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Key takeaways
- TWINT unified competing mobile payment solutions into a single national standard backed by Swiss banks.
- Planet enabled early ecommerce integration, improving reliability and merchant adoption at scale.
- Advanced features like app switching and recurring payments boosted user experience and conversions.
A national shift towards mobile-first payments
In Switzerland, a payment method did something rare. It didn’t just win market share. It changed the rhythm of daily life. TWINT has become the quiet force behind how the country moves, pays, shares and shops, and Planet has been part of that transformation since the first lines of code connected TWINT to the digital economy.
How TWINT became the Swiss standard
Around a decade ago, mobile payments in Switzerland were fragmented. Major institutions were building their own solutions, and consumers faced a confusing mix of apps. PostFinance launched TWINT, Swisscom developed Tapit, and SIX introduced Paymit.
Over time, these organisations recognised that competing would slow progress for the entire market. They made the strategic decision to align behind one national wallet. This moment of consolidation was an important step for TWINT’s development, enabling it to establish itself as a national solution with investments in technology, marketing and support from many Swiss banks.
Today, TWINT is used by more than six million people, with over 901 million transactions processed in 2025 alone. An average of 84% of businesses across channels accept it, and TWINT is now an essential part of the online checkout experience.
It has also changed behaviour. Peer-to-peer payments have replaced the small cash transfers that once defined social spending. Static QR codes have empowered sports clubs, market stalls and small merchants to accept payments without terminals. And because TWINT is directly connected to the bank accounts of more than 95% of Swiss consumers, the experience feels simple and secure.
Planet’s and TWINT’s partnership
Part of this development was the technical collaboration with Datatrans (now Planet), which implemented an early integration of TWINT for e-commerce.
The project started in 2014 when the payment method was still evolving and its architecture was undergoing constant change. Early outages and technical challenges were frequent, driven by TWINT’s complex multi-bank environment.
Datatrans stayed close to the TWINT team, helping stabilise the payment method and ensuring that the largest merchants in Switzerland, including SBB, Migros and Coop, could offer it reliably. The collaboration was intensive and helped ensure stability for merchants.
A superior technical integration for merchants
This early collaboration led to a mature integration that many merchants use today.
Planet supports features that many providers still do not offer, including automatic app to app switching that removes manual steps and a registration flow that allows consumers to approve ongoing billing agreements.
These capabilities make the payment experience almost invisible and support one-click checkouts and recurring payments for services like subscriptions, hospitality bookings and transport. Combined with deep experience across ecommerce and hospitality, Planet can offer merchants a level of reliability and user experience that has a direct impact on conversion.
Why Swiss merchants rely on TWINT
For hotels and retailers in Switzerland, TWINT has become an important part of the payment offering. Guests expect to see it at checkout, and ecommerce shoppers increasingly prefer it to credit cards. Customers increasingly expect to be able to pay with it. The few merchants who have tried to remove TWINT soon discovered that customer dissatisfaction outweighed any perceived savings.
Even in hospitality segments with large numbers of international guests, TWINT remains important for domestic customers. Planet helps these businesses balance the payment experience so local guests enjoy the convenience of TWINT while international travellers can use their preferred global wallets.
Shaping the next phase of mobile payments
TWINT’s next phase of growth aligns closely with Planet’s strengths.
TWINT is actively growing its presence in various verticals, new functions, and the billing market. It is also a founding member of EMPSA, the European Mobile Payment Association, which is exploring cooperation between national mobile wallets.
As Planet expands its omnichannel payments offering across ecommerce and card-present payments, it is well-positioned to support TWINT’s ambitions and bring these capabilities to the merchants who will benefit most.
TWINT has become more than a payment method in Switzerland. It is part of daily life. Planet contributed as a partner to technical development and continues to support merchants in integrating and optimising payment processes.
