Payment defaults are the biggest risk when buying on account — but they are calculable and avoidable. Swiss online shops have three levers: credit checks before purchase (via credit agencies such as CRIF or Intrum), professional dunning nach dem Schuldbetreibungs- und Konkursgesetz (SchKG) and outsourcing the risk to BNPL providers such as Klarna or CembraPay. The right mix of prevention and hedging depends on the default rate, cart size and customer profile.

This guide shows you the concrete instruments for prevention and protection — from real-time credit checks in checkout to debt collection proceedings in accordance with SchKG.

1. Why payment defaults in purchase on account are a calculable risk — not a reason to avoid it

Payment defaults in purchase on account typically range between 1 and 5 % in Switzerland, depending on the industry, customer profile and existing protection mechanisms. This sounds like little, but can become significant with high order volumes.

Calculation example: An online shop with 1,000 orders per month at EUR 120 on account and a default rate of 3 % loses EUR 3,600 per month — or EUR 43,200 per year. The question is: Is this amount higher or lower than the costs of prevention (credit check) and hedging (BNPL fees)?

The answer is almost always: Prevention is cheaper. A credit check via CRIF or Intrum costs a few cents per query. Outsourcing to Klarna costs 1.60–2.40 % — at EUR 120 that represents EUR 2.12 to 3.18 per order, i. e. EUR 2,120–3,180 per month for 1,000 orders. This is less than the EUR 3,600 loss at 3 % default.

Not offering purchase on account is therefore rarely the right solution — rather, it is a matter of managing the risk professionally.

2. Credit check before purchase: How CRIF, Intrum and Deltavista work

The credit check is the first line of defense against payment defaults. There are four relevant credit agencies in Switzerland:

CRIF AG: The largest Swiss credit agency. CRIF awards a numerical score (1 to 600), which represents the likelihood of payment. Data sources are debt collection registers, commercial registers, debt collection data and positive payment behavior.

Intrum AG: In addition to credit checks, debt collection services are also provided. Intrum offers plugins for Shopware and Shopify, which enable credit checks directly in the checkout process.

Dun & Bradstreet Schweiz AG: Focused on corporate creditworthiness (B2B). Offers the D-U-N-S score for companies.

Creditreform: Swiss association with a local network. Particularly strong in the SME sector.

In practice, the real-time credit check in checkout works like this: If a customer selects "purchase on account", the shop system sends an API query to the credit agency in the background. Within milliseconds, a score comes back. If the score is above your defined threshold, the payment method is approved. If it falls below this, the payment method is hidden — the customer only sees credit card, TWINT or other risk-free options.

Important: You may only query credit data in Switzerland with a legitimate interest and in compliance with the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP). A legitimate interest exists if you supply goods to a person on credit (i. e. on account).

3. Setting up dunning correctly: Payment reminder, 1st warning, 2nd warning — deadlines and phrasing

If an invoice remains unpaid despite credit checks, the dunning process begins. There is no legal obligation to send warnings in Switzerland — you could submit a debt collection request immediately after the deadline expires. In practice, however, a stepped process that spares the customer relationship is recommended:

Payment reminder (5–7 days after the deadline expires): Friendly note that payment is still outstanding. Often, this is enough — many payment defaults are simply forgetfulness. No warning fee.

First warning (14 days after the deadline expires): Formal tone, new payment deadline of 10 days. Warning fee of EUR 10–20 is customary in the industry — but must be anchored in the T&C.

Second warning (24 days after the deadline expires): Last warning with threat of debt collection. New payment deadline of 10 days. Warning fee of EUR 20–30.

Automation is crucial here: Modern e-commerce systems and accounting tools (Bexio, Abacus, Run my Accounts) can fully automate the dunning process — including emailing payment reminders and new QR invoices.

4. From dunning to debt collection: How the SchKG procedure works in Switzerland

If all warnings remain unsuccessful, the debt enforcement procedure under the Debt Enforcement and Bankruptcy Act (SchKG) is the next step. The procedure:

Debt collection request (Art. 67 SchKG): You submit a debt collection request to the debt collection office at the debtor's domicile — in writing, orally or online. Costs: EUR 7–400, depending on the level of claim. You must advance the costs.

Summons to pay (Art. 69 SchKG): The debt collection office serves the debtor with a summons to pay — demanding payment within 20 days and advising that an objection can be lodged within 10 days.

Objection (Art. 74 SchKG): If the debtor objects, you as creditor must enforce the claim in court. With a written contract or a signed order confirmation, you can apply for provisional dismissal of the objection (Art. 82 SchKG).

Request for continuation: If no objection is lodged, you can submit the request for continuation at the earliest 20 days after service of the summons to pay.

For online shops with many small claims (EUR 20–200), the debt collection procedure is often disproportionately complex. In these cases, outsourcing to a debt collection agency or utilizing BNPL with risk assumption is more economical.

5. Risk assumption by third parties: When a BNPL provider with payment guarantee is worthwhile

BNPL providers like Klarna, CembraPay, POWERPAY and TWINT Pay Later assume the risk of default completely. You are guaranteed to receive the amount — regardless of whether the customer ultimately pays. The question is: When is this worthwhile?

Rule of thumb: BNPL with risk assumption is worthwhile if your default rate is higher than the BNPL fee. With a default rate of 3 % and a BNPL fee of 2.40 %, you effectively save 0.60 % per transaction with BNPL — and the entire effort of dunning and debt collection.

6. In-house vs. outsourcing: Cost-benefit calculation for Swiss SMEs

The decision between own risk and outsourcing depends on three factors:

Order volume: With fewer than 50 purchase on account orders per month, the administrative effort for your own dunning is manageable. From 200 orders per month, outsourcing almost always becomes more economical.

Default rate: Below 1 % default, own risk with QR invoice is cheaper. From 2–3 % default, losses exceed BNPL fees. From 5 % default, BNPL with risk assumption is strongly recommended.

Cart size: With large shopping carts (over EUR 500), every default weighs heavily. Even with a low default rate, individual unpaid orders can tip the monthly result. Here, protection via BNPL or a credit check is particularly important.

A pragmatic approach for Swiss SMEs: QR invoice with credit check (CRIF/Intrum) for regular customers and B2B customers, complemented by Klarna or TWINT Pay Later for new customers and high-risk segments.

7. Prevention in checkout: Order limits, address validation and fraud detection

In addition to credit checks and BNPL, there are other preventive measures that reduce payment defaults:

Order limits for new customers: Limit the maximum purchase on account amount for first-time buyers — for example to EUR 100. After the first successful payment, the limit can be increased.

Address validation: Verify whether the delivery and billing addresses match. Discrepancies are a risk signal. Swiss Post offers an API for address validation.

Velocity Checks: Detection of conspicuous order patterns — for example, multiple orders on account within a short time from the same address or IP.

Only verified payment methods for purchase on account: Make purchase on account available only to customers with a verified account and checked address. Guest orders only receive risk-free payment methods such as credit card or TWINT.

Limit outstanding claims: Do not allow a new purchase on account order as long as a previous invoice is still outstanding.

Checklist: Systematically minimize payment defaults in purchase on account

• Calculate your current default rate: What percentage of purchase on account orders are not paid?

• Compare default costs with BNPL fees: From when is risk assumption worthwhile?

• Implement a real-time credit check in checkout (CRIF or Intrum) to filter of high-risk transactions.

• Set up automated dunning: Payment reminder → 1st warning → 2nd warning → collection/debt enforcement.

• Set order limits for new customers in purchase on account.

• Check delivery and billing addresses for plausibility.

• Combine own risk (QR invoice for regular customers) with BNPL (for new customers).

• Document your T&C: Warning fees, default interest and threat of debt collection must be anchored in the T&C.