PAYMENTS, JUST BETTER
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TWINT: PAYMENTS, JUST BETTER
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WRITTEN BY
AMBER DONOVAN-STEVENS PRODUCED BY
JAMES PEPPER
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TWINT
Markus Kilb, CEO of Twint, details how the twinting phenomenon is sweeping across Switzerland
S
ince its creation in 2017, Twint has unified Switzerland through its comprehensive digital cash solutions. Now with over 2
million customers, more than a quarter of the
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Swiss population are twinting, and this number is only set to accelerate. Championing the success of Twint is CEO, Markus Kilb, who has held the role for a little over a year, citing its unique business model as his original draw to the company. “For me it is an absolute honour and a thrilling experience to lead Twint and shape the future of the payments world,” he says. “Twint is the most complete and compelling value proposition from both a client and bank perspective that I have seen in the Western hemisphere and I knew I had to be part of it.” Kilb has led the company to become not only an integral part of digital payments in Switzerland, but an exciting one, as it remains the fastest growing provider in the region,region with a nearly four-fold increase to transactions from the previous year. Kilb explains that the reason for Twint’s
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TWINT
“Twint’s software is agnostic of operating systems, allowing a full range of peer-topeer payments”
success is that the platform is comprehensive and “trendsetting.” Twint is unique as it integrates peer-to-peer platforms in a way not previously done. “Twint is modified to be used for both Android and iOS and while other platforms are not interoperable, Twint’s software is agnostic of operating systems, allowing a full range of peer-to-peer
— Markus Kilb, CEO, Twint 06
payments,” and this goes beyond the two platforms. The integration of over 100,000 merchants allows for users to pay for products, book travel and cinema tickets as well
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘TWINING WHEN PARKING AND NEVER PAYING TOO MUCH AGAIN’ 07 as store reward points, all through
professionally. “We have a con-
Twint. Loyalty schemes are a key
tinuous improvement program,” he
part of Swiss commercial culture
explains. “We constantly review our
and Twint has ensured that this is
processes to be sure that we are
as deeply integrated into the app
operating in the most efficient and
as it is culturally. Kilb notes that one
intelligent manner possible. We have
particularly popular loyalty card is
also been using a cloud solution from
the “Coop Supercard” from Coop
Swisscom for all of our IT.”
Group, one of the leading retail com-
In addition to e-commerce and
panies in Switzerland. “This deep
physical point of sale, Twint also har-
integration allows everything to work
nesses QR technology, whether it’s for
from one single platform,” explains
users to pay for one of Switzerland’s
Kilb, “and that’s just perfect.” Kilb’s
100,000 parking spaces, or to pay for
responsibility is to ensure that this
a selection of vegetables from a self
service is upscaled seamlessly and
pay stand outside a farm. This simple w w w.t wi nt . ch /en /
Over 40 payment methods worldwide and free choice of acquirer. More than 4'400 customers worldwide, and the best time-to-market make us one of Europe’s leading payment service providers. Advanced payment solutions and secure payment technologies - made in Switzerland. Are you looking for a payment solution that thinks ahead? Talk to us!
Datatrans Ltd. +41 44 256 81 91 info@datatrans.ch www.datatrans.ch
but effective solution eliminates the
“It is an absolute honour and a thrilling experience to lead Twint and shape the future of the payments world”
need for cash or offline payment terminals, creating real benefits for a customer by solving day-to-day issues. Another exciting advancement is that Twint is beginning to print its QR codes on other companies’ product packaging. “If a customer is coming to the end of a product that they have ordered before, all they
— Markus Kilb, CEO, Twint
need to do is scan the QR code on the wrapping with Twint and they are immediately linked into the ordering system of this company. Customers
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TWINT
10
2017
Year founded
HQ
Zürich Switzerland
70
Number of employees
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Create added value with data Data becomes an important raw material for a company – and the skilful handling of it is a decisive competitive factor.
How data-driven is your business? Do the check and find out
www.swisscom.ch/datadriven
will then receive a final confirmation request before processing the pay-
“We want to position Twint as the preferred means of payment for all people in Switzerland”
ment and shipment of the product.” Twint’s exponential growth is also accredited to its key shareholders and partners, which besides SIX Group and Worldline, largely comprise Swiss banks: Postfinance, UBS, Zürcher Kantonalbank, Credit Suisse, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise and Raiffeisen.
— Markus Kilb, CEO, Twint
“Twint works with direct access to bank accounts, which is pretty unique for Switzerland,” Kilb adds. In addition to this, there is also an additional
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Markus Kilb Markus Kilb is the CEO of Twint AG, and has held the role since November 2018. Kilb’s career started with BMW, as project manager of the Financial Services Division from 1992 to 1996. He worked with Advance Bank from 1996 until 2000, where he was Product Manager for all cards and accounts products. In 2000, he moved to Citibank in order to oversee the credit card business. He has held a number of various executive positions, most notably in 2009, when he became General Manager of Unicredit’s product factory for loans and cards business in Germany.
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TWINT
T W I N T A P P B A N KS
• APPKB (Appenzeller Kantonalbank) • BCV(Banque Cantonale Vaudeoise) • BCGE (Banque Cantonale de Genève) • CS (Credit Suisse) 14
• NAB (Neue Aargauer Bank) • OKB (Obwaldner Kantonalbank) • Postfinance • Raiffeisen • SGKB (St. Galler Kantonalbank) • UBS • BCVS/WKB (Banque Cantonale du Valais)
nine, non-shareholder banks and federation banks that work with Twint. “All of these banks are united by the belief in creating a strong customer value for its customers,” says Kilb, and these partnerships allow for Twint to maintain bank-grade security, as they retain a majority of sensitive data,
• ZGKB (Zuger Kantonalbank)
together forming the cybersecurity
• ZKB (Zuercher Kantonalbank)
for each of the shareholder banks,
hub in Switzerland. Twint has an app available in both an iOS and Android operating system, in order to provide
an acquirer for some of the largest merchants in Switzerland such as Coop Group, Datatrans is a proven and essential partner in processing our transactions.” As the payment app continues to accelerate growth, Kilb shares that it is Twint’s clear aim to reach 4 million customers by the end of 2021. Twint has recently brought on new major merchants such as Swiss Rail SBB, that will help the payment provider continue its high standard of professionalism, as well as reaching its midterm goal of conducting 500 million transactions each year. “We want to position Twint as the preferred means of paythe most tailored experience for each
ment for all people in Switzerland. At
bank’s customers. To assist with
the same time we want to expand
creating this bespoke service, Twint
on international cooperation via the
is partnered with Swisscom, which
EMPSA (European Mobile Payment
Kilb describes as “the centrepiece
Association), enabling our customers
of Twint’s value chain” as it not only
to start twinting not only in Switzerland
customises Twint’s services to suit
but across Europe and beyond.”
issuer banks, but is an outsourcing partner for its data centre. Kilb goes on: “Next to Swisscom, the company Datatrans AG is one of the major PSPs in Switzerland and is a key partner for us at Twint. As Twint also operates as w w w.t wi nt . ch /en /
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Stauffacherstrasse 31 CH-8004 ZĂźrich Switzerland www.twint.ch/en/