Datatrans vs. PostFinance
Classic PSP with acquirer agreement vs. payment facilitator of a Swiss bank
Datatrans by Planet is an established Swiss PSP that is particularly aimed at larger companies with high transaction volumes. PostFinance, a well-known Swiss financial institution, offers its own payment solution for online shops. A key difference: Datatrans requires a separate acquirer agreement, whereas PostFinance acts as a payment facilitator. What this means in terms of costs and effort is shown in this comparison.
Total monthly costs of Datatrans and PostFinance with a turnover of EUR 20,000
Total monthly costs of Datatrans and PostFinance with a turnover of EUR 100,000
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Datatrans and PostFinance?
Datatrans convinces with a high Google rating (4.1 stars), wide payment method support, and omnichannel capability. Disadvantages are the required separate acquirer contract, paid plugins, a paid support hotline, and high monthly fixed costs.
PostFinance benefits from high brand awareness in Switzerland, a wide range of payment methods, and personal support. Disadvantages are the one-time setup costs of up to 249 EUR, lack of e-commerce tools, no Samsung Pay, and a significantly lower Google rating of 2.2 stars.
Comparison table advantages and disadvantages Datatrans vs PostFinance
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
PostFinance
Advantages
Numerous payment methods (including TWINT and PostFinance Pay)
Free plugins
Low transaction fees
Free trial available
Swiss company
High recognition in Switzerland
Personal support
Disadvantages
Samsung Pay not supported
No e-commerce tools
High setup costs (one-time)
Low Google rating
Which payment methods do Datatrans and PostFinance offer?
Both providers support the most important Swiss payment methods: credit cards, TWINT, PostFinance Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay and purchase on invoice. PostFinance additionally offers WIR Pay and Reka, which are missing from Datatrans. Datatrans, on the other hand, supports Reka but does not offer WIR Pay. PostFinance has a slight lead in coverage with 14 compared to 12 payment methods.
Comparison table payment methods Datatrans vs PostFinance
Datatrans
PostFinance
How do the plugins from Datatrans and PostFinance differ?
Both providers offer plugins for WooCommerce, Shopware, JTL, Ecwid, Drupal, and Magento. PostFinance additionally supports Prestashop, which is missing from Datatrans. With Datatrans, some plugins are subject to a fee, while PostFinance offers all plugins free of charge. Neither provider offers Shopify support or integrated e-commerce tools. Regarding integrations, PostFinance has a slight advantage thanks to its free plugins.
Comparison table plugins and integrations Datatrans vs PostFinance
Datatrans
PostFinance
What is the status of support at Datatrans and PostFinance?
PostFinance offers personal support in Switzerland. Datatrans relies on a paid support hotline. Google reviews: Datatrans 4.1 stars (26 reviews), PostFinance 2.2 stars (178 reviews). Datatrans has a higher rating, but on a significantly smaller base. PostFinance offers free support, while Datatrans charges additionally for support requests.
Who is Datatrans suitable for and who is PostFinance suitable for?
PostFinance is suitable for companies that are already anchored in the PostFinance ecosystem and prefer an all-in-one solution without a separate acquirer agreement. Datatrans is aimed at larger companies with high transaction volumes that already have an acquirer agreement and require tailored payment solutions with omnichannel support.
How complex is the setup with Datatrans and PostFinance?
PostFinance charges a one-time setup fee of 199 to 249 EUR and requires a PostFinance business account, but offers a 30-day simulation mode. With Datatrans, a separate acceptance contract must first be concluded with an acquirer before the test account can be set up – a significant additional effort. For a faster start, PostFinance is the uncomplicated choice.
How much does Datatrans cost compared to PostFinance?
With a monthly turnover of 20,000 EUR, PostFinance costs 365.90 EUR (E-Com Bundle), and Datatrans costs 398 EUR. Important: The Datatrans price does not yet include the acquiring costs, as a separate acquirer contract is required. With a turnover of 100,000 EUR, PostFinance costs 1,749.90 EUR, and Datatrans costs 2,015 EUR (excluding acquiring). PostFinance charges a one-off setup fee of 199–249 EUR, but in return offers an all-in-one solution without additional acquirer fees.
Comparison table costs Datatrans vs PostFinance
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
PostFinance
Checkout All-in-One
CHF 199.00
CHF 14.90
2.50%
+
CHF 0.00
PostFinance
E-Commerce Bundle
CHF 0.00
CHF 19.90
1.55%
+
CHF 0.18
PostFinance
Checkout Flex
CHF 249.00
CHF 19.90
1.55%
+
CHF 0.18
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.
PostFinance
To use PostFinance Checkout, a PostFinance business account or a credit card for fee billing is required. Additionally, one-time setup costs from 199 EUR (Checkout All-in-One) to 249 EUR (Checkout Flex) apply. A free simulation mode enables merchants to test the integration in advance.
Conclusion: Datatrans or PostFinance – which Swiss provider is more convincing?
PostFinance offers personal support in Switzerland. Datatrans relies on a paid support hotline. Google reviews: Datatrans 4.1 stars (26 reviews), PostFinance 2.2 stars (178 reviews). Datatrans has a higher rating, but on a significantly smaller base. PostFinance offers free support, while Datatrans charges additionally for support requests.
