Comparison of Swiss online payment providers for 2025

Note: This is the 2025 version. You can find the current 2026 edition here.

1. Online Payments: Theory for Understanding

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

1. Merchant Agreement (Acquiring Contract): This is concluded with an acquirer (cf. Chapter 1.2).

2. Processing Contract: This is concluded with a payment service provider (PSP) (cf. Chapter 1.1).

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

1.1 What is a Payment Service Provider?

A payment service 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 individually with each financial institution and integrating the payment methods separately into their shop, online Comerciantes (also Comerciantes) can work directly with a PSP. This provides them with all desired payment methods, integration systems, and e-commerce tools, while also meeting the necessary security requirements.

The processing contract with the payment service provider regulates the technical processing of payments, i.e., the connection between the online shop, the payment service provider, and the banks. In some cases, however, Comerciantes additionally require an acquiring contract with an acquirer – unless the PSP itself takes on this role as a payment facilitator (cf. Chapter 1.3).

How a payment service provider (PSP) works

1.2 What is an Acquirer and an Acquiring Contract?

An acquirer (also called acquiring bank) is a financial institution that processes credit and debit card payments for Comerciantes. In order for an online shop to accept such payments, it requires an acquiring contract. This regulates the acceptance and processing of card payments and defines fees, security guidelines, and chargeback processes. 

1.3 What is a Payment Facilitator?

A payment facilitator (also PF or Collecting PSP) simplifies payment processing for Comerciantes by acting as a link between them and the acquirer (cf. Figure 2). The payment facilitator can sign the acquiring contract on behalf of the acquirer. Comerciantes, in turn, conclude their contract directly with the payment facilitator and therefore do not require a separate acquiring contract with an acquirer.

The payment facilitator therefore makes it possible to integrate various payment methods from different acquirers into an online shop with just a single 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 detail in this article for the sake of simplicity.

2. How to Choose the Right Provider?

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

• Which payment methods should be offered? A diverse range of payment options increases customer satisfaction and conversion rate. Comerciantes 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 being used? The technical integration of a payment service provider can be facilitated by pre-built plugins¹. For well-known systems like shopify or woocommerce, most providers offer ready-to-use plugins for easy integration. For individually developed shops, some providers offer flexible API solutions.

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

• What costs are involved? In addition to transaction fees, potential fixed monthly costs, setup fees, and extra 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 customer base, different payment methods are relevant – young consumers often expect wallet solutions, while businesses 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 saves fees, particularly in international payment transactions. Currently, Payrexx is the only provider in Switzerland that offers Pay by Bank.

In addition to these functional and security-related aspects, a simple and stable connection, a broad spectrum of payment methods and tools, reliable support, and a cost-effective pricing model are particularly crucial for Comerciantes to avoid unnecessary expenditures.

Furthermore, it is recommended to choose a provider that additionally acts as an acquirer or payment facilitator. This way, Comerciantes have a single contact partner for all payment processes.

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

3. Overview of the Functions of Individual Payment Service Providers

The following table shows which payment methods are supported by the individual providers. For a better overview, only the most common payment methods are considered. Additionally, the table provides information on which providers offer plugins for popular shop systems.

Some payment service providers also offer their own, usually very basic shop systems, which can be used to create a small online shop for products, vouchers, subscriptions, or donations 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 contains the Google ratings of all providers.

Functional matrix of the different payment service providers

4. Cost Analysis

In this section, the monthly costs (subscription and transaction fees) for the different providers were calculated. The analysis is carried out for two exemplary 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 service providers for the respective merchant turnover were selected in each case. The pricing details are taken 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 a Turnover of 20,000 EUR per Month

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

Monthly costs with a turnover of 20,000 EUR (excluding setup)

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 for online shops with this volume. The price difference between Payrexx and PayPal is 435 EUR. The costs of the cheapest payment service provider, Payrexx, are thus more than 50 percent lower than those of the most expensive.

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

¹For the offer from Datatrans, a separate acquiring contract must additionally be concluded. The acquiring costs are therefore dependent on the choice of the acquirer). For this reason, a value of 1.7 percent was assumed (average of all other providers).

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 merchant 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.

Monthly costs with a turnover of 100,000 EUR (excluding setup)

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, which represents a savings of over 60 percent.

No calculation was carried out for large online shops with a turnover of over 100,000 EUR per month. This is because many payment service providers offer individual special conditions for larger customers – including Datatrans, Payrexx, Stripe, wallee, Worldline, and zahls.ch.

5. All Payment Service Providers in Detail

5.1 Payrexx

Payrexx is a Swiss omnichannel payment provider and facilitator that offers Comerciantes 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 stands out for its easy setup and free plugins for integration into all popular shop systems, such as woocommerce and shopify. Furthermore, the platform offers a range of practical e-commerce tools that are particularly attractive for smaller online Comerciantes without their own online shop. Also included are innovative POS and SoftPOS solutions for local trade, as well as universal QR code payment stickers, which can be used not only with TWINT but with all desired payment methods.

Payrexx convinces with low fees as well as discounts for start-ups and non-profit organizations. All features of Payrexx can be tested for free for 30 days. The average Google rating is 4 out of 5 stars based on 144 reviews.

5.1.1 Price Overview of Payrexx

¹The free subscription of Payrexx does not include plugins and API connection.

5.1.2 Additional Remarks

Thanks to its comprehensive range of services, Payrexx offers an attractive solution away from the large, often expensive providers. The Swiss company stands out for its flexibility, personal support, and specialization in SME Comerciantes. In this way, Payrexx sets itself apart from global mass solutions. To register with this provider, Comerciantes require a valid photo ID, a document to confirm the address, and, if applicable, the commercial register entry. Anyone who registers by 4 PM will be verified on the same day.

5.2 PostFinance

PostFinance offers a payment solution tailored specifically to the Swiss market, enabling companies to accept payments quickly and securely. The provider includes all popular 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 high customer acceptance, making the provider especially suitable for businesses operating primarily domestically.

PostFinance also offers a free trial period of 30 days in a simulation mode. The average Google rating is 2.4 out of 5 stars based on 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 hold a business account with PostFinance or a credit card for fee billing. Billing is carried out in Swiss Francs, but payouts can also be made in foreign currencies depending on the acquiring partner.

5.3 Worldline

Worldline offers both acquiring and payment service provider services and therefore usually provides its offers 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 characterized by many years of experience and comprehensive services. Especially for larger companies, the provider offers a scalable solution with a wide choice of payment methods. In addition, Worldline has specialized in dynamic currency conversion, allowing foreign customers to pay easily in their own currency.

For easy integration, Worldline provides numerous free and paid plug-ins. Furthermore, larger companies benefit from additional services and comprehensive 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 and larger companies as well as omnichannel solutions require an individual offer that cannot be ordered online. To find the right package, it is recommended 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. Especially for companies with more complex requirements, Datatrans offers a tailored solution.

A 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 whom a 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 of this provider is 4.3 out of 5 stars from 22 reviews.

5.4.1 Price Overview of Datatrans

5.4.2 Additional Remarks

Since Datatrans is neither an acquirer nor a payment facilitator, Comerciantes additionally require an acquiring contract with a separate acquirer. To factor this in, a fee of 1.7 percent was used in this analysis. This is an assumed value based on the average of the remaining providers. However, the transaction fee may vary depending on the chosen acquirer.

5.5 PayPal

PayPal is a globally known, simple, and standardized solution for online Comerciantes. The provider makes it possible to accept payments in different currencies and offers a high level of security, particularly for international transactions.

With over 400 million users and high acceptance, PayPal is particularly suitable for businesses looking to target 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 several free plugins for popular e-commerce systems such as woocommerce, magento, and Shopware. In addition, tools such as payment links, email invoicing, and QR payments are available.

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

5.5.1 Price Overview of PayPal

5.5.2 Additional Remarks

Setting up PayPal is very simple. Comerciantes only need to provide their business information and commercial register number. Large companies can also apply for special conditions for a scalable solution with PayPal.

5.6 Stripe

Stripe is a well-known and flexible payment solution aimed particularly at developers who require highly customizable payment processing. 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 popular 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 based on 76 reviews.

5.6.1 Price Overview of Stripe

5.6.2 Additional Remarks

For the implementation of Stripe, Comerciantes 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 conditions that can be requested from sales.

5.8 saldiaPay

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

A unique feature of saldiaPay is the "saldiaApps" – integrations for a variety of solutions such as accounting, online shops, or logistics services. For Comerciantes without their own webshop, saldiaPay also offers its own shop system "saldiaShop", with which a webshop can be easily created.

saldiaPay also provides free plugins for well-known shop systems such as woocommerce and Shopware. All features of the platform can be tested for free for 30 days. saldiaPay has an average Google rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars based on a total of 38 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 upon request. Comerciantes require 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 characterized by particularly transparent and simple pricing. With zahls.ch, Comerciantes can accept a wide range of payment methods, including TWINT, PostFinance, and credit cards.

In addition to classic payments, the range of services 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 popular shop systems and scores points for easy setup and integration.

zahls.ch enjoys an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars, but 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 of zahls.ch, Comerciantes can easily create their own online shop, or they can connect the provider directly to their existing online shop. For the verification process, a valid photo ID and, if available, the entry in the commercial register are required.

Conclusion: Which is the Right Payment Provider?

Before online Comerciantes decide on a payment provider, they should precisely define the individual requirements of their online shop. In addition to costs, the range of functions, supported shop systems, and offered payment methods 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 popular 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 incurs high monthly fixed costs. To find the best solution, every provider offers a free trial period.

Almost all providers offer plugins for popular shop systems like woocommerce, Shopware, or shopify. While the plugins are free at Payrexx, PostFinance, PayPal, and Stripe, additional costs may apply at Worldline, Datatrans, and wallee. At saldiaPay and zahls.ch, plugins are often 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 the like. Here, Swiss providers like Payrexx, Datatrans, saldiaPay, or zahls.ch have an advantage. On the other hand, those with many international customers benefit from global providers like PayPal or Stripe.

Regarding ease of integration, PayPal, Payrexx, and zahls.ch are particularly convincing, while Stripe, Worldline, and Datatrans score with more customization options. Since setup with some providers involves a high degree of technical know-how, this point should also be considered when making a choice.

In summary, it is worth considering newer and lesser-known providers. These often offer attractive pricing and high-performing payment solutions, and can also better cater to the individual needs of Comerciantes. For small and medium-sized shops, Payrexx and wallee are a good choice, whereas for larger companies, an established provider may be more worthwhile. In the areas of price, variety of functions, and user-friendliness, Payrexx is clearly among the frontrunners.

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 Notice

We assume no liability whatsoever for the correctness, completeness, topicality, or quality of the data and information provided in this comparison article. In particular, it is important that online Comerciantes 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 prior notice. Likewise, we are entitled to supplement, delete, or temporarily or permanently cease publication of this comparison article at any time.

As of: February 2025.

Contact Information

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