Who’d have thought it? When PostFinance launched the TWINT App in 2014, no-one would have guessed that just a few years later we in Switzerland would be using “to twint” as a generic term for making payments using our smartphones. After the merger of TWINT and Paymit in 2016, user numbers have grown continuously. TWINT has become ever more popular with users and retailers, and has become the major Swiss mobile payment solution.

Prime example of a digital innovation

Even beyond the Swiss borders, TWINT is considered a prime example of a successful digital innovation in which different parties, sometimes competitors, have built an ecosystem together. For Beat Bieri, who is responsible for PostFinance TWINT, TWINT is the new Swiss Army knife. “As a Swiss invention, the app bears the Swiss cross and has a wide range of features geared towards user needs. TWINT can be used anytime and almost anywhere,” he explains.

PostFinance TWINT: over 1.1 million users carry out 79 million transactions

Meanwhile TWINT, has around five million active users in this country and has established itself as the major Swiss Payment app over international mobile payment solutions like ApplePay. PostFinance TWINT plays a significant role here: with over 1.1 million users, the app boasts the largest population in the TWINT universe. And the number of transactions via PostFinance TWINT continues to rise, with 79 million recorded in 2022. This is around twice as many as in the previous year. Beat Bieri tells us not only about the background to the success story, but also his personal favourite among the payment app functions.

What’s special about TWINT?

Beat Bieri: TWINT offers an impressive range of options for payment collection – integrated into the card terminal or using the QR sticker solution in places where payment infrastructure is usually unavailable, such as at club events, farm shops or market stalls. The opportunities for use are enormous. TWINT is also the simplest payment method for sending or requesting money quickly between friends and acquaintances.

What sets PostFinance TWINT apart?

To register successfully, our customers need only their smartphones and less than one minute of time. After registration, they can use PostFinance TWINT straight away. PostFinance TWINT also offers the option of linking several PostFinance accounts and carrying out various support processes digitally and independently.

What are PostFinance TWINT users’ favourite functions?

Alongside making payments in an online shop or at a physical point of sale, our customers’ favourite function is paying parking fees using the PostFinance TWINT app. It means drivers can remain comfortably seated in their cars while they open the parking function in the app, select the parking space and pay via TWINT. And if they don’t use the entire parking duration, they get the excess money back. Also becoming more popular are the Super Deals, where users can benefit from exclusive offers, and cash withdrawal in more than 2,300 partner shops.

Which function do you personally like the most?

I need PostFinance TWINT everywhere. I find the “Request and split” feature very practical as I like to eat out with friends. One person pays and requests the appropriate amount from the others. It really speeds up the payment process. And since all of my colleagues have to have TWINT (grins), it works really well.

TWINT is the most popular mobile payment solution in Switzerland. Can this growth continue or has it reached its peak?

We have to differentiate here between the user figures and the transaction figures. The user figures trend has already reached a ceiling. We continue to grow, but we aren’t expanding at the same rate as in the last two or three years. Growth continues with the transactions, on the one hand through the increased use of the app by existing users and on the other hand through the development of new use cases. It’s remarkable to think that in 2022, more transactions were carried out using TWINT than in all previous years combined.

Where is TWINT going?

Paying with TWINT in various everyday situations will remain its most important feature. But there’s also great potential for further establishing TWINT as a marketplace. Already today, a huge variety of products and services can be purchased via the TWINT app. This area will be expanded even further in future. Paying with TWINT abroad will also be possible in the near future.

PostFinance TWINT keeps on surprising customers with new functions and services. What is the latest feature?

Since December 2022, PostFinance TWINT has satisfied a long-held customer desire: users have the option of linking several PostFinance accounts so they can pay for purchases with their partner’s account or for shopping with their private account. Also, PostFinance TWINT customers can now set their own limits individually to suit their needs.