PostFinance

 

PostFinance is Switzerland’s largest financial services provider by customer base, owned by the Swiss Confederation and serving over 2.5 million customers. It operates as both a bank and a payment infrastructure provider, and its payment products are deeply embedded in Swiss consumer and business financial life. For any merchant targeting Swiss consumers, PostFinance acceptance is a commercial necessity, sitting alongside TWINT as one of the two dominant local payment methods in the Swiss market.

The product landscape evolved significantly in July 2024 when PostFinance consolidated its two previous online payment products, PostFinance Card and PostFinance E-Finance, into a single unified mobile payment solution called PostFinance Pay. PostFinance Pay allows customers to pay online and in-store through the PostFinance app, with a standard transaction limit of CHF 15,000 per month. Merchants accessing PostFinance through their own PSP will have the new PostFinance Pay method rolled out progressively across 2025 as PSPs complete their integration of the updated interface.

On cost, PostFinance Pay transaction fees through PostFinance’s own Checkout product are 1.3% with a minimum of CHF 0.20 per transaction. For merchants using third-party PSPs, fees vary by provider and contract. The monthly basic fee and any additional PSP processing fees depend on the chosen setup. PostFinance requires merchants to have a verifiable and recurring business relationship with Switzerland, meaning the web presence or products and services must be explicitly aimed at Swiss customers. This is a formal requirement that affects onboarding eligibility for non-Swiss merchants.

For non-Swiss merchants selling cross-border into Switzerland, accessing PostFinance through a PSP with Swiss market coverage is the practical integration route. PostFinance itself does not certify PSPs directly; instead, PSPs integrate via the official PostFinance interface and manage merchant onboarding under a payment facilitator model. PSPs with established Swiss coverage include Worldline, Datatrans, Payrexx, Adyen, and several others.

Switzerland operates outside the EU and EEA, meaning EU interchange fee regulation does not apply to Swiss domestic transactions, and the card and local payment fee landscape differs from the European standard. This is worth factoring into cost modelling for any merchant with significant Swiss volume.

Relevant markets: Switzerland