More than 90% of Swiss consumers prefer to pay contactless — anyone who accepts only cash at the food truck loses revenue. But which solution suits your stand? Card terminal, Tap to Pay, TWINT QR code or a food webshop? Our four guides show you step by step how to set up each option, what it costs and for whom it is suitable.

This overview page summarises the four guides and helps you find the right payment solution for your business model — whether walk-in customers at the weekly market, pre-orders via Instagram or catering orders via QR invoice.

Guide 1: Mobile card terminal for food trucks and market stalls

Hardware · 4G SIM · Receipt printing · Continuous operation

A physical card terminal with an integrated SIM card and battery is the most robust solution for daily use — whether at the weekly market, festival or company premises. The guide explains what you need to look for in battery life, connectivity and card acceptance, compares purchase vs. rental (from CHF 39 one-time purchase or CHF 25/month) and shows which payment methods are mandatory in Switzerland: Debit Mastercard, Visa Debit, TWINT and contactless wallets.

For whom: Year-round businesses with constant revenue, food trucks with high transaction volumes, businesses that need to print receipts or regularly accept cards without NFC (older Maestro cards with chip).

Key topics: Battery (at least 2500 mAh / 300+ transactions), 4G SIM vs. hotspot vs. event Wi-Fi, Debit Mastercard/Visa Debit conversion, purchase vs. rental, daily closing and CSV export, practical tips on battery care and hygiene.

→ To the guide: Mobile card terminal for food trucks and market stalls

Guide 2: Tap to Pay — card payments with the smartphone

No hardware · NFC · iPhone & Android · SoftPOS

Tap to Pay (SoftPOS) turns your smartphone into a contactless card reader — without an additional device, without fixed costs. The guide shows which iPhones and Android devices are compatible, how secure the technology is (CPoC-certified, PCI DSS) and when the payment process takes less than 5 seconds. Ideal as an entry-level solution for seasonal businesses or as a backup alongside a terminal.

For whom: Beginners without a budget for hardware, seasonal businesses that are only active for a few months, existing terminal users looking for a backup for peak times.

Key topics: How NFC/SoftPOS works, iPhone XS+ and Android 11+, CPoC security standard, practical test under 5 seconds, Tap to Pay vs. terminal comparison, provider overview (Payrexx, SumUp, Worldline, Stripe), multi-device use.

→ To the guide: Tap to Pay in Switzerland

Guide 3: TWINT QR code for food trucks and market stalls

No internet required · sticker · lowest fees · ready to use immediately

A TWINT QR sticker at the stand enables cashless payment completely without a terminal and without your own internet — the payment runs via the customer's mobile network. With a 1.3% transaction fee and no fixed costs, this is the cheapest entry-level solution. The guide explains the difference between static and dynamic QR, shows setup via TWINT directly or via Payrexx and covers pitfalls such as amount limits and scanning problems.

For whom: Very small businesses without a budget, farm shops, clubs, market stalls at locations without Wi-Fi, food trucks that only need TWINT (and no card terminal).

Key topics: Static vs. dynamic QR, setup via TWINT directly or Payrexx QR Pay, offline capability, fees for small amounts (CHF 0.07 for CHF 5.00), amount limits (max. CHF 5000 variable / CHF 200 fixed), refunds, tourist acceptance via PSP.

→ To the guide: TWINT QR code for food trucks and market stalls

Guide 4: Food webshop for pre-order, pickup and delivery

Online ordering · pickup time slots · catering · central dashboard

Your own food webshop enables food trucks, snack bars, bakeries and catering businesses to receive orders online — whether for pre-order with pickup, lunch menu subscription or company catering. The guide shows how to set up a simple order webshop without programming knowledge, which payment methods you should activate (TWINT, credit card, QR invoice) and how to manage online orders together with on-site payment at the stand via a single dashboard.

For whom: Food trucks with regular customers and recurring locations, catering businesses with pre-orders, snack bars and bakeries that want to process pickup orders online, mobile gastronomy businesses that accept Instagram and Google orders.

Key topics: Three scenarios (pre-order + pickup, walk-in customers, catering), webshop provider comparison (Payrexx Storefront, WooCommerce, Shopify, SumUp), one dashboard for online and offline revenue, practical example with specific costs, accounting in the Swiss SME chart of accounts, social media marketing (Instagram, Google Business).

→ To the guide: Combine food webshop with on-site payment

Which solution suits your stand?

All four options at a glance — sorted by entry barrier, costs and typical use.

All prices excl. VAT. Fees apply to Swiss consumer cards (Visa/Mastercard). As of 2026, indicative values.

Accounting and reconciliation for mobile businesses

Regardless of which payment solution you choose — at the end of the market day, the till must balance. Modern PSPs provide you with an online dashboard with daily closing, CSV export and breakdown by payment method. This makes collaboration with the trustee significantly easier.

Posting in the Swiss SME chart of accounts: PSP transaction fees are posted as bank charges (account 6840) — without VAT deduction, as payment services are tax-exempt according to Art. 21 para. 2 no. 19 VAT Act. A clearing account (e.g. 1090) cleanly maps the time delay between customer payment and payout.

In Switzerland there is no general cash register obligation for SMEs, but from CHF 500,000 annual turnover the ordinary bookkeeping obligation under Art. 957 of the Swiss Code of Obligations applies. Even below this threshold, traceable revenue documentation — cash and cashless — is strongly recommended.