How to sell to customers in Switzerland

How people pay online

• TWINT is the most frequently used payment provider in Swiss online shops and apps. 1
• Remote payments in Switzerland, especially in online shops and apps, are most often made with mobile payment apps. 2
• TWINT has more than 6 million users, who made 901 million transactions in 2025, and 86% of Swiss online shops accept it. 3

Taking payments from abroad

• Stripe accounts in the UK, Switzerland and most EEA countries can accept TWINT in CHF (up to CHF 5,000 per payment); Stripe's list of business locations for TWINT does not include the US. 4
• To get TWINT through Stripe, a seller of physical goods must offer Switzerland as a shipping destination, show prices in CHF by checkout at the latest, and list its company name, address and contact details on its website. 4
• Through Stripe, Klarna is available to customers in Switzerland in CHF only when the seller's Stripe account is in Switzerland, the EEA or the UK. 5

Import tax and duty on parcels

• A foreign mail-order seller with at least CHF 100,000 a year in sales from small consignments shipped into Switzerland must register for Swiss VAT, after which those sales count as domestic supplies. 6
• Small consignments are shipments with an import tax amount of up to CHF 5, on which no import tax is collected, and since 1 January 2025 the same registration rule also applies to platform operators. 7
• A registered seller charges Swiss VAT and must make sure the buyer is not also charged import tax, because neither the ESTV nor customs can generally refund a double charge. 6
• Switzerland's standard VAT rate has been 8.1% since 1 January 2024, with a reduced rate of 2.6% for items such as most food, books and medicines. 8

Where to reach buyers

• YouTube ads could reach 7.27 million people in Switzerland in late 2025, 81.0% of the population. 9
• Instagram ads reached 3.80 million people in Switzerland (42.3% of the population) and Facebook ads 2.95 million (32.9%) in late 2025. 9
• Snapchat ads reached 2.87 million people in Switzerland in late 2025 (32.0% of the population), and TikTok ads 2.46 million adults aged 18 and over (33.3% of that age group). 9

Marketplaces

• Galaxus had platform revenue of CHF 3.764 billion in 2025, including third-party marketplace sales, up 17%, with most of its business in Switzerland and 10 million products on sale. 10
• Digitec and Galaxus have over 3 million active users and over 38 million visits a month, and EU merchants can sell to Swiss customers through Galaxus's EU hub with customs clearance included, with or without Swiss VAT registration. 11

Common questions

1. How do people in Switzerland pay online?

   TWINT is the most frequently used payment provider in Swiss online shops and apps. More on payments

2. Can a business outside Switzerland accept the payment methods people there use?

   Stripe accounts in the UK, Switzerland and most EEA countries can accept TWINT in CHF (up to CHF 5,000 per payment); Stripe's list of business locations for TWINT does not include the US. More on taking payments

3. Do customers in Switzerland pay import tax or duty on goods bought from abroad?

   A foreign mail-order seller with at least CHF 100,000 a year in sales from small consignments shipped into Switzerland must register for Swiss VAT, after which those sales count as domestic supplies. More on import tax

4. Where should a business advertise to reach buyers in Switzerland?

   YouTube ads could reach 7.27 million people in Switzerland in late 2025, 81.0% of the population. More on ads

5. Which online marketplaces are biggest in Switzerland?

   Galaxus had platform revenue of CHF 3.764 billion in 2025, including third-party marketplace sales, up 17%, with most of its business in Switzerland and 10 million products on sale. More on marketplaces