Payments in the pandemic

Payments in the pandemic

New requirements at the point of sale and in e-commerce

The past year brought with it many challenges for merchants. The change in framework conditions caused by the coronavirus crisis also resulted in new requirements in the payment sector, particularly with respect to mobile solutions for takeaway services or the easiest and fastest possible ways to enter the world of online business.

We still don’t really know what the full impact of the coronavirus crisis is yet. When it comes to payment processes, however, we know one thing already: coronavirus has had a massive impact on how payments will be made at the point of sale and how they will be designed in e-commerce in the future.

Due to the coronavirus crisis, the conditions for merchants have been constantly changing and have forced them to act quickly, from lockdown to reopening to the next set of restrictions. Many of our merchants responded to the changes within a very short amount of time and changed their sales channels, whether this is through the use of mobile terminals for takeaway and delivery services or making the switch to online sales.

Payment at the point of sale

Mobile payments made easy!

The demand for cashless payments from customers has increased sharply during the coronavirus crisis. That’s why many merchants rely on mobile terminals. Whether it’s retail, a repair service, catering, a delivery service, a hairdressing salon or a beauty salon: merchants can accept card payments with mobile terminals everywhere on a contactless basis and without any risk.

For anyone not yet using a mobile terminal, we now have a special offer:
in cooperation with Mastercard and Wallee, we give merchants the option of processing of payments for the most frequently used means of payment together with the mPOS 3G terminal at an attractive package price of CHF 149.

The safest way to pay whilst maintaining social distancing

Social distancing is the order of the day during the pandemic, which is also something that applies to payments. Relying on contactless payments helps to reduce the risk of infection. All of our terminals support contactless payments. Merchants can easily accept credit and debit card payments as well as mobile payments via smartphone or smartwatch. Examples of payment methods we support include TWINT, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay. Contactless payments are made easier by having an increased limit for paying by card without having to enter a PIN: customers can make contactless payments for purchases up to CHF 80 quickly and securely.

In addition to contactless payments, regularly cleaning the terminal also helps to keep customers safe. How do I clean a terminal properly? There are a couple of things to bear in mind. We have summarised everything you need to know here.

… and in e-commerce

Payment links: fast way of entering the world of online retail

In recent months, many bricks-and-mortar merchants have been looking for a way to offer their products online quickly and easily, for example via Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, or simply by e-mail without actually having to operate their own web shop.

Payment solutions such as Saferpay Secure PayGate, which have been developed for payments for electronic payment reminders or invoices, are perfect for this. Customers can make payments very easily via a link. These links allow bricks-and-mortar merchants to also offer and sell their products online. And it’s really easy: a picture and a description of the product together with a payment link like “pay per click” are either shared via social media or by sending customers an e-mail. The article the customer wants can then be easily and conveniently ordered and paid for directly via the link.
 

A boost for Swiss e-commerce

One of the positive effects of the coronavirus crisis since March 2020 has been its effect as a “booster” for e-commerce in Switzerland: a study by the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences recorded growth of over 20 percent since March 2020. 82 percent of online merchants surveyed even expected sustained growth.

For the majority of merchants, omni-channel sales were a key focal point and this is something that has an impact beyond the current crisis. With a web shop and sales being made via digital marketplaces, e-mail, WhatsApp etc., supported by a standard payment solution that works for all points of sale, the customer can be provided with a seamless and interconnected shopping experience (including in the future), which offsets the drop in sales at the physical point of sale.

You can find more exciting insights into Swiss e-commerce challenges in times of crisis, means of payment trends and much more in the free study carried out by ZHAW, which was supported by Worldline/SIX Payment Services and other partners.