Anyone can open a 1pay.ch account in a few minutes. Which payment methods you can activate, however, depends on two things: the country where your business is registered (or where you live, if you work as a private individual) and the outcome of account verification.
At a glance #
| Your business is based in… | What you can activate |
|---|---|
| Switzerland | Everything: Pay (TWINT, PostFinance Pay, cards, wallets and the other Swiss methods) and, if you need it, Pay Plus as well. |
| Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Luxembourg, Denmark, Bulgaria | Pay Plus: cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and the other international methods. No TWINT and no PostFinance Pay. |
| Another country | Neither of the built-in providers. You can still use 1pay.ch pages, links and tools by connecting an external provider under your own contract. |
What counts is the country where the business is registered, not your nationality or the country where you take payments. A company based in Milan that sells in Ticino uses Pay Plus; a sole trader based in Lugano and run by an Italian citizen uses Pay.
I don’t live in Switzerland: can I accept TWINT? #
No. On 1pay.ch TWINT, like PostFinance Pay, is reserved for businesses based in Switzerland. What counts is where you are registered, not where you work: even if you come to Switzerland often (for example as a street musician, market trader or for events and fairs), you cannot activate TWINT with a business registered abroad.
If your business is registered in one of the Pay Plus countries, Swiss customers can still pay you by card, Apple Pay and Google Pay, including through a printable QR code.
Do I need a registered company? #
No. You can use 1pay.ch as:
- a private individual or sole trader: proof of your business (commercial register extract, trade registration or tax registration) is optional. In Switzerland it becomes mandatory above CHF 100’000.- in annual turnover, the threshold above which registration in the commercial register is required anyway;
- a simple partnership: same as a sole trader;
- a GmbH/Sàrl, AG/SA, cooperative or other company: a commercial register extract is required;
- an association: the articles of association are required, the register extract is optional;
- a foundation: the articles are required and, for Swiss foundations, a commercial register extract too;
- a public body (municipality, school, cantonal office): an entry in a public directory is enough.
For each of these forms we also need the details and an ID document of the people who sign for or control the business. You’ll find the full list in Account verification: the documents you need.
What we cannot accept #
Some activities are excluded regardless of the country, by law or under card scheme rules. Check the list before you sign up: Activities we cannot accept.
Have a special case? #
Write to us before you open the account: we’ll tell you straight away whether and how you can take payments.
