1. Online Payments: Understanding the Theory

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

1. Acquiring Agreement (Acceptance Contract): This is concluded with an Acquirer (see Chapter 1.2).

2. Processing Contract: This is concluded with a Payment Service Provider (PSP) (see Chapter 1.1).

The following explains what exactly 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 with each financial institution individually and integrating payment methods into their shop separately, online Merchants (also Merchants) can work directly with a PSP. This way, they receive all desired payment methods, integration systems, and e-commerce tools from one provider and also meet 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, Merchants also need 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 Service Provider (PSP)

1.2 What is 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. For an online shop to accept such payments, it requires an Acceptance Contract. This regulates the acceptance and processing of card payments and sets 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 a link between them and the Acquirer (see Figure 2). The Payment Facilitator can sign the Acceptance Contract on behalf of the Acquirer. Merchants, in turn, enter into their contract directly with the Payment Facilitator and therefore do not need a separate Acceptance Contract with an Acquirer.

The Payment Facilitator thus allows the integration of various payment methods from different Acquirers into an online shop with just one contract – for example, 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 further 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, choosing the right provider is crucial.

• What shop system do I use? The technical integration of a Payment Service Provider can be facilitated by prefabricated plugins¹. For well-known systems like Shopify or WooCommerce, most providers offer ready-made plugins for easy integration. For custom-developed shops, some providers offer flexible API solutions.

• What tools do I need? The functionalities of a Payment Service Provider should match the shop's requirements. While some providers offer specialized solutions for fundraising platforms or subscription-based business models, there are also all-in-one platforms that cover a wide range of business models.

• What costs will arise? Besides transaction fees, potential monthly fixed costs, setup fees, and additional costs for special features should be considered. This helps avoid unexpected expenses.

• What target group do I want to address? Depending on the customer base, 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) allows direct bank transfers in real-time and saves fees, especially in international payment transactions. Currently, Payrexx is the only provider in Switzerland offering Pay by Bank.

In addition to these functional and security-related aspects, simple and stable connectivity, a broad range of payment methods and tools, reliable support, and a cost-efficient pricing model are crucial for Merchants to avoid unnecessary expenses.

Furthermore, 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 Service Providers without programming.

3. Overview of the features of each Payment Service Provider

The following table shows which payment methods are supported by each provider. Only the most common payment methods are considered for better clarity. The table also indicates which providers offer plugins for popular shop systems.

Some Payment Service Providers also offer their own, usually very rudimentary shop systems, which allow a small online shop for products, vouchers, subscriptions, or donations to be created without programming skills. 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 various Payment Service Providers

4. Cost Analysis

This section calculates the monthly costs (subscription and transaction fees) of the different providers. The analysis is performed 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 respective Payment Service Providers for the corresponding trade turnover were selected. The fee information refers to transactions via Mastercard and Visa. The price information comes from the websites of the respective Payment Service Provider². 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 trade 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 with a turnover of 20,000 EUR (without setup)

² For the Datatrans offer, a separate acquiring contract must also be concluded. The costs for acquiring thus depend on the choice of the Acquirer, which is why a sample value of 1.6 percent was used (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 for online shops of this volume. The price difference between Payrexx and PayPal is 435 EUR. The costs of the cheapest Payment Service Provider, Payrexx, are therefore 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.

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 trade 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. Significantly more expensive than the others are PayPal and Stripe. The price difference between Payrexx and the most expensive provider is 2,371 EUR, which corresponds to savings of over 60 percent.

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

5. Detailed overview of all Payment Service Providers

5.1 Payrexx

Payrexx is a Swiss omnichannel Payment Provider and Facilitator that offers 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 easy 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 on-site commerce, and universal QR payment codes that allow payment not only via TWINT but with all desired payment methods.

Payrexx impresses with low fees and discounts for start-ups and non-profit organizations. 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 The Free subscription from Payrexx does not include plugins and API connection.

5.1.2 Additional remarks

Thanks to its comprehensive offering, Payrexx provides an attractive solution aside from the large, often expensive providers. The company from Switzerland is characterized by flexibility, personal support, and specialization in SME Merchants. For registration with this provider, Merchants need a valid photo ID, a document confirming the address, and, if applicable, the commercial register entry. Anyone registering by 16:00 will be checked 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 as well as Visa and Mastercard) and 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 large customer acceptance, making the provider particularly suitable for companies operating primarily domestically.

PostFinance also offers a free 30-day trial period 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 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 Service Provider services and therefore usually provides its offers in packages tailored to the respective application. With the Worldline E-Commerce package, payments can be accepted in the online shop without monthly fixed costs.

As a global provider of payment solutions, Worldline is characterized by years of experience and comprehensive services. The provider offers a scalable solution with a wide selection of payment methods, especially for larger companies. Worldline has also specialized in dynamic currency conversion, allowing foreign customers to pay easily in their own currency.

For easy integration, Worldline provides numerous free and paid plugins. Moreover, 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 large 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 von Planet

Datatrans von Planet is an established Payment Service Provider, 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 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. For smaller companies, however, this separate Acquirer contract could become an obstacle, particularly due to the financial extra effort.

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 Acquirer nor Payment Facilitator, Merchants need an Acceptance Contract with a separate Acquirer. To factor in this, a fee of 1.6 percent was used in this analysis. This is an assumption derived from the average of the rest of the providers. However, the transaction fee can vary depending on the selected Acquirer.

5.5 PayPal

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

With over 400 million users and great acceptance, PayPal is particularly suitable for companies that want to appeal to a large number of international customers. The platform supports a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, Apple Pay, Venmo, and many more. Additionally, PayPal offers some free plugins for popular e-commerce systems such as WooCommerce, Magento, and Shopware. Complementary 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 easy. Merchants 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 that is especially aimed at developers who need a highly customizable payment processing system. 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 easily 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 3.1 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. In addition, a valid photo ID and a commercial register number are required for verification. For large companies, Stripe also offers special conditions, which can be requested from sales.

5.7 wallee

wallee is a Swiss omnichannel Payment Service Provider that enables Merchants to handle payments seamlessly across different sales channels. The platform supports a wide range of payment methods, including credit cards, mobile wallets, and other local payment methods. wallee also 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 to large companies with specific requirements for their payment solution.

Online Merchants can extensively try out wallee in the free test mode. The platform is rated with an average of 3.4 out of 5 stars on Google based on 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 API.

5.8 saldiaPay

saldiaPay is an innovative Swiss Payment Service 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 is the “saldiaApps” –  integrations for a wide range of solutions like accounting, online shops, or logistics services. For Merchants without their own webshop, saldiaPay also offers its own shop system “saldiaShop”, which allows easy webshop creation.

saldiaPay also provides free plugins for popular shop systems such as WooCommerce and Shopware. All features 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 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 require a photo ID and, if available, the commercial register entry to register.

5.9 zahls.ch

zahls.ch is a Swiss Payment Service Provider characterized 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 Service 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 has only been rated three times on Google.

5.9.1 Price overview of zahls.ch

5.9.2 Additional remarks

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

Conclusion: Which is the right Payment Service Provider?

Before online Merchants decide on a Payment Service Provider, they should clearly define the individual requirements of their online shop. In addition to costs, the range of functions, supported shop systems, and offered payment methods also play a crucial role.

For young, digital companies, Payrexx can be an interesting option. As an all-in-one payment solution, Payrexx is compatible with all popular shop systems and at the same time the cheapest provider – followed by PostFinance and wallee. PayPal and Stripe, on the other hand, have higher transaction fees, and Datatrans has 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 plugins are free with Payrexx, PostFinance, PayPal, and Stripe, additional costs may apply with Worldline, Datatrans, and wallee. At 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 such as TWINT, PostFinance, Reka, and others. Here, Swiss providers like Payrexx, Datatrans, saldiaPay or zahls.ch are at an advantage. On the other hand, stakeholders with many international customers will benefit from global providers like PayPal or Stripe.

Regarding the easy integration, PayPal, Payrexx, and zahls.ch are particularly convincing, while Stripe, Worldline, and Datatrans score with more customization options. Since setting up with some providers involves a high level of technical know-how, two factors should also be considered when choosing.

In summary, it is worth considering newer and lesser-known providers. They often offer attractively priced and at the same time powerful payment solutions and can better respond to the individual needs of Merchants. For small and medium-sized shops, Payrexx and wallee are a good choice; for larger companies, however, an established provider may be more worthwhile. In terms of price, feature diversity, and user-friendliness, Payrexx is clearly one of the frontrunners.

Sources

Prices

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

Shop system plugins

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

Payment methods

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

Legal

We assume no liability for the accuracy, completeness, currency, or quality of the data and information provided in this comparison article. It is particularly important that online Merchants obtain price information and potential additional costs directly from the respective providers. Some providers may also have additional unofficial offers and conditions that are not 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. Also, we are entitled to supplement, delete, or temporarily or permanently discontinue the publication of this comparison article at any time.

As of: February 2026.

Contact Information

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