Datatrans vs. PayPal
Established Swiss PSP vs. the world's best-known payment provider
Datatrans by Planet is an established Swiss PSP with many years of experience in the enterprise segment. With over 400 million users, PayPal is the world's best-known payment provider. The two pursue fundamentally different approaches: Datatrans as a classic PSP with a separate acquirer contract, PayPal as a global all-in-one solution. This comparison shows the strengths and weaknesses of both providers.
Total monthly costs of Datatrans and PayPal with a turnover of EUR 20,000
Total monthly costs of Datatrans and PayPal with a turnover of EUR 100,000
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Datatrans and PayPal?
Datatrans convinces with Swiss payment methods like TWINT and PostFinance Pay, omnichannel support and a high Google rating (4.1 stars). Disadvantages are the required acquirer contract, paid plugins and a paid support hotline.
PayPal benefits from worldwide recognition, no fixed costs and easy setup. Disadvantages are the highest transaction fees of all compared providers, no Swiss payment methods like TWINT or PostFinance Pay, only email and chat support and the lowest Google rating with 1.6 stars.
Comparison table advantages and disadvantages Datatrans vs PayPal
Datatrans
Advantages
Numerous payment methods (including TWINT and PostFinance Pay)
Free trial available
High awareness
High Google rating
Support for omnichannel payments (POS)
Disadvantages
Partially paid plugins
Complex setup
No e-commerce tools
High monthly fixed costs
Fees not transparent
Paid support hotline
PayPal
Advantages
Monthly fixed costs
Free plugins
High recognition and acceptance
Ideal for international payments
Disadvantages
No support for TWINT and PostFinance Pay
No e-commerce tools
High transaction fees
Headquarters in the USA
Email or chat support only
Low Google rating
Which payment methods do Datatrans and PayPal offer?
Datatrans supports 12 payment methods, including TWINT, PostFinance Pay and Reka, which are essential in Switzerland. PayPal does not offer any of these Swiss payment methods – neither TWINT nor PostFinance Pay are available. For Swiss online shops, this is a serious disadvantage, as TWINT and PostFinance Pay are among the most popular payment methods in Switzerland. Datatrans has a clear advantage here.
Comparison table payment methods Datatrans vs PayPal
Datatrans
PayPal
Which shop system plugins do Datatrans and PayPal offer?
Datatrans offers plugins for WooCommerce, Shopware, JTL, Ecwid, Drupal, and Magento – some of which are paid. PayPal provides free plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, Shopware, and Magento, but does not support JTL, Drupal, or Ecwid. Both providers do not offer integrated e-commerce tools. PayPal has an advantage with its Shopify integration, while Datatrans has broader coverage among Swiss shop systems.
Comparison table plugins and integrations Datatrans vs PayPal
Datatrans
PayPal
How does the support of Datatrans and PayPal differ?
Datatrans offers a paid support hotline. PayPal only provides email and chat support – there is no phone or personal advice. The Google reviews show a clear difference: Datatrans 4.1 stars (26 reviews), PayPal 1.6 stars (56 reviews). Despite being fee-based, Datatrans offers the more professional support.
For whom is Datatrans suitable and for whom PayPal?
Datatrans is suitable for larger Swiss companies that require Swiss payment methods, already have an acquirer contract and are looking for professional omnichannel solutions. PayPal is useful when an online shop has a high share of international customers who expect PayPal as a familiar payment method, and no Swiss payment methods are required.
How easy is the setup with Datatrans and PayPal?
With PayPal, company information and commercial register number are sufficient – setup is completed in a few minutes. Datatrans first requires the conclusion of a separate acceptance contract with an acquirer before the test account is activated. This process is significantly more complex and time-consuming. In terms of setup speed, PayPal has a clear advantage.
How much does Datatrans cost compared to PayPal?
With a monthly turnover of 20,000 EUR, Datatrans costs 398 EUR (excluding acquiring costs), PayPal 790 EUR. Datatrans is therefore nominally 392 EUR cheaper, although acquiring fees (approx. 1.6%) must still be added. For a turnover of 100,000 EUR: Datatrans 2,015 EUR (excluding acquiring), PayPal 3,950 EUR. PayPal has the highest transaction fees of all compared providers (3.4% + 0.55 EUR), but waives monthly fixed costs.
Comparison table costs Datatrans vs PayPal
Provider
Subscription
Setup costs
Monthly costs
Transaction fees
Datatrans
Get Started
CHF 0.00
CHF 20.00
1.60%
+
CHF 0.29
Datatrans
Scale Now
CHF 0.00
CHF 125.00
1.60%
+
CHF 0.29
PayPal
PayPal
CHF 0.00
CHF 0.00
3.40%
+
CHF 0.55
Additional Remarks
Datatrans
Datatrans is not a Payment Facilitator – Comerciante:innen therefore need a separate acceptance agreement with an acquirer before payment processing can be set up. The stated costs therefore do not include any acquiring fees (approx. 1.6% extra). The test account is only activated after the acquirer agreement has been concluded.
PayPal
With PayPal, no separate setup is required – a PayPal business account is sufficient. For verification, company information and a commercial register number are required. It should be noted that PayPal charges the highest transaction fees of all compared providers (3.4% + 0.55 EUR) and supports neither TWINT nor PostFinance Pay.
Conclusion: Datatrans or PayPal – which provider is a better fit?
Datatrans offers a paid support hotline. PayPal only provides email and chat support – there is no phone or personal advice. The Google reviews show a clear difference: Datatrans 4.1 stars (26 reviews), PayPal 1.6 stars (56 reviews). Despite being fee-based, Datatrans offers the more professional support.
