Twint is the dominant mobile payment solution in Switzerland. Users pay directly from their bank account via a smartphone app – 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 the 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 a 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 participants cannot afford to 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 reservations for target groups who do not use them
- Data privacy advantage – no card data is shared with the merchant
- Business Twint expands the offering for commercial users
- Combinable with other payment methods at checkout
Twint versions
- Twint Private: For end consumers, linked directly to their bank account
- Twint Business: Payments from business accounts – essential for corporate clients
- Twint Prepaid: Pre-loaded balance without a bank account link
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 the payment in the Twint app
- 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 agreement
- Refunds easily possible, sometimes 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 – its absence leads to noticeable drop-offs
- Multiple payment methods in parallel: Twint for CH, 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, installation can be a hurdle
- Limited offline capability: An internet connection is required for payment
Twint in Converia
Converia integrates Twint directly into the ticket checkout for Swiss organizers: payment via QR code, app-to-app deeplinks for mobile buyers, instant confirmation in the conference 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 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.