Prepayment and buy on account are two classic payment methods that still play an important role in Swiss ecommerce – especially in the B2B sector. While prepayment offers you maximum security as a merchant, buy on account scores with customers through trust and flexibility.

In Switzerland, many business customers expect these payment options. If you don’t offer them, you’re missing out on potential sales or scaring away loyal repeat customers.

Integration into Shopify is usually straightforward. With providers like Abilita or manual payment methods, you can quickly add both options to your Shopify shop.

What are prepayment and buy on account?

With prepayment, your customer pays for the goods before you ship them. After ordering, they receive an order confirmation with IBAN and reference number, and you only process the order after payment is received.

The goods usually remain reserved for 14 days. If the customer exceeds this payment deadline, the order is cancelled and they’re informed.

For you as a merchant, prepayment is one of the safest payment methods. You carry no default risk since the money is already in your account before the goods leave your warehouse.

Buy on account works exactly the opposite way: The customer orders, receives the goods, and pays later. With delivery, they get a delivery note and an invoice with typically 30 days payment terms.

For B2B customers, buying on account is particularly interesting. They can integrate the invoice directly into their internal workflows and benefit from the payment terms, which improves their liquidity.

Why these payment methods are still relevant in Switzerland

Switzerland differs significantly from other European countries in payment behavior. Buy on account is traditionally much more widespread here than for example in Nordic countries, where installment purchases (BNPL) are more common.

Many Swiss customers expect buying on account almost as standard payment method. It’s culturally anchored and creates trust – especially for higher-value purchases or in the B2B sector.

TWINT has established itself as the national mobile payment solution and is used daily by a large part of the population. Unlike in Germany, where PayPal dominates, PayPal plays a smaller role in Switzerland.

In short: Switzerland relies on proven, trust-based payment methods. Anyone who wants to be successful as an online shop must meet these expectations.

Abilita as a specialized payment provider

Abilita is a German provider that specializes in prepayment and buy on account. The white-label product ensures 100% payment guarantee after credit check – this saves you time and money.

Integration begins with a kick-off document where you enter your Shopify URL. After the collaborator request and payment, app integration and a test run follow.

Integration costs range between CHF 500 (basic setup) and CHF 1500 (with SEPA and checkout extensions, only with Shopify Plus). The ongoing conditions are individually negotiated and are often better than the competition.

Abilita is less popular in Switzerland than in Germany. Most customers come from Germany, where the provider is established – in Switzerland there are local alternatives with IdealPay, SwissBilling, CembraPay and CRIF.

Nevertheless, Abilita can be interesting for Swiss shops, especially if you also sell to Germany or are looking for very good payment conditions.

Integration into your Shopify shop – here’s how

The simplest method is the manual payment method in Shopify. Go to Settings in the Shopify admin area and then to “Payments”, scroll down to “Payment methods” and select “create custom payment method”.

Here you can add prepayment or buy on account as an option. You store your bank details and instructions that appear at checkout and on the order confirmation page.

The disadvantage: You have to manually check payment receipts and process orders by hand. For larger shops, this quickly becomes confusing.

Automated solutions via payment service providers are therefore usually the better choice. Abilita is a prominent provider that professionally handles both prepayment and buy on account.

Abilita takes over the credit check, guarantees you 100% payment security and handles debt collection. You get your money regardless of whether the customer ultimately pays or not.

Other providers for the Swiss market are IdealPay, SwissBilling, CembraPay and CRIF – depending on budget and requirements, these alternatives can be interesting.

For full functionality with automated solutions, you usually need Shopify Plus. This allows you to customize the checkout and set up more complex payment flows.

Pros and cons from a merchant’s perspective

Prepayment offers you maximum payment security – there’s no default risk, no chargebacks, and no fees for payment processing (with manual integration). You only ship when the money is there, which protects your liquidity.

The big disadvantage: The conversion rate is often lower than with other payment methods. Customers don’t want to wait and abandon the purchase, especially younger target groups.

Buy on account significantly increases the conversion rate. Customers feel safer because they only pay after receiving the goods – this creates trust and reduces purchase barriers.

For B2B customers, it’s often the preferred payment method because they can transfer the invoice directly to their accounting. Payment terms of 30 or 60 days improve buyers’ liquidity.

The disadvantage: You bear the full default risk and have to pay in advance. If a customer doesn’t pay, you have to send reminders and possibly hire a debt collection agency.

With a payment service provider like Abilita, you can outsource this risk. You get your money immediately while the provider takes over the default risk and debt collection – this costs fees but saves massive time and nerves.

What your customers get from it

From a customer perspective, prepayment offers transparency and simplicity. Especially older customers appreciate this payment method because they don’t have to enter credit card details.

The big disadvantage: Customers have to pay in advance and wait until the merchant processes the payment. With unknown shops, a trust problem arises.

Buy on account is the most customer-friendly payment method. Receive the goods first, then pay – this creates maximum trust and lowers the barrier to purchase, especially for higher-value products.

Generational differences play a big role: Older Swiss customers prefer classic payment methods like invoicing or prepayment, while younger customers tend to use TWINT or credit cards.

In the B2B sector, buy on account is practically indispensable. Companies expect long payment terms and want to be able to transfer invoices to their accounting systems.

Is the effort worth it for your shop?

For most Swiss Shopify shops, integrating both payment methods is worthwhile – especially if you serve B2B customers or sell high-quality products.

Manual integration via Shopify is quickly done, but only practical for small shops with few orders. With larger volumes, the manual effort quickly becomes too much.

Automated solutions like Abilita cost fees but save massive time and reduce risk. The investment often pays for itself within just a few months.

Our recommendation: Start with a manual integration to test demand. If orders via these payment methods increase, switch to a professional provider like Abilita or a Swiss alternative.

It’s all about the combination: Offer your customers a wide range of payment methods. TWINT for mobile purchases, credit cards for international customers, prepayment for price-conscious customers, and buy on account for B2B and regular customers.

This way you get the maximum out of your Shopify shop and don’t lose any customers at checkout.

Tip: Also find out what fees Shopify Payments charges for various payment methods.