Twint is the dominant mobile payment solution in Switzerland. Users pay via smartphone app directly from their bank account – no card, no wallet required. For event organizers in Switzerland, accepting Twint for ticket purchases is essential because it combines widespread adoption with low cart abandonment rates.
Issuer: Twint AG (Swiss banking consortium)
Reach: Over 5 million active users (CH)
Advantage: Instant payment confirmation
What is Twint?
Twint is the dominant mobile payment solution in Switzerland. Developed and supported by a consortium of major Swiss banks (PostFinance, UBS, Raiffeisen, Cantonal Banks, etc.), the service has over five million active users – making it virtually ubiquitous in a population of around nine million.
The user flow is simple: view the invoice (via QR code, sticker, or online link), open the Twint app, and confirm the amount – payment is made directly from your bank account or a pre-loaded balance. No credit card, no PayPal detour, and no need to share card details.
Why is Twint relevant for conferences?
Anyone organizing conferences in Switzerland or expecting a significant number of Swiss attendees cannot ignore Twint:
- Highest acceptance among mobile payment methods in the DACH region
- Instant payment confirmation – ticket can be activated immediately
- Very low cart abandonment rate – familiar, trusted environment
- No credit card restrictions for target groups that do not use them
- Data protection advantage – no card data flows through the merchant
- Business Twint complements the offering for commercial users
- Combinable with other payment methods at checkout
Twint variants
- Twint Private: For end consumers, with a direct link to their bank account
- Twint Business: Payments from business accounts – essential for corporate clients
- Twint Prepaid: Pre-loaded card with no bank account link required
Integration in the ticket checkout
Integration is typically handled via a Payment Service Provider (PSP) such as Saferpay. The Saferpay Twint integration can be used in Converia:
- Customer selects "Twint" as the payment method at checkout
- QR code or deep link is displayed (depending on the device)
- Customer confirms in the Twint app the payment
- Instant feedback to Converia via webhook
- Ticket is automatically activated and sent via email
To receive payments, the organizer needs a Twint merchant account linked to their bank account. The KYC process is required, just as it is with other payment service providers.
Costs
- Transaction fee typically 1.0–1.5% per payment (depending on the PSP contract)
- No monthly base fees with most providers
- Payout interval daily or by arrangement
- Refunds easily possible, potentially with a small fee
This makes Twint competitive with credit card payments and significantly cheaper than PayPal.
Best Practices
- Always offer Twint for Swiss target audiences – omitting it leads to noticeable drop-offs
- Multiple payment methods in parallel: Twint for Switzerland, credit card for international, QR-bill for institutional payers
- For international participants offer a good alternative (Twint only works with a Swiss bank account)
Limitations
- Switzerland only: Twint works exclusively for users with a Swiss bank account or prepaid card
- Not for subscription models: Regular recurring payments are (still) limited
- Transaction limits: Depending on the bank and user profile, there are maximum amounts per transaction and per day
- App installation required: For very infrequent users, the installation can be a hurdle
- Offline capability limited: An internet connection is required for payment
Twint in Converia
Converia integrates Twint directly into the ticket checkout for Swiss event organizers: payment via QR code, app-to-app deeplinks for mobile users, instant confirmation in the congress system, and automatic ticket release. Can be combined with credit card, SEPA, and QR-bill.
Twint as the standard for Switzerland
With Converia, you offer your Swiss participants the payment method they use every day – without the need for a separate payment integration.
- Payment Management – Ticketing & Registration
- Invoice with QR payment part – Ticketing & Registration
- Ticketing System – Ticketing & Registration
Twint in the ticket checkout – QR code, app-to-app, instant confirmation. Indispensable for Swiss events.