The Practical Guide: Payment Solutions for Psychotherapists and Coaches in Switzerland

From a payment perspective, psychotherapeutic practices function fundamentally differently than physiotherapy or TCM: psychotherapists authorized to bill under statutory health insurance (KVG) bill via the health insurance and usually do not collect any payments on-site. Self-payers and coaching clients pay the full amount directly u2013 most sensibly via a payment link after the session, rather than through a terminal in the treatment room.

This guide explains the different billing models in Swiss psychotherapy, why a terminal in the treatment room harms the setting, and which payment solution fits which situation.

1. The Three Billing Models in Swiss Psychotherapy

Model A: Psychotherapy Authorized under Statutory Health Insurance (KVG)

Psychotherapists with KVG authorization (i.e., medical psychotherapists or delegated psychotherapy under medical supervision) bill directly via basic health insurance. Patients pay the usual deductible (at least EUR 300/year for adults) and the 10% co-payment. These amounts are billed via the health insurance company at the end of the quarter or year u2013 they are not collected directly on-site. This means: No payment process in the practice, no terminal needed for concluding the session.

Model B: Psychotherapy Not Authorized under Statutory Health Insurance / Self-Payers

Psychological psychotherapists without KVG authorization u2013 for example, with a Master's degree in psychology but without a medical delegation agreement u2013 offer their services as private services. Patients pay the full session price themselves: typically EUR 130 to EUR 250 per 50-minute session. Some supplementary insurances cover a part of this. This share must be collected directly.

Model C: Coaching and Counseling

Coaches, life counselors, and mental trainers are not subject to KVG and fundamentally collect all payments directly. Session prices typically range from EUR 150 to EUR 350 per hour, while package offers (e.g., 5-session coaching package) range from EUR 800 to EUR 2'000. In this segment, prepayment at the time of booking is particularly common u2013 both via payment link and via Payrexx Pages.

2. Why a Terminal in the Treatment Room Harms the Therapeutic Setting

In psychotherapy, the conclusion of a session is a sensitive moment. The conversation ends, often after intense topics, and the therapist accompanies the client to the exit. Holding out a terminal, waiting for card payment, printing a receipt u2013 this disrupts the transition and feels clinical. Many psychotherapists describe this as disruptive to the therapeutic relationship.

Payment links solve this problem structurally: the therapist sends a link via SMS after the session. The client pays at home or on the go, whenever they wish. This completely decouples the payment from the therapeutic setting. For online sessions (Zoom, Teams), the payment link is the only sensible solution anyway.

Another aspect: in group therapy or institutional settings, paying at a terminal can feel socially awkward if other participants are watching. Payment links enable discreet individual billing, independent of the group setting.

3. Payment Link: The Payment Workflow for Psychotherapy Practices

The process is extremely simple: hold the session, close the session, walk out of the practice. Afterwards u2013 either on the same day or the next morning u2013 create a payment link in the Payrexx Dashboard and send it via SMS or WhatsApp. The client clicks the link, selects TWINT, card, or mobile wallet, and pays. The payment immediately appears in the Dashboard.

Payment links are included in all Payrexx plans, including Free. For practices that exclusively use payment links (no terminal, no Tap to Pay), the Free plan offers a complete setup with no fixed costs. Transaction fees via the Standard plan: TWINT 1.25% + EUR 0.18, Visa/Mastercard 1.65% + EUR 0.18 (as of May 2026).

For Coaching Packages: Payrexx Pages

For those selling coaching packages (e.g., 5-session package, 3-month program), create a Payrexx Page with the package options once and share the URL on the website or in the appointment confirmation. Clients book and pay in a single step. This works without any booking tool plugin and is available in all plans.

4. Billing Online Sessions: Zoom, Teams, and Co.

Remote psychotherapy and online coaching have established themselves permanently in Switzerland after 2020. For these sessions, the payment link is the only practical payment solution. No terminal, no QR code on-site u2013 the link is sent via email after the session. Or even more elegantly: in advance, so that the client has already paid before the session begins.

For regular weekly or bi-weekly online sessions, Recurring Payments by credit card are recommended: the client enters their credit card details once, and the amount is automatically deducted after each session. Recurring Payments are available in all Payrexx plans. TWINT does not support Recurring Payments u2013 Visa or Mastercard is required for this.

5. Insured Patients and Self-Payers Simultaneously: Keep Bookkeeping Cleanly Separated

Many psychotherapists run a mixed practice: some patients are KVG authorized (billing via Tarmed), while others pay directly. In the Payrexx Dashboard, all direct payments can be provided with a booking text and exported as a CSV. Recommended convention: 'Self-payer [Initials/ID]' versus 'Coaching [Client Name]' u2013 this keeps the categorization in the payment solution free of patient data.

Data privacy note: no diagnoses or detailed patient data should be entered as booking text in the Payrexx Dashboard. Payment data and patient data must be kept strictly separated under data protection law. The booking text is used for internal assignment only u2013 initials or a patient ID are sufficient.

6. Cost Comparison: What Is Worthwhile for a Psychotherapy Practice?

With 20 sessions/month at EUR 160 via TWINT: Free = EUR 47.60 in fees, Standard = EUR 43.60 + EUR 19 subscription = EUR 62.60 total. The Free plan is often cheaper than Standard for small practices with few direct payments. From approx. 40 direct sessions/month, Standard becomes worthwhile. As of May 2026.

7. Checklist: Setting Up a Payment Solution for the Psychotherapy Practice

• Clarify which billing model you use: KVG authorized, self-payer, or coaching

• Set up a Payrexx account u2013 Free plan is sufficient for payment links and Recurring Payments

• Create a payment link template for the standard session price (under 1 minute in the Dashboard)

• Activate TWINT and Credit Card as payment methods

• For coaching packages: set up a Payrexx Page with package options and a fixed URL

• For weekly online sessions: set up Recurring Payments by credit card

• Define a booking text convention: initials or patient ID, no diagnoses

• Review privacy policy for payment processing (DSG Art. 9, DPA with Payrexx)

Payrexx offers psychotherapists and coaches Payment Links, Recurring Payments, Payrexx Pages, and Invoice from a single account u2013 with TWINT, credit card, and mobile wallets without separate contracts. The Free plan with no monthly fee is a complete setup for solo practices that mainly use payment links.