Frequently Asked Questions
Account, login, costs, payouts, integration and security: find the answers to the most common questions here.
General
What is zahls.ch?
zahls.ch is a Swiss payment solution that allows you to accept payments easily and securely — whether via TWINT, credit card, PostFinance or other payment methods.
What technical requirements do I need?
None! Since zahls.ch is completely browser-based, you don't need to download or install any program. You only need internet access and your login credentials — and you can access your account from anywhere.
Is zahls.ch suitable for SMEs?
Yes, zahls.ch is specifically tailored to the needs and requirements of SMEs. For SMEs with higher payment volumes, we also offer subscriptions with particularly favorable transaction fees.
How do I keep track of my payments?
Your dashboard shows all payments at a glance — including status, amount, description, customer details and date. You can track incoming payments in real time and export the data for your accounting when needed.
Account
Where can I find the instance name of my account?
Once you are logged in to zahls.ch, you can find the instance name in the browser address bar. It is the part before *.zahls.ch*. In the example https://demo.zahls.ch, the instance name is demo.
I changed my website’s hosting provider. Do I need to adjust anything in zahls.ch?
No. If you have only changed your hosting provider and your website domain remains the same, there is no impact on zahls.ch.
Can I migrate customer and transaction data from Stripe to zahls.ch?
No. For security and data protection reasons, zahls.ch does not have access to your Stripe account and cannot transfer existing data or transaction history to your zahls.ch account.
Login
I forgot my password. What can I do?
If you no longer remember your password, click “Forgot password” on the login page (login.zahls.ch) and enter the email address associated with your account. You will then receive an email to reset your password.
What should I do if I do not receive the activation code?
If you did not receive the two-factor authentication code by email, check your spam/junk folder, whitelist our sender address, review filter rules and quarantine mailboxes, and ask your IT team to allow our sender if needed. If you still do not receive a code, contact our support team.
How long does a user remain logged in when inactive?
An inactive user remains logged in for 4 hours. After that, they are automatically logged out.
Transactions
Why was the payment declined?
A payment can be declined for several reasons. The most common include: the transaction was not correctly confirmed with 3-D Secure, insufficient funds on the card, the buyer’s bank declined the payment, or the transaction was flagged as a risk/fraud attempt. Each transaction in zahls.ch has a status — see Payment status in the help center for details.
Can I receive payments from customers abroad?
Yes. Even if the customer’s credit card was issued in another country and/or uses a different currency, you can accept payments. The customer sees an amount adjusted to the exchange rate; you receive the exact amount in your account. Higher credit card fees may apply to international payments.
Can I accept card payments physically?
Yes. You can send your customer a link to the sales page and ask them to complete the payment on their own device.
Why is the customer’s email address required for card payments?
As a regulated payment service provider, zahls.ch must collect certain minimum information to identify the paying customer. The email address is needed for payment confirmations, fraud prevention, 3-D Secure, chargebacks and contacting customers about payment issues.
Is it possible to block customers from certain countries?
No. zahls.ch cannot block transactions for customers from specific countries. Card data such as the issuing country is only transmitted after the transaction. It is also not possible to block specific customers by IP address.
Costs and Payouts
What costs are involved in using zahls.ch?
There are no setup costs, and the Starter plan has no monthly fixed costs — you only pay the clearly stated transaction fees when you make sales. With a subscription from CHF 15 per month, your transaction fees drop. You can find all details on our pricing page.
View pricing →Do you really have no basic costs or setup fees?
Yes. zahls.ch has no setup costs in any plan. The Starter plan also has no monthly fixed costs — you only pay fees when you make sales.
When will I receive my payouts?
This depends on the payment provider. For Payrexx Pay and Payrexx Pay Plus, newly registered merchants have a standard payout delay of 4 days. After processing payments for at least 3 months, you can ask support to reduce it to 3 days; for higher-risk merchants it may increase up to 8 days. Bank processing can take up to 3 additional days. For external payment providers, zahls.ch has no control over payouts.
Why haven’t I received my payout?
First check: Is your account verified? Do you have no open disputes? Are currency and bank details under Settings > Payouts correct? If you still haven’t received your payout, contact our support team.
Why are one or more transactions missing from my payout?
Missing transactions in a payout are often due to the payout delay. See Payouts in the help center for details.
Is VAT included in the payouts?
No, the amounts that zahls.ch transfers to your bank account do not include VAT.
Why do credit card payments sometimes incur higher fees?
Mastercard and Visa payments are subject to fees between 1.35% and 2.5% depending on your plan. If the card was issued in a different card region, fees can rise up to 3.4%.
View pricing →Why are there additional transaction fees with third-party payment providers?
For external payment providers such as PayPal, zahls.ch charges additional transaction fees because it acts as a technical interface. Additional fees by plan: Starter 1.6%, Advanced 1.3%, Professional 1.0%, Expert 0.7%.
View pricing →Can I accept payments in different currencies?
Yes, you can receive payments in different currencies. This lets your international customers pay conveniently in their usual currency.
Integration
Can I integrate zahls.ch into my online shop?
Yes, it's easy: free plugins are available for WooCommerce, Magento, Shopware and other common shop systems. You can find all available plugins on our integrations page.
View integrations →I'm getting an error message in my WooCommerce shop.
Please check your settings in the zahls.ch WooCommerce settings. Note that your instance must be set without ".zahls.ch".
Can I recover failed WooCommerce payments with a payment link?
Yes. With zahls.ch you create payment links for TWINT and cards and send them by email, through your support tool or your automation workflows. Combined with WooCommerce and the API, you can follow up on failed payments in a targeted way.
Security
How secure are transactions with zahls.ch?
The security of you and your customers is of utmost importance to us. We rely on the Swiss Data Protection Act (DPA) and the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), SSL encryption and the 3-D Secure process.
What is 3-D Secure?
3-D Secure increases the security of credit card transactions. After card details are entered, a connection is made to the card issuer and the buyer confirms their identity with a code (app or SMS). In the European Union, 3-D Secure is mandatory for online credit card purchases.
Payment Methods
Can I also accept TWINT with zahls.ch?
Yes! In addition to the most common payment methods like Mastercard and Visa, zahls.ch also offers the popular payment method TWINT.
What payment methods are supported?
We support TWINT, Mastercard, Visa, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PostFinance E-Finance and PostFinance Card, among others. You can find a complete overview on our payment methods page.
View payment methods →Why is PostFinance Pay not displayed in checkout?
If the payment method is not shown in checkout, this is often due to how the payment form is embedded. PostFinance Pay does not work when the form is embedded via iFrame or a modal window — due to restrictions imposed by PostFinance.
Why is Apple Pay not displayed in checkout?
Apple Pay does not work if the payment form is embedded using an iFrame. This is due to restrictions imposed by Apple, which zahls.ch cannot influence.
How can I offer my customers payment by invoice?
zahls.ch provides several solutions for payment by invoice, including purchase on invoice and TWINT Pay later. See the respective payment methods in the help center for details.
Plans and invoices
How can I change my plan?
You can change your plan with a few clicks directly in your zahls.ch account under Settings > Plan & Billing.
View pricing →Where can I find my invoices from zahls.ch?
You receive your invoices from zahls.ch by email. You can also find them in your account under Settings > Plan & Billing.
Ready to get started?
Create your account in minutes — no setup fees. Or contact us if something is still unclear.