To state the conclusion up front, the time to make Maestro a pillar of a Swiss payment strategy has passed. Mastercard stopped new Maestro issuance in Europe starting in July 2023, and Swiss banks have also been converting debit cards to the Debit Mastercard and Visa Debit lines. Since Maestro traditionally had limited e-commerce support while the successor Debit Mastercard supports online payments by default, this transition is actually a favorable change for online sellers. For the remaining period, approach Maestro purely as a complementary method that avoids blocking payments from existing Maestro cardholders.

In practice, it is reasonable to treat general card payments — including Debit Mastercard — and the nationally popular app TWINT as the primary pillars, and to give Maestro a priority level where it is only addressed once payment failures from Maestro customers are actually confirmed.

When an online payment is made with an existing Maestro card, it is approved through 3-D Secure 2 authentication (strong customer authentication, SCA) just like a regular card, and the CHF amount is collected by Hecto Financial, converted, and settled to the Korean merchant in the contracted currency of USD, KRW, or JPY. However, since Maestro traditionally had limited online support, the actual scope of approvable transactions needs to be confirmed before integration.

Card-line integration, including support for remaining Maestro cards, can be considered on a domestic (Korean) business basis through Hecto Financial. However, since this is a method in decline, the actual scope of support and conditions must be confirmed through a prior consultation.

• Business registration country

  Confirm whether a contract is possible on the basis of a domestic (Korean) business registration

• Sales channels

  The integration approach and priority vary depending on the composition of online sales channels, such as owned storefronts, open marketplaces, and mobile apps

• Product categories handled

  Advance confirmation is needed as to whether the products fall under industries restricted by Maestro's operator merchant policy

• Check the conversion trend

  Switzerland is under FINMA oversight outside EU regulatory jurisdiction, and Maestro is being converted to Debit Mastercard across Europe. At the time of considering adoption, you should also confirm the remaining card volume and approval feasibility (see official sources below)

Amounts from remaining Maestro transactions are also generated in CHF, and Hecto Financial collects and converts them before paying the Korean merchant in the selected currency of USD, KRW, or JPY. Since the method itself is in decline, it is advisable to negotiate settlement and refund terms with operating costs weighed against expected transaction volume.

• Swiss National Bank (SNB) / Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA)Official information on the Swiss payment system and financial supervision. Where this page's content differs from actual regulations, the official source takes precedence.