TWINT in WooCommerce: the setup Swiss customers expect

Key takeaways

• A Swiss shop without TWINT loses orders at the checkout. It is the payment method most Swiss customers reach for on a phone.
• TWINT is not a plugin you install. It comes through a payment provider that also handles cards, and the provider decides the fees, the settlement and the plugin.
• Test with real small orders before launch, including a refund. Half of all payment problems show up in the refund, not the purchase.

Why TWINT is not optional

Most Swiss customers have TWINT on their phone and use it for everything from the market stall to the parking meter. At a checkout on a phone, the difference between "pay with TWINT" and "type in your card number" is the difference between an order and an abandoned basket.

The second expectation, especially in B2B and for anyone over forty, is paying by invoice. A shop that offers TWINT, cards and invoice covers nearly every Swiss customer. A shop that offers cards only is set up for a different country.

How TWINT gets into WooCommerce

TWINT itself does not provide a WooCommerce plugin. It is offered as one payment method inside a payment provider's checkout, alongside cards, PostFinance and the rest. So the decision is which provider to use. The ones I work with for Swiss shops:

Fees differ by provider, volume and method, and they change, so I will not print numbers here that are wrong by spring. Expect a percentage per transaction plus a small fixed amount, and ask for a written fee sheet before you sign.

The setup, in order

1. Open the provider account in the business name, with the bank account for settlement. This takes days, not minutes, because of identity checks. Start early.
2. Activate TWINT in the provider's dashboard. Some providers require a separate TWINT contract; the provider handles it.
3. Install the provider's WooCommerce plugin and connect it with the API keys. Use test mode first.
4. Decide the payment flow. Redirect to the provider's hosted page, or embedded in your checkout. Embedded looks better; hosted is simpler and never out of date. For small shops I usually recommend hosted.
5. Configure the order statuses. A paid TWINT order should move to "processing" on its own. An invoice order should sit at "on hold" until you confirm payment.
6. Place test orders with each method. Then refund one of each from WooCommerce and check that the refund reaches the provider and the customer.
7. Switch to live keys and place one real order with your own phone for a small amount. Refund it. Only then announce the shop.

What to get right in the checkout

• TWINT first on a phone. Order of payment methods matters. On mobile, TWINT at the top; on desktop, cards can lead.
• No surprise fees. Swiss customers accept the price; they do not accept a fee that appears at the last step.
• Invoice with clear terms. "Payable within 30 days, QR-bill attached" tells a B2B customer everything they need.
• Order emails that match. The confirmation should say how it was paid and, for invoice orders, carry the QR-bill as a PDF.

Invoice payment and the QR-bill

Since 2022 the Swiss QR-bill has replaced the orange and red payment slips. A WooCommerce shop that offers invoice payment should generate a QR-bill automatically, attach it to the order email and the PDF invoice, and reconcile payments against the bank statement. Plugins exist for this; some payment providers also offer invoice as a guaranteed method, where they take the collection risk for a fee.

For a small shop with a few B2B customers, generating the QR-bill yourself and checking the bank weekly is enough. For higher volumes, the guaranteed version saves time and bad debt.

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