Which payment methods did Swiss online shops offer?
Payment methods determine how customers can settle an order. The ZHAW Online Retailer Survey 2020 found that credit cards and invoices were widely offered, alongside advance payment and PostFinance. PayPal also featured prominently, followed by TWINT. These findings describe 2020, not today’s market.
Offering a method and using it are different measures
The share of shops offering a payment method is not its share of transactions. The study’s transaction breakdown was 49% invoice, 32% credit card, 9% mobile payment and 10% other methods. Mobile payment and the remaining methods therefore accounted for 19% together.
Mobile payment was already an important development in that period. TWINT was available in around half of the surveyed Swiss shops in 2020. For retailers, the practical question is whether the available options fit their own customers and checkout.
What does a billing partner do?
A billing partner handles agreed parts of the invoice process, such as credit checks, payment checks and reminders. The study reported that roughly half of merchants offering invoices worked with such a partner. Fees and the exact services provided matter when comparing offers.
What is a payment service provider?
A payment service provider connects a shop to payment processing. This differs from a direct bank transfer, where a shop receives payment without using the same checkout processing flow.
In the survey, PayPal and PostFinance led the provider ranking, followed by Saferpay from Worldline/SIX Payment Services and Datatrans. Stripe was less commonly used. This is a historical adoption comparison, not a current price or quality ranking.
How should a shop compare its options?
Choosing a payment setup means balancing customer expectations with operational requirements. A familiar brand alone does not show whether a provider is suitable for a particular shop.
- Check the integration with your shop system, including checkout, refunds and updates.
- Compare the complete fee structure and contractual conditions.
- Clarify support availability and responsibility for payment problems.
- Test vouchers, order status updates and conversion tracking.
- Choose methods that match your customer base instead of adding every available option.
A TWINT option does not automatically replace all other payment methods: it only serves customers who can and want to use TWINT. The same principle applies to any individual payment option.
The takeaway
A useful payment setup makes purchasing straightforward and fits the shop’s processes. Use the historical study to understand the market at that time; evaluate providers and customer needs separately for your own implementation.
D. Zumstein and C. Oswald: Online Retailer Survey 2020, ZHAW School of Management and Law