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 utilise 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. The 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 pre-orders, integrate on-site payment, and manage both via Una cuenta — with concrete costs, provider comparisons, and a practical checklist for mobile gastronomy in Switzerland.

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

Gastronomy in Switzerland 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: 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 pre-orderers just pick up their food. Walk-in customers can pay spontaneously by card, TWINT, or smartphone. And you as the operator see all sales — online as well as offline — in one place.

Particularly for recurring locations (weekly markets, company premises, festivals), a pre-order system is a competitive advantage: you can plan the quantity of goods better and reduce food waste. At the same time, you build a digital customer relationship through the webshop that goes beyond the physical contact at the stall.

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

Scenario A: pre-order and pickup

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

Scenario B: walk-in customers on-site

A passerby discovers your stall and orders spontaneously. They pay loss-free 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 itself becomes a card reader — without additional hardware.

Scenario C: catering and event orders

A company orders catering for 30 people via your online shop and pays by QR-invoice or prepayment. On the day of the event, you deliver the food and collect any additional orders from guests on-site by terminal. In this scenario, you also need the option 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, on which your customers can select a menu or individual dishes, specify a pickup time, and pay online.

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

The crucial point for the combined solution: choose a provider where the online shop and on-site payment run via the same account. This way you avoid duplicate billings and have a single Dashboard for all sales. 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 billings.

Regardless of the provider, you should consider the following points when setting up the online shop: limit the product range to a few, clearly described products. Offer pickup time windows so that you can plan the preparation. Activate at even TWINT and credit cards as payment methods — this covers the majority of Swiss customers. And link the online shop visibly on your Instagram profile or your Google Business page.

4. Seamlessly integrate 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 card, and contactless payments. The devices cost a one-off fee between EUR 16 and EUR 400, depending on the range of functions. A SumUp Air costs around EUR 16 without contract commitment, a Worldline terminal is often rented (from approx. EUR 25–40/month).

Tap to Pay on the smartphone

Tap to Pay transforms your smartphone into a card terminal. The customer holds their card or smartphone against your device, and the payment is processed via NFC. Various PSPs offer this feature — with Payrexx, Tap to Pay is available from a one-off verification fee of EUR 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 — without monthly fixed costs. Alternatively, TWINT runs via your PSP, in which case their TWINT conditions 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 billing. When choosing, make sure that 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 greatest 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 online shop, 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 facilitates not only accounting, but also planning: you quickly recognise what proportion of your sales comes from preorders and what from walk-in customers. If you work with a fiduciary, you can use the consolidated statement directly as a basis for booking.

The payout to your Swiss bank account (IBAN) takes place daily, weekly, or monthly depending on the PSP. For correct booking in the Swiss SME chart of accounts, a transit account (e.g. account 1090) is recommended, which maps the time delay between customer payment and payout. You book the PSP's 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 stands at the weekly market in Bülach, during the week on company premises in Wallisellen. This is how she set up her combined solution:

Webshop for pre-orders: Lisa created a one-page shop via the Payrexx Storefront, on which 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 in her Instagram story every Wednesday evening.

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 contactlessly. Additionally, she has a TWINT QR sticker on the counter for customers who prefer to pay by TWINT app.

Central billing: All payments — the Instagram pre-orders and the 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 billing as CSV for her fiduciary.

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

7. Keeping costs under control: what the combined solution costs 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 any hardware costs for a terminal. The following table compares the relevant providers for a typical food truck with EUR 5,000 monthly card sales:

All prices are exclusive of value-added tax. The specified credit card fees apply to Swiss consumer cards (Visa/Mastercard). Business cards and foreign cards may trigger higher fees.

A concrete example calculation: with EUR 5,000 monthly turnover, of which 60 % credit card/debit card and 40 % TWINT, the Payrexx Standard plan results in a total monthly outlay of around EUR 90–100 (EUR 15 subscription + approx. EUR 50 card fees + approx. EUR 25–35 TWINT fees). With SumUp without a subscription (only card payment, no TWINT), you are at about EUR 75–125 in pure transaction fees — although 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 reconciliation, and separate exports can quickly eat up the cost advantage. Calculate for your specific turnover whether a single solution or a combined solution makes more sense.

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

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

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

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

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

• Set up physical payment method: order a terminal, activate Tap to Pay, or apply for a TWINT QR sticker.

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

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

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

• 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 sales come online, how much on-site? Is the payment mix correct? 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 exactly this scenario: via the Payrexx Storefront, you create an ordering Pages 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 through one account with consolidated billing and payout to your Swiss IBAN account. The Free-Plan is suitable for trying out, the Standard plan from EUR 15/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 commitment.