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TWINT: part of Switzerland’s everyday life for 10 years

When TWINT AG was founded in 2016, hardly anyone in Switzerland used their smartphone for payments. Today, “twinting” is firmly established as a verb and the TWINT app supports more than 6 million people in all kinds of everyday situations.

In 2016, payments in Switzerland looked a lot different than they do now. If you fed coins into a parking metre and then left early, you could forget about a refund. In restaurants, diners in groups often paid separately – much to the chagrin of the staff, who had to frantically do the sums on their notepads. At the supermarket checkout, many customers not only scrambled through their wallets to find the right change, but they also had to sort through a stack of loyalty cards. If you had said at the time that a payment app from Switzerland would eventually hold its own against payment transactions dominated by global tech companies, you would probably have earned a disbelieving shake of the head.

Today, 10 years after TWINT was founded through the merger of 2 predecessor companies, day-to-day payments in Switzerland look a lot different. We pay parking fees in the TWINT app without even getting out of the car, with the difference refunded on departure – down to the minute. In restaurants, 1 person pays the bill for the whole table using TWINT and then easily splits the amount between their fellow diners. The TWINT app also seamlessly integrates loyalty cards such as Migros Cumulus, Coop Supercard and many others into the payment process. In short, more than 6 million people in Switzerland use TWINT regularly to make payments in store or online or to send money to friends and family members. As a payment method created in Switzerland for Switzerland, TWINT has succeeded as an effective counterweight to the major international corporations that otherwise dominate payment transactions.

The 10th birthday of TWINT is more than just a company anniversary – it represents 10 years of digital sovereignty and Swiss payment innovation. A range of figures from politics and business have marked the occasion by highlighting just how important TWINT is for Switzerland.

Guy Parmelin, President of the Swiss Confederation:
“The history of TWINT shows that Switzerland can develop digital innovations that make people’s everyday lives easier on a lasting basis and provide technological sovereignty. Success stories like these strengthen our position as a centre of innovation. Congratulations on your 10th anniversary.”

Monika Rühl, Chairwoman of the Executive Board, economiesuisse:
“Today, it is hard to imagine mobile payments in Switzerland without TWINT. More than 6 million customers already put their trust in this straightforward payment solution. As a Swiss invention in Swiss ownership, TWINT is an example of the innovative strength of the Swiss economy.”

Vincent Ducrot, CEO & Chairman of the Group Management Board, SBB:
“Congratulations on your 10th anniversary! TWINT is celebrating its 1st decade, while SBB will soon look back on 125 years: two Swiss success stories that show how Swiss quality and innovation make everyday life easier. It is precisely straightforward digital services like these that make public transport even more attractive.”

Nora Kronig, Director, Swiss Red Cross:
“Over the past 10 years, TWINT has fundamentally modernised and digitised donating in Switzerland. Anyone wishing to help people in an acute emergency can do so quickly and easily by donating via TWINT.”

Tabea and Miro Weber, Weber Bioprodukte, Neunkirch:
“TWINT offers small businesses such as farm shops the means to collect money in a simple, flexible way without the need for elaborate technical infrastructure. TWINT helps us not only when we sell our organic products in the farm shop, but also when we visit the weekly market.”

Sergio P. Ermotti, Group CEO, UBS:
“TWINT stands for Swiss innovation and for a strength that sets our country apart: achieving more together. What began with the collaboration of UBS and six other leading players in the Swiss financial sector is now one of the most popular and innovative payment methods in Switzerland. We congratulate TWINT on this success story and on its 10th anniversary.”

Beat Röthlisberger, CEO, PostFinance:
“TWINT arose from a quite great idea put forward by PostFinance and UBS. Today, the app is an integral part of the daily lives of more than 6 million people in Switzerland. That’s something we can be proud of. Congratulations on the10th anniversary and all the best for the next 10 years!”

Gabriel Brenna, Chairman of the Executive Board, Raiffeisen Switzerland:
“TWINT shows how a shared vision can give rise to a Swiss success story. Our customers use TWINT every day, benefiting from a simple solution that makes their daily lives easier. TWINT is a testament to the innovative strength and independence of the Swiss financial centre. Congratulations on the 10th anniversary!”

Daniel Previdoli, Head of Products & Services, Zürcher Kantonalbank, and Member of the TWINT Board of Directors:
“For the past 10 years, TWINT has demonstrated that the collaboration between Swiss financial institutions can lead to powerful innovations and genuine digital impact. At Zürcher Kantonalbank, we combine over 150 years of experience with our own ZKB TWINT app, which we continuously enhance and which our customers use exceptionally actively. In doing so, we make a clear contribution to TWINT’s evolution far beyond a simple payment app, into an essential everyday tool for people across Switzerland.”

Pascal Kiener, CEO, BCV:
“When we launched TWINT with the leading players in the Swiss financial sector, our aim was to offer a mobile payment solution designed for Switzerland. Ten years on, this innovation has been a resounding success: it has become such an integral part of everyday life that ‘to twint’ has entered everyday language. Congratulations and happy birthday!”

Bjørn Sibbern, CEO, SIX:
“10 years of TWINT have shown that the Swiss financial sector can achieve great things together. As a shareholder, SIX provides secure, reliable infrastructure that helps strengthen the competitiveness and sovereignty of Switzerland as a financial hub. Congratulations on the anniversary!”

Bernhard Lachenmeier, Managing Director, Worldline Switzerland:
«10 years of TWINT show what is possible when Swiss financial institutions work together on a shared vision – a digital payment method that bridges the gap to merchants, holds its own against global players, and has become the first choice of an entire generation. Worldline congratulates warmly and is proud to support and help shape this Swiss success story as a pioneer in acquiring and as an infrastructure partner.»

Twinting is about more than just payments. Pocket money, a weekly shopping trip, a first date in a restaurant – TWINT accompanies people in everyday situations as well as unforgettable encounters and adventures. No matter where the app is used, the focus is always on simplifying everyday life through digital innovation and practical additional functions. A few key figures show how deeply TWINT is rooted in many aspects of day-to-day Swiss life after 10 years:

  • TWINT now has more than 6 million users.
  • Last year, those users carried out 901 million transactions.
  • Around 81% of brick-and-mortar stores and 86% of online shops accept TWINT.
  • In the area of public transport alone, around 88 million payments were made with TWINT last year.
  • Last year, users received more than CHF 15 million back when they left their parking spots early.
  • The Spin & Win function saw 20 million turns of the wheel of fortune last year.
  • Users have benefited from the app’s Super Deals more than half a million times over the past year.
  • Several 100,000 TWINT QR code stickers are in circulation, allowing merchants to collect money easily and efficiently.
  • More than 1.5 million loyalty cards, including Supercard and Cumulus, are already digitally stored in TWINT apps.
  • Over 300,000 users take advantage of widgets and tiles to make their TWINT payments even faster.

These features make day-to-day life simpler in a huge range of areas, and they’re all based on the TWINT ecosystem which connects users, retailers, banks and acquirers. For users, this means quick, easy, secure payments via smartphone. For retailers, TWINT makes transactions much simpler. With solutions such as QR code stickers, even small businesses with no expensive terminals can benefit from digital payment transactions and additional tools for communication and customer loyalty. In the background, close ties to Swiss financial institutions provide a secure, reliable foundation. And this ecosystem – the product of 10 years’ collaboration – is the foundation on which TWINT is building the next 10 years of digital simplification for Switzerland.