Online Shopping Payment Methods in Switzerland

Swiss online stores generally offer a fair number of options when it comes to paying for your shopping. This is beneficial because each payment method has its pros and cons.

1. Payment cards

Payment cards are very popular for shopping on the Internet because they are widely accepted by both Swiss and foreign online stores.

• Credit cards and prepaid cards

Mastercard and Visa credit cards are some of the most widely-accepted payment methods for online shopping in Switzerland. Many – but not all – Swiss online stores also accept American Express and/or Diners Club. You can find out when using credit cards is beneficial here. You generally do not pay any fees when you use Swiss credit cards to pay at Swiss online shops, although a few do charge markups. Important: In some cases, you may be charged foreign transaction fees even when you buy from Swiss stores. You can compare Swiss credit cards here and prepaid cards here.

• Debit cards

The new Debit Mastercard and Visa Debit can generally be used to pay at shops which accept Mastercard and Visa credit cards, which most online stores do. PostFinance debit cards are also accepted by many Swiss online shops. When you pay by debit card, purchases are charged straight to your bank account immediately. Swiss online stores generally do not charge fees or markups when you pay by debit card.

Card acceptance at major Swiss online stores:

* We have included some foreign online stores which are very popular with Swiss consumers. Note that foreign transaction fees may apply to credit card and debit card payments.

2. Billing

A number of invoice-based billing options are offered, with standard billing being the most common. With all of these, you receive an invoice accompanied by a deposit slip or bank information with which you make payments.

• Installment plans

Installment plans are normally offered as part of invoice billing, with the invoice stating whether you can pay off a bill in installments. Typically, you must pay off the bill in three monthly installments. You pay interest on the outstanding loan. Annual interest rates are typically between 10 and 12 percent, but can be as high as 15 percent. Some service providers charge a fixed amount of interest regardless of the exact amount owed, rather than using percentage-based rates. In addition to interest, you often pay a billing fee for each monthly bill. Altogether, these charges can add a big extra cost to your purchase.

• Prepayment

This option is less practical than debit cards because you cannot settle the payment immediately at the online checkout. Instead, you receive a QR-bill or IBAN which you must then use to transfer money into the store’s account. The item is only shipped after the store receives the money. Depending on which banks you and the merchant use, this process can take several days. You generally do not pay extra fees for prepayment by online bank transfer.

• Standard billing

Many Swiss merchants give you the option of getting a bill which you can pay within a given grace period (commonly 14 or 30 days). The invoice is normally sent by email, accompanied by a deposit slip which you can pay using online banking or at the post office. eBills may also be offered by some stores. While most merchants do not charge extra for invoice billing, some do charge a fee (2% or 2 francs, for example). Many online shops use third-party billing services like Availabill, Bob invoice, Cembra Pay, Klarna, PowerPay, and Swissbilling, so the bill may be sent from one of these companies.

• Monthly billing

Monthly billing works the same way as standard invoice billing. The difference is that you receive just one bill for all the purchases you make from an online store in a month, instead of separate bills for each. A number of Swiss online stores offer monthly billing. The Coop group, for example, lets you charge purchases at many of its stores to its Paycard account and get monthly bills. Some billing providers (like PowerPay) let you open monthly billing accounts and receive all your bills from all of their partner merchants in just one collective bill every month. Some online stores charge an extra fee when you pay this way.

• 0% financing

Some Swiss online stores offer 0% financing. This is genuine buy now pay later (BNPL) with which you can pay off a purchase in installments over time, but do not pay interest. In most cases, you do not pay any fees either. In Switzerland, 0% financing is primarily offered by small and mid-sized retailers. Currently, none of the biggest online stores give you this option. Stores which do offer it generally use a third-party service provider. One of these, bob Zero, lists partner stores which offer its 0% financing on its website.

Billing-based payment options offered by major Swiss online stores:

* We have included some foreign online stores which are very popular with Swiss consumers. Note that currency exchange costs may apply.

3. Mobile payments

Some mobile payment solutions can be used to pay online. However, aside from Twint, they are not yet widely accepted by larger Swiss online stores.

• Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay

A few Swiss online shops accept Apple Pay, Google Pay and/or Samsung Pay payments, but they are currently few and far between. Stores which accept these payments generally do not charge extra fees or markups.

• Twint

You can use Twint – the mobile payment service from Swiss banks – to pay at many Swiss online stores.

You can use your bank’s Twint app to charge online purchases directly to your personal bank account. A possible benefit of Twint is that payments are somewhat more convenient than with credit cards, for example, because you do not need to enter a lot of information. Most stores do not charge extra fees when you pay with Twint.

Mobile payment acceptance at major Swiss online stores:

* We have included some foreign online stores which are very popular with Swiss consumers. Note that foreign transaction fees may apply.

4. Other online payment options

There are a number of other payment methods which can be used at some or even at most Swiss online stores. 

• Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies

Only a handful of Swiss merchants accept bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. Those that do generally charge an extra fee for this kind of payment. The guide to spending bitcoin in Switzerland provides more information.

• Direct debit

Some online stores give you the option of setting up a direct debit. With this payment method, the merchant deducts the price of the goods you buy directly from your bank account. This can be convenient if you are a regular customer, as payments require very little effort on your part once the direct debit order is set up.

• E-Finance

If you bank with PostFinance, then you can use the E-Finance payment service to pay online at many Swiss merchants directly from your private account. The payment happens immediately at the checkout, as it would if you paid by debit card. Unlike prepayments, you do not have to set up a bank transfer or deposit, nor wait until the store receives the money. Merchants generally do not charge you fees for paying by E-Finance.

• PayPal

PayPal payments are accepted by many Swiss online stores. With PayPal you pay directly from your PayPal account or a linked credit card. It is not uncommon for Swiss merchants to charge a markup when you use PayPal to pay, and this is something you should be aware of if you use PayPal for online payments in Switzerland.

• Sofort (Klarna)

A number of Swiss online shops offer the Sofort payment service from Klarna as a payment method. This service can be used to make immediate online payments from your private account at any Swiss bank. A possible security concern is that you have to share your online banking login information with Klarna.

Other payment methods accepted by major Swiss online stores:

* We have included some foreign online stores which are very popular with Swiss consumers. Note that currency exchange costs may apply.

5. Store cards, gift cards, loyalty programs and vouchers

Some online merchants give you the option of paying for online purchases using their own proprietary apps or store cards. For example, many online stores in the Coop group accept the Paycard. You may also have the option of paying with customer loyalty points. Many Swiss retailers also offer gift cards or vouchers which can be redeemed against the cost of your purchase when checking out.

6. Paying offline when collecting online purchases

Swiss retailers which have both online and brick-and-mortar stores often give you the option of ordering online and collecting your order at a store or outlet. 

If you choose to collect at the store, you can generally pay in cash or with older debit cards (like Maestro or V Pay) when you pick up your purchase. You may also be able to use additional mobile payment solutions (like Apple Pay or Swatch Pay) when you pay at the store.

More on this topic:
Guide to online grocery shopping in Switzerland
Payment methods in Switzerland compared
Swiss credit card reward programs explained
Mobile payment solutions compared
Online shopping: How to protect yourself from dynamic pricing
Credit cards: Dynamic currency conversion explained
Credit cards: Foreign transaction fees explained