Swiss food trucks, market stalls and catering businesses can combine a simple order webshop with an on-site payment solution without operating two separate systems. For this, you use a Payment Service Provider (PSP) that offers both online payments and card terminals or Tap to Pay — ideally with a shared dashboard for all revenue in CHF. Transaction fees vary depending on the payment method between 1.3 % (TWINT) and 2.5 % (credit card) per payment.

This guide shows you step by step how to set up a webshop for preorders, connect on-site payment and manage both via one account — with concrete costs, provider comparisons and a practical checklist for Swiss mobile gastronomy.

1. Why food trucks and market stalls must sell online and on site today

Swiss gastronomy is changing. According to the Swiss Payment Monitor, over 70 % of Swiss consumers regularly use cashless payment methods. For food trucks and mobile stalls, this means: if you only accept cash, you lose customers. At the same time, regular customers increasingly expect to be able to preorder online and pick up their food at the desired time.

The combination of webshop and on-site payment solves several problems at once: queues at the stall become shorter because preorder customers only need to pick up their food. Walk-in customers can pay spontaneously by card, TWINT or smartphone. And you as the operator can see all revenue — online and offline — in one place.

Especially for recurring locations (weekly markets, company sites, festivals), a preorder system is a competitive advantage: you can plan stock better and reduce food waste. At the same time, you build a digital customer relationship through the webshop that goes beyond the physical stall contact.

2. Three scenarios: preorder + pickup, walk-in customers, catering orders

Scenario A: Preorder and pickup

Your customer orders a lunch menu the evening before or in the morning through your webshop, pays online via TWINT or credit card and picks up the prepared food at the food truck at an agreed time. You prepare the order in a targeted way and avoid overproduction. This model is particularly suitable for weekly markets with regular customers or food trucks on company sites.

Scenario B: Walk-in customers on site

A passer-by discovers your stall and orders spontaneously. They pay contactless by debit card, credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or via TWINT QR code. For this, you need a mobile card terminal or Tap to Pay on your smartphone. Tap to Pay means that your iPhone or Android device becomes the card reader itself — without additional hardware.

Scenario C: Catering and event orders

A company orders catering for 30 people through your webshop and pays via QR invoice or advance payment. On the event day, you deliver the food and, if applicable, collect additional orders from guests on site via terminal. In this scenario, you also need the option to create invoices with QR reference, which many Swiss PSPs offer.

3. Set up a simple order webshop — no programming knowledge required

For most food truck operators, a full-fledged online shop with inventory management is overdimensioned. What you need is a simple product page with a shopping cart where your customers can select a menu or individual dishes, specify a pickup time and pay online.

Several Swiss providers make this possible without programming knowledge. The most common options:

The decisive point for the combined solution: choose a provider where webshop and on-site payment run through the same account. This avoids double billing and gives you one dashboard for all revenue. If you combine a separate webshop provider (e.g. WooCommerce) with a separate terminal provider (e.g. SumUp), you have two separate systems and two statements.

Regardless of the provider, you should pay attention to the following points when setting up the webshop: limit the assortment to a few clearly described products. Offer pickup time windows so you can plan preparation. Activate at least TWINT and credit cards as payment methods — this covers the majority of Swiss customers. And link the webshop prominently on your Instagram profile or your Google Business page.

4. Seamlessly connect on-site payment: terminal, Tap to Pay or TWINT QR to the same account

For payment at the stall, you have three common options in Switzerland:

Mobile card terminal

A physical device (e.g. from SumUp, Worldline or via Payrexx) that accepts debit cards, credit cards and contactless payments. The devices cost a one-off fee between CHF 16 and CHF 400, depending on the range of functions. A SumUp Air costs around CHF 16 with no contract commitment, while a Worldline terminal is often rented (from approx. CHF 25–40/mo.).

Tap to Pay on the smartphone

Tap to Pay turns your smartphone into a card terminal. The customer holds their card or smartphone to your device, and the payment is processed via NFC. Various PSPs offer this function — with Payrexx, Tap to Pay is available from a one-off verification fee of CHF 49, for example, and with SumUp via the app. Tap to Pay is particularly suitable for businesses that want to carry as little hardware as possible.

TWINT QR code

A TWINT QR sticker at your stall enables payments directly via the customer’s TWINT app. The fee for the basic QR sticker is 1.3 % of the transaction amount — with no monthly fixed costs. Alternatively, TWINT runs via your PSP, then its TWINT conditions apply (e.g. 1.25 % + CHF 0.18 with Payrexx Standard or 1.30 % + CHF 0.30 with Payrexx Free).

The key to the combined solution: the on-site payment method should run through the same PSP as your webshop. Then all transactions flow into one dashboard, and you receive a consolidated statement. When choosing, make sure that the PSP supports both online payments and physical payments (terminal or Tap to Pay).

5. One dashboard, all revenue: manage online and on-site payments centrally

The biggest operational advantage of a combined solution is central management. Instead of reconciling two statements from two providers at the end of the month, you see in one single dashboard:

all online orders from the webshop, all on-site payments via terminal or Tap to Pay, all TWINT transactions — whether online or at the stall — as well as the total daily, weekly and monthly revenue broken down by payment method.

This not only makes accounting easier, but also planning: you can quickly see what share of your revenue comes from preorders and what share from walk-in customers. If you work with a fiduciary, you can use the consolidated statement directly as the basis for posting.

The payout to your Swiss bank account (IBAN) takes place daily, weekly or monthly depending on the PSP. For correct posting in the Swiss SME chart of accounts, a transit account (e.g. account 1090) is recommended, which reflects the time lag between customer payment and payout. You book the PSP transaction fees as bank charges (account 6840), without VAT deduction, as payment services are exempt from tax according to Art. 21 para. 2 no. 19 VAT Act.

6. Practical example: how a food truck uses Payrexx for weekly market and Instagram orders

Lisa runs a poke bowl food truck in the Zurich region. On Saturdays she is at the Bülach weekly market, during the week at a company site in Wallisellen. This is how she set up her combined solution:

Webshop for preorders: Via Payrexx Storefront, Lisa created a one-page shop listing her five poke bowls (CHF 18.50 each) and three drinks. Customers choose a pickup time window (e.g. 11:30–12:00) and pay by TWINT or credit card. She shares the shop link every Wednesday evening in her Instagram story.

On-site payment at the market: At the weekly market, Lisa uses Tap to Pay on her iPhone. Walk-in customers hold their debit card or smartphone to Lisa’s phone and pay contactless. In addition, she has a TWINT QR sticker at the counter for customers who prefer to pay via the TWINT app.

Central billing: All payments — the Instagram preorders and the spontaneous purchases at the market — run through the same Payrexx account. In the dashboard, Lisa sees that around 35 % of her revenue now comes from preorders. She exports her weekly statement as CSV for her fiduciary.

Monthly costs: Lisa uses the Payrexx Standard plan for CHF 15/mo. With monthly revenue of around CHF 8’000 (of which approx. CHF 5’000 card/TWINT), she effectively pays between CHF 65 and CHF 115 in transaction fees, depending on the payment mix — plus the CHF 15 subscription fee.

7. Keep costs under control: what the combined solution costs for small businesses

The costs of a combined online and on-site payment solution consist of three components: monthly fixed costs (subscription), transaction fees per payment and, if applicable, hardware costs for a terminal. The following table compares the relevant providers for a typical food truck with CHF 5’000 monthly card turnover:

All prices are exclusive of VAT. The stated credit card fees apply to Swiss consumer cards (Visa/Mastercard). Business cards and foreign cards may incur higher fees.

A concrete example calculation: with CHF 5’000 monthly revenue, of which 60 % credit/debit card and 40 % TWINT, Payrexx Standard results in a total monthly cost of around CHF 90–100 (CHF 15 subscription + approx. CHF 50 card fees + approx. CHF 25–35 TWINT fees). With SumUp without subscription (card payments only, no TWINT), you are at about CHF 75–125 in pure transaction fees — however without webshop function with integrated TWINT.

Keep in mind: the lowest transaction fees are of little use if you have to manually reconcile two separate systems for them. The effort for double billing, manual reconciliations and separate exports can quickly eat up the cost advantage. Calculate for your specific turnover whether an individual solution or a combined solution is more economical.

8. Checklist: set up webshop + on-site payment for your food truck

• Check business form: as a sole proprietorship or GmbH, you can register directly with most Swiss PSPs. An entry in the commercial register speeds up activation.

• Select a PSP that offers online and on-site payments from a single source. Make sure TWINT, Visa/Mastercard and debit cards are covered.

• Set up the webshop: record products, prices in CHF, pickup time windows and contact details. Less is more — keep the assortment clear.

• Activate payment methods in the webshop: at least TWINT and credit card. Check whether the QR invoice is useful for catering orders.

• Set up the on-site payment method: order a terminal, activate Tap to Pay or request a TWINT QR sticker.

• Carry out a test order: order yourself in your webshop, check the payment process and test the terminal or Tap to Pay before first use.

• Store the payout account: enter the Swiss IBAN and define the payout rhythm (weekly is recommended for food trucks with ongoing goods purchases).

• Distribute the webshop link: Instagram bio, Google Business profile, flyer at the stall, QR code on the menu.

• Prepare accounting: set up transit account 1090, book fees to account 6840. For small volumes, a monthly collective booking is sufficient.

• Evaluate after the first month: how much revenue comes online, how much on site? Does the payment mix fit? Adjust the subscription or payment methods if necessary.

How you combine webshop and on-site payment for your food truck with Payrexx

Payrexx offers a combined solution as a Swiss PSP for exactly this scenario: with Payrexx Storefront you create an order webshop without programming knowledge, activate TWINT, credit card and other payment methods and accept on-site payments via Tap to Pay or terminal at the same time. All transactions — online and at the stall — run through one account with consolidated billing and payout to your Swiss IBAN account. The Free plan is suitable for trying it out, the Standard plan from CHF 15/mo. offers lower transaction fees and API access for advanced integrations. You can test Payrexx free for 30 days, without a credit card or commitment.