Payment methods in Switzerland

Europe

8methods

10banks

Swiss e-commerce is worth US$14 billion in 2023, growing to US$22 billion by 2027 (14% of total retail).

Market takeaways

Swiss e-commerce is worth US$14 billion in 2023, growing to US$22 billion by 2027 (14% of total retail).
TWINT is the dominant mobile payment app with 773 million annual transactions and 84% online store penetration.
Bank transfers account for 44% of online transactions — the highest major-category share in the market.
The average shopper spends US$1,657 per year online, rising to US$2,458 by 2027.
68% of Swiss consumers have shopped cross-border, spending US$1.5 billion internationally (12% of e-commerce).

Population

8.8M

Online population

7.9M

B2C e-commerce

$14B

Banked population

99.9%

Credit card population

66%

E-commerce of total retail

14%

Payment method breakdown

Card35%
Cash1%
Bank Transfer44%
E-Wallet18%
Other2%

Card scheme breakdown

Visa18%
Mastercard63%
American Express3%
Local Schemes16%
Other0%

Cross-border e-commerce

Cross-border shoppers

68%

Share of e-commerce

12%

Cross-border value (est.)

$1.5B

Featured payment methods in Switzerland

All payment methods available in this market, sorted by prominence.

PostFinance Card / e-Finance

PostFinance is Switzerland's postal bank with near-universal account penetration. The PostFinance Card (debit) and PostFinance e-Finance (online banking) are used for both in-store and online payments. PostFinance's local card scheme accounts for a significant portion of the 16% local card scheme share in Switzerland.

Bank Transfer (Internet & Mobile Banking)

Generic online and mobile bank-transfer methods (internet banking, e-banking, EFT and interbank transfers). Customers pay directly from their bank account via their bank's own online/mobile banking portal. Implementation and rails differ by country, but the consumer flow is a standard account-to-account bank transfer.

Visa

Visa is the world's largest card network, enabling credit, debit and prepaid card payments online, in-store and at ATMs across virtually every market. In the listed countries Visa is a core internationally accepted scheme alongside local methods.

Mastercard

Mastercard is a leading global card network supporting credit, debit and prepaid card payments online, in-store and at ATMs worldwide. In the listed countries it is a core internationally accepted scheme.

Paysafecard

Paysafecard is a prepaid voucher payment method allowing consumers to pay online without a bank account or card. Vouchers are purchased at retail points of sale and redeemed with a 16-digit PIN at checkout. Switzerland is a supported Paysafecard consumer country and usage is concentrated in gaming, digital goods, and entertainment sectors.

TWINT

TWINT is Switzerland's nationally adopted mobile payment app, jointly owned by Swiss banks and PostFinance. It processes 773 million transactions per year and is accepted by approximately 84% of Swiss online stores — making it the second-most integrated payment method after credit cards. TWINT enables QR code, in-app, and online checkout payments linked directly to a bank account or prepaid balance. It dominates mobile payments with a 64% share of mobile transaction volume in Switzerland.

Sofort (Klarna)

German bank-redirect "Sofortüberweisung" method, now part of Klarna, letting shoppers pay by instant bank transfer. Operator: Klarna Bank AB (Sofort GmbH). Est. users: Tens of millions of users in DACH region (est.).

Klarna / BNPL

Klarna and similar BNPL providers have growing adoption in Switzerland, enabling shoppers to pay over time or after delivery. This aligns with Switzerland's historically strong open-invoice/invoice-payment culture, particularly in catalogue and fashion retail.

Featured banks in Switzerland

All banks operating in this market, sorted by prominence.

UBS Group

Zurich, Switzerland

UBS Group is Switzerland's largest bank and one of the world's premier wealth managers. Following its acquisition of Credit Suisse in 2023, UBS now manages over $5 trillion in invested assets globally.

Raiffeisen Switzerland

St. Gallen, Switzerland

Raiffeisen Switzerland is the country's second-largest retail bank and the third-largest bank overall, comprising 220 cooperative member banks with over 850 branches across Switzerland.

Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB)

Zurich, Switzerland

Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB) is the largest cantonal bank in Switzerland, state-guaranteed by the Canton of Zurich. It offers universal banking with a focus on retail, SME, and investment banking.

Julius Baer

Zurich, Switzerland

Julius Baer is one of Switzerland's leading pure private banking and wealth management groups, managing assets for high-net-worth individuals globally.

PostFinance

Bern, Switzerland

PostFinance is the financial services arm of Swiss Post, offering retail banking including payments, savings, and investments to over 2.5 million Swiss customers.

Pictet Group

Geneva, Switzerland

Pictet is a Swiss independent private bank founded in Geneva, operating as a partnership. It specialises in wealth and asset management with a global presence.

Lombard Odier

Geneva, Switzerland

Lombard Odier is a Swiss private bank and asset manager founded in Geneva in 1796, one of the oldest private banking partnerships in the world.

LGT Group

Vaduz, Liechtenstein

LGT is a private banking and asset management group owned by the Princely House of Liechtenstein, managing assets for ultra-high-net-worth individuals globally.

Basler Kantonalbank (BKB)

Basel, Switzerland

Basler Kantonalbank is the cantonal bank of Basel-Stadt, offering universal banking services to private, SME, and corporate customers in the Basel region.