Reduce payment fees – what card payments in Switzerland really cost

Payment fees are one of the few cost types that Swiss SMEs can control directly. Anyone who pays 2% on every turnover instead of 1% loses EUR 100 net margin for every EUR 10'000 of monthly turnover – every single month. This guide shows what card payments really cost in Switzerland, how to compare different providers, and when a subscription model is cheaper than the turnover-based alternative.

This guide shows you concrete fee calculations for Swiss industries, explains the difference between in-person and online fees – and gives you the basis to specifically reduce the payment costs of your business.

1. Why payment fees have become a margin issue

According to the Deloitte 2026 Retail Industry Global Outlook, 82% of retail executives expect margin increases – with 73% adjusting their sales prices upwards at the same time. In an environment where every cost category is under the microscope, payment fees are particularly relevant: they apply to every turnover, they can be fixed contractually, and they differ significantly between providers.

For Swiss SMEs, a specific factor comes into play: TWINT and PostFinance Pay are cheaper payment methods than international credit cards – but only if you have a provider that supports these methods natively. Anyone who only relies on a provider without TWINT misses out on the cheapest payment channels and risks losing customers at the same time.

2. In-person payments: What a transaction really costs

The most common mistake when comparing fees: only the percentages are compared, not the fixed fees per transaction. For small amounts (EUR 8–20), a fixed fee of EUR 0.15 can massively increase the effective percentage.

Example: EUR 0.15 fixed fee on a EUR 8 transaction already corresponds to a 1.88% fixed share – even before the percentage fee is calculated.

The following table shows the effective costs per transaction for a receipt of EUR 30 as well as the online fee comparison (as of May 2026). Worldline prices are not publicly available and have not been included.

Note on SumUp: The 0.99% rate for «Payments Plus» applies to debit and credit cards – but exclusively for cards. Neither TWINT nor PostFinance Pay are available with SumUp.

SumUp is a card provider – Payrexx is a Swiss PSP

This is the crucial difference that pure fee comparisons conceal: SumUp is a card reader provider. Payrexx is a complete Swiss Payment Service Provider with TWINT, PostFinance Pay, QR-bill, recurring payments and online checkout from a single system.

The following overview shows what each provider actually supports:

A hairdressing salon or food truck with a 30% TWINT share that switches to SumUp doesn't lose these customers over fees – they lose them entirely. They don't pay differently, they leave.

3. Total monthly costs: Subscription vs. turnover-based

Whether a subscription model is cheaper than a purely turnover-based billing depends on monthly turnover and payment mix. The following table shows three typical scenarios for Swiss SMEs (as of May 2026). Calculation based on POS transactions:

From EUR 4'000–5'000 monthly card turnover, a subscription model is almost always worth it. Below that, the turnover-based alternative without fixed costs is cheaper – especially for seasonal businesses such as food trucks, pop-up stores or weekly markets. Important: As soon as TWINT is in the mix, the comparison changes fundamentally, as SumUp simply does not offer this option.

4. Online payments: Fees for Swiss e-commerce

In online transactions, there is no POS infrastructure, but a higher risk of fraud and card-not-present surcharges. Payrexx communicates the following fees for Swiss online merchants (as of May 2026):

With the Premium plan (EUR 49/mth.), Visa/MC fees drop to 1.35% + EUR 0.18. This is worth it from a monthly online card turnover of around EUR 30'000 – depending on the payment mix. For merchants with a very high TWINT share, Premium is less worthwhile, as TWINT fees are identical for Standard and Premium.

5. The Break-even: When which plan pays off

For the Standard plan (EUR 19/mth.), the following applies: The subscription advantage compared to the Free plan is visible from a monthly turnover of around EUR 2'500–3'500 with a typical Swiss payment mix. Below this threshold, the Free plan is interesting for occasional transactions.

For the Premium plan (EUR 49/mth.), the following applies: The lower transaction fees amortise the higher subscription fee from around EUR 20'000 of monthly turnover. For seasonal businesses with fluctuating turnover, the Free plan with Tap to Pay (also included) is often the most sensible entry option. POS terminals require at least the Standard plan.

6. The hidden costs: What fee lists do not show

In addition to transacting fees, there are other cost components that are often missing from comparisons:

Particularly relevant for Swiss SMEs: Payrexx bundles all payments – POS, Online, Tap to Pay, Payment Links – into a single weekly or monthly payout to the IBAN. This saves accounting effort, which does not appear in any fee list.

Checklist: Specifically optimising payment fees

• Analyse current payment mix: What % Debit, Credit, TWINT?

• Calculate break-even: Subscription vs. turnover-based on the basis of real monthly figures

• Check TWINT share: No TWINT = potential customer loss in Switzerland

• Activate PostFinance Pay: opens up additional paying customers at no extra cost

• Pay attention to fixed fees with small receipts: EUR 0.15 on a EUR 8 receipt = +1.88% effective

• Include terminal rental costs in the overall calculation

• Seasonal businesses: check Free plan + Tap to Pay instead of subscription

• Compare online and POS: Whoever needs both benefits from an integrated provider

Payrexx offers Swiss SMEs transparent, publicly accessible fees: TWINT POS at 1.25%, Debit card POS at 0.95% + EUR 0.15, Credit card POS at 1.25% + EUR 0.15 – all via the Standard plan for EUR 19/mth., including TWINT, PostFinance Pay, QR-bill and online payments from a single system.