How do you pay at a Swiss supermarket?
Swiss supermarkets accept cash, common debit and credit cards and Twint; Twint reported over 6 million active users by mid-2025, according to twint.ch. Acceptance still depends on the card and checkout, especially for American Express and Reka. The table separates those cases and explains contactless phone payments. With a foreign card, compare the conversion terms and choose CHF to avoid the terminal’s currency conversion.
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Updated regularly. At a Swiss supermarket till you can pay with almost anything: cash, a debit card (Maestro, V Pay, Debit Mastercard, Visa Debit), a credit card (Visa, Mastercard, and at some chains American Express), contactless by card or phone (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay), and Twint. At Coop and many other tills you can also use Reka money. This guide sorts out what works where, and where visitors fall into the exchange-rate trap.
What is accepted at a Swiss supermarket checkout?
| Payment method | How it works | Where typically accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Cash (CHF) | Notes and coins, change given in francs | everywhere |
| Debit card (Maestro, V Pay, Debit Mastercard, Visa Debit) | Insert or tap | all major chains |
| Credit card (Visa, Mastercard) | Insert or tap | all major chains |
| American Express | Credit card | not everywhere, check first |
| Twint | Scan the QR code on the terminal, confirm in the app | Migros, Coop, Aldi, Lidl, Denner and more |
| Apple Pay / Google Pay / Samsung Pay | Tap your phone or watch, your stored card sits behind it | anywhere contactless works |
| Reka money / Reka Card | Electronic card, formerly the Reka cheque | Coop and other acceptance points |
On the contactless logic: Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay are not separate accounts. They load your debit or credit card onto your phone. Per Mastercard Switzerland they work wherever contactless payment with the underlying card is accepted, that is at Coop, Migros, Aldi, Lidl and others (source: mastercard.com/ch). In practice: if the terminal shows the contactless symbol, your phone will work.
However you pay, the price is the same, so the saving comes from what you buy and where it is on offer. Rappn compares current offers, loyalty cards and your list in one screen. Tap the tabs.
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Welcome
Twint, Reka and the retailer apps: what is worth it?
Twint is a joint venture of the largest Swiss banks and SIX Group, linked directly to your bank account (source: twint.ch). At the till you scan the QR code on the terminal and confirm in the app. There are two routes: the general Twint app from your bank, or the Twint version built into the Migros or Coop app, which bundles payment and loyalty points (Cumulus, Supercard) in one tap. If you want to collect Cumulus or Supercard points, the retailer app is handy because otherwise you scan the loyalty card separately.
Reka money is a Swiss particularity. reka.ch has a dedicated «Reka-Card bei Coop» section, so the Coop channel is real. We no longer quote a discount level for buying Reka-Pay credit, because it could not be confirmed on the retrievable reka.ch pages: check the terms at the outlet before you buy. Reka is accepted at over 6,000 acceptance points across Switzerland (source: reka.ch). The Reka Card is not accepted at every Migros branch, per support.migros.ch, so check in store.
Want to know before the till which items in your shop are on promotion where this week? Rappn is an independent Swiss price-comparison app, comparing the offers of Migros, Coop, Aldi, Lidl, Denner, Aligro and Otto’s with no advertising deal with any chain. More on our price comparison page.
Self-checkout, cash-back and foreign cards
At self-scanning and self-checkout lanes you usually pay cashless, that is by card, Twint or phone; some stores have separate cash machines. Lidl Switzerland, per corporate.lidl.ch, offers cash withdrawal at the till in all branches: from a CHF 10 purchase you can take CHF 10 to CHF 300 with a Maestro, Debit Mastercard or Visa Debit card, at no extra cost. Aldi Suisse, per aldi-suisse.ch, has also offered free cash withdrawal at the till since March 2025: from a CHF 10 purchase you can take CHF 20 to CHF 300 in CHF 20 steps (your bank may charge its own fee depending on the card).
It gets tricky with foreign cards. If the terminal asks whether you want to pay in francs or in your home currency (for example euros), always choose CHF. Otherwise so-called Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) converts at an unfavourable rate (source: moneyland.ch). Paying with euro cash is possible in some large, touristy branches, but change comes in francs and the rate is usually poor (source: moneyland.ch). If you are tempted by euros, read paying in euros at Swiss supermarkets first. For the full picture on cards, Twint and the rest, see our Swiss supermarket payment methods page.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you pay with Twint at a Swiss supermarket?
Yes. Twint is accepted at Migros, Coop, Aldi, Lidl, Denner and more. At the till you scan the QR code on the terminal and confirm in the app. Per twint.ch, Twint is a joint venture of the largest Swiss banks and SIX Group, with more than 6 million active users as of mid-2025 and 901 million transactions in 2025, accepted in 4 out of 5 Swiss physical stores and more than 84% of Swiss online shops.
Are Apple Pay and Google Pay accepted at supermarkets?
Yes, anywhere contactless payment with your stored debit or credit card is accepted, that is at Coop, Migros, Aldi, Lidl and others (source: mastercard.com/ch). Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay are not separate accounts; they load your existing card onto your phone or watch.
Can I pay in euros at a Swiss supermarket?
Some large, touristy branches accept euro cash, but change is given in francs and the rate is usually poor (source: moneyland.ch). When paying by card, always choose CHF at the till, not your home currency, otherwise Dynamic Currency Conversion adds an unfavourable markup.
What is Reka money and where can I use it?
Reka money is a Swiss leisure and holiday payment method (now the Reka Card, formerly the Reka cheque). reka.ch has a «Reka-Card bei Coop» section; we do not quote a discount level for buying Reka-Pay credit, because it could not be confirmed. Reka is accepted at over 6,000 acceptance points across Switzerland.
Can I pay by card or Twint at self-checkout?
Yes. At self-scanning and self-checkout lanes you usually pay cashless by card, Twint or phone. Some stores have separate cash machines. Lidl Switzerland also offers cash withdrawal at the till from a CHF 10 purchase, per corporate.lidl.ch.