On-site payment at the food truck and webshop — how does the combined solution work?

Swiss food trucks, market stalls and catering businesses can combine a simple online ordering shop with an on-site payment solution without running two separate systems. To do 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 sales in EUR. Transaction fees range between 1.3 % (TWINT) and 2.5 % (credit card) per payment, depending on the payment method.

This guide shows you step-by-step how to set up an online shop for advance orders, connect on-site payment and manage both via Una cuenta — with concrete costs, provider comparisons and a practical checklist for the Swiss mobile catering sector.

1. Why food trucks and market stalls need to sell online and on-site today

The Swiss catering industry is changing. According to the Swiss Payment Monitor, more than 70 % of Swiss consumers regularly use cashless payment methods. For food trucks and mobile stalls, this means: those who only accept cash lose customers. At the same time, regular customers increasingly expect the option to pre-order online and pick up their food at the desired time.

The combination of an online shop and on-site payment solves several problems at once: queues at the stall become shorter because customers who pre-order only need to collect their food. Walk-in customers can pay spontaneously by card, TWINT or smartphone. And you as an operator see all sales — both online and offline — in one place.

A pre-ordering system is a competitive advantage, especially for recurring locations (weekly markets, business parks, festivals): you can plan stock quantities better and reduce food waste. At the same time, you build a digital customer relationship via the online shop that goes beyond physical contact at the stall.

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

Scenario A: Pre-ordering and pickup

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

Scenario B: Walk-in customers on-site

A passer-by discovers your stall and places a spontaneous order. They pay contactlessly via 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 your Android device itself becomes the card reader — without additional hardware.

Scenario C: Catering and event orders

A company orders catering for 30 people via your online shop and pays via QR-bill or advance payment. On the day of the event, you deliver the food and, if necessary, collect payment for additional orders from guests on-site via terminal. In this scenario, you additionally need the ability to create invoices with a QR reference, which many Swiss PSPs offer.

3. Setting up a simple online ordering shop — without programming skills

For most food truck operators, a full-fledged online shop with inventory management is oversized. 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 enable this without programming knowledge. The most common options:

The crucial point for the combined solution for events: choose a provider where the online shop and on-site payment run via the same account. This avoids duplicate accounting and gives you a single Dashboard for all revenue. If you combine a separate online shop 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 consider the following points when setting up the online shop: limit the range to a few, clearly described products. Offer pickup time slots so you can plan food preparation. Activate at least TWINT and credit cards as payment methods — this covers the vast majority of Swiss customers. And link the online shop 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

In Switzerland, you have three common options for payment at the stall:

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 of between EUR 49 and EUR 400, depending on the range of functions. A SumUp Solo Lite costs around EUR 49 without a subscription, Payrexx terminals are rented for EUR 25/month, and a Worldline terminal often starts from approx. EUR 25–40/month.

Tap to Pay on your smartphone

Tap to Pay turns your smartphone into a card terminal. The customer holds their card or smartphone against your device, and the payment is processed via NFC (TWINT via QR code on the screen). Various PSPs offer this feature — with Payrexx, Tap to Pay is included in every subscription – without a one-time fee, even in the free InStore subscription –, 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, in which case their TWINT terms apply (e.g. 1.25 % + EUR 0.18 with Payrexx Standard or 1.30 % + EUR 0.30 with Payrexx Free).

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

5. One Dashboard, all sales: centrally manage online and on-site payments

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 a 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 total daily, weekly and monthly sales broken down by payment method.

This not only simplifies accounting, but also planning: you quickly identify what proportion of your sales comes from pre-orders and what from walk-in customers. If you work with a fiduciary, you can use the consolidated statement directly as the basis for bookkeeping entries.

Payout to your Swiss bank account (IBAN) occurs daily, weekly or monthly depending on the PSP. For correct entry in the Swiss Chart of Accounts for SMEs, a transit account is recommended (e.g. account 1090), which reflects the time delay between customer payment and payout. You record the PSP's transaction fees as bank charges (account 6840), without VAT deduction, as payment services are exempt from tax in accordance with Art. 21 para. 2 no. 19 MWSTG.

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, and during the week at a business park in Wallisellen. Here is how she set up her combined solution:

Online shop for pre-orders: Using Payrexx Pages, Lisa created a one-page shop where her five poke bowls (EUR 18.50 each) and three drinks are listed. Customers choose a pickup time window (e.g. 11:30–12:00) and pay via 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 Android smartphone. Walk-in customers hold their debit card or smartphone against Lisa's phone and pay contactlessly. She also has a TWINT QR sticker on the counter for customers who prefer to pay via the TWINT app.

Central accounting: All payments — the Instagram pre-orders and spontaneous purchases at the market — run through the same Payrexx account. Lisa sees in the Dashboard that around 35 % of her revenue now comes from pre-orders. She exports her weekly statement as a CSV for her fiduciary.

Monthly costs: Lisa uses the Payrexx Standard plan (Omnichannel) for EUR 19/month. With a monthly turnover of around EUR 8,000 (of which approx. EUR 5,000 is card/TWINT), she pays effectively between EUR 65 and EUR 115 in transaction fees, depending on the payment mix — plus the EUR 19 subscription fee.

7. Keeping 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: fixed monthly costs (subscription), transaction fees per payment, and any hardware costs for a terminal. The following table compares the relevant providers for a typical food truck with EUR 5,000 in 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 sample calculation: With EUR 5,000 in monthly turnover, of which 60 % is credit card/debit card and 40 % TWINT, Payrexx Standard results in a total monthly cost of around EUR 95–105 (EUR 19 subscription + approx. EUR 50 card fees + approx. EUR 25–35 TWINT fees). With SumUp without a subscription (card payment only, no TWINT), you are at about EUR 75–125 in pure transaction fees — albeit without an online shop feature with integrated TWINT.

Keep in mind: The lowest transaction fees are of little use if you have to manually reconcile two separate systems. The time spent on duplicate 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 cost-effective.

8. Checklist: Set up online shop + on-site payment for your food truck

• Check business structure: As a sole proprietorship or limited liability company (GmbH), you can register directly with most Swiss PSPs. A commercial register entry speeds up activation.

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

• Set up the online shop: Enter products, prices in EUR, pickup time slots and contact details. Less is more — keep the range concise.

• Activate payment methods in the online shop: At least TWINT and credit card. Check whether the QR-bill makes sense for catering orders.

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

• Perform a test order: Place an order yourself in your online shop, verify the payment flow, and test the terminal or Tap to Pay before the first live use.

• Set up payout account: Enter Swiss IBAN and define payout frequency (weekly is recommended for food trucks with regular inventory purchases).

• Distribute online shop link: Instagram bio, Google Business Profile, flyers at the stall, QR code on the menu.

• Prepare accounting: Set up transit account 1090, record fees to account 6840. For low volumes, a monthly collective booking is sufficient.

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

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

As a Swiss PSP, Payrexx offers a combined solution for precisely this scenario: Using Payrexx Pages, you create an ordering online shop without programming skills, activate TWINT, credit card and other payment methods, and simultaneously accept on-site payments via Tap to Pay or terminal.

All transactions — online and at the stall — run via Una cuenta with consolidated billing and payout to your Swiss IBAN account. The Free plan is ideal for trying it out, while the Standard plan from EUR 19/month offers lower transaction fees and API access for advanced integrations.

You can test Payrexx free of charge for 30 days, without a credit card or obligation.