salon does not need its own Wi-Fi for this – the internet connection runs via the customer's smartphone.

Comparison of payment solutions

Many salons combine two solutions: a card terminal or Tap to Pay for the main turnover and a QR code as an additional option. Those who want to cover all payment methods via a single QR code rely on a PSP-based QR code instead of the standalone TWINT QR.

3. Tipping on the card terminal: How the tipping function works in Switzerland

Tipping is customary in Swiss hair salons, but not taken for granted. Since more and more customers pay cashlessly, the question arises: how does tipping work on the card terminal?

Preset tip amounts

The most common solution is preset tip options on the terminal display. Typical tiers: 5%, 10%, 15%, or a custom amount. For a haircut for EUR 65, the customer would see, for example, "EUR 3.25 / EUR 6.50 / EUR 9.75 / Other amount". The advantage: the customer does not have to calculate themselves, and the tip is booked directly with the payment.

Technical implementation

Whether the tipping function is available depends on the provider and terminal model. Worldline offers the function on its newer Android terminals (e.g. Axium series), configurable via the Comercianteportal. With SumUp, the tipping function can be activated in the app. SoftPOS solutions such as Payrexx Tap to Pay as well as Payrexx POS terminals also offer a configurable tipping function – the advantage: whether via smartphone app or physical terminal, the salon can offer tipping options without additional configuration steps. For online payment pages – such as during appointment booking – a PSP can display a tipping option directly on the payment page.

Tax treatment

Tips received via the card terminal are accounting-wise part of the payment flow and must be recorded correctly. In Switzerland, tips are generally wages subject to AHV contributions if passed on to employees (Art. 7 let. c AHVV). For VAT, the rule is: tips given voluntarily by the customer and in addition to the agreed price are not subject to value-added tax pursuant to Art. 18 para. 2 let. j MWSTG, provided they are clearly separated from the service price. In accounting, it is recommended to manage tips on a separate account (e.g. a liability account "Transitory Tips").

4. Appointment booking and prepayment: Combining online booking with payment

Many hair salons today use an online booking tool – such as via their own website, Instagram, or Google. Linking booking and payment resolves two common issues: no-shows (customers who do not appear) and the administrative effort for payment reminders.

No-show fees and prepayment

To reduce no-shows, more and more salons require a credit card on file or prepayment upon booking. A typical no-show fee is EUR 30–50, which is only charged if the appointment is not kept. Alternatively, the full amount or a deposit (e.g. 50%) can be collected upon booking. For implementation, a payment service provider (PSP) is required that enables credit card payments and ideally also TWINT via a payment page.

Integration with booking systems

Booking systems such as Treatwell, Shore, or Salonkee can be connected to a PSP via APIs. The process: the customer books an appointment online, is redirected to the payment page, pays via TWINT or credit card, and receives the booking confirmation only after successful payment. A PSP with Swiss payment methods ensures that TWINT, PostFinance, and credit cards are available – not just Visa and Mastercard.

5. Costs and fees: What hairdressers in Switzerland really pay

Total costs consist of purchase or rental costs, transaction fees, and any subscription fees. The following table shows a realistic comparison for a salon with EUR 5,000 card turnover per month.

Important: The actual fees depend on the payment mix. In a typical hairdressing salon, the debit card share is higher than the credit card share, which reduces average costs. With Worldline, fees are also negotiable – those who can demonstrate an annual card turnover of over EUR 50,000 usually obtain better conditions. SumUp offers reduced fees (0.99% instead of 1.5% or 2.5%) with the "Payments Plus" subscription for EUR 29 per month, which pays off from a few thousand francs in card turnover per month. Payrexx POS terminals offer one of the lowest rates on the market with Better Fees at 0.95% for debit cards, and additionally cover TWINT and PostFinance under a single contract.

6. Accounting: Correctly recording card payments, TWINT, and cash turnover

A common mistake among hairdressers: the payout from SumUp or Worldline is recorded directly as turnover. This is incorrect – turnover is the gross amount paid by the customer, not the amount paid out after deducting the transaction fee.

Correct recording with a suspense account

The clean solution: a suspense account (e.g. account 1090 "Card Payment Suspense Account" in the SME chart of accounts). The accounting process: upon sale, the gross amount is booked as revenue (e.g. account 3400 Service Revenue), with the offsetting entry on suspense account 1090. Upon payout by the terminal provider, the bank account (1020) is credited, the suspense account 1090 is debited, and the difference is booked as an expense on account 6840 (bank charges/card commissions).

VAT treatment

Value-added tax is always calculated on the full gross amount – that is, on the price paid by the customer, not on the net amount paid out. Most hairdressing businesses are subject to VAT, as the turnover threshold of EUR 100,000 per year (Art. 10 para. 2 MWSTG) is quickly reached in salon operations. Hairdressing services are subject to the standard rate of 8.1%.

Mixed payment methods

In practice, a salon has three to four payment channels: cash, card terminal, TWINT, and possibly online prepayments. Each channel should be maintained cleanly and separately in accounting. For cash, a petty cash book (account 1000) is still recommended. Terminal turnover runs through suspense account 1090. TWINT payouts can be posted to a separate suspense account (e.g. 1091) if the payout intervals differ. Those who process all payment channels through a single PSP simplify their accounting, as only one payout appears on the bank account per accounting period.