"Payment must be simple, fast and secure".

Armin Schmid is General Manager of PayPal Switzerland and Austria, and in this role manages the entire business.This interview appeared in the current issue of "Marketing & Communication". Order now A subscription and find out more exciting monthly information on the topics of marketing, communication, digital, media and education.-------------MK Why is it worthwhile for a company to rely on PayPal?ARMIN SCHMID With PayPal, merchants can easily offer their customers the most popular payment options online and mobile, because PayPal enables fast and secure payments by credit card, PayPal credit and in some countries also by direct debit. In addition, PayPal's payment solutions open up completely new sales channels, both nationally and internationally. Another good reason for PayPal is its high acceptance - worldwide and also in Switzerland. According to the ECC study 2013, PayPal is the most popular means of payment in Switzerland alongside invoice and credit card. Incidentally, the same study was also able to prove that purchase cancellations can be significantly reduced if PayPal is offered as a payment method.MK What kind of Swiss companies already rely on the PayPal solution?ARMIN SCHMID We were able to win over some big Swiss merchants this year. Meanwhile, 55 percent of the top 20 online retailers in Switzerland offer PayPal, including LaRedoute, nettoshop, Dein Deal, Tchibo and ExLibris.MK And for what type of company is the solution particularly suitable?SCHMID PayPal is basically suitable for all online merchants - regardless of size and industry. PayPal payment solutions are fully scalable, align with individual needs and grow with the requirements of the online store. With more than 157 million active PayPal customers in 203 markets worldwide, merchants with PayPal have enormous growth potential and are at the same time ideally positioned for the rapidly growing mobile commerce.In Switzerland, we have more than 750,000 active customers who regularly pay with PayPal. Switzerland is important to us, which is why we are also investing here. For example, with the "Free returns with PayPal" program launched in the fall. With this program, we offer our Swiss customers the opportunity to return items free of charge if they are not satisfied with them. PayPal then reimburses the buyer for the return costs.MK Keyword data protection: Is the collected data of the customers passed on to third parties by Paypal?SCHMID No. Security is our top priority - and that includes data protection. Paying with PayPal has an unbeatable advantage: As a buyer, you deposit your bank details once and then only pay with your e-mail address. Financial data such as details of the deposited credit card, on the other hand, are not transmitted. This is because PayPal handles the actual payment - the seller only knows the e-mail address of the buyer and the details required to process an online order, such as the delivery address. Bank data and sensitive information are stored securely at PayPal like in a safe deposit box.MK How crucial is a well-functioning e-payment solution for the success of an online store?SCHMID Very important. Payment must be easy, fast and secure - for both buyers and sellers. The worst thing is when you lose customers as an online merchant. And unfortunately, there are many reasons for this and just as many examples. For example, customers won't even buy from you if you don't offer their preferred payment options. Or shoppers abandon the buying process because they have to enter sensitive financial data, the process takes too long, is too complicated, or even incurs extra fees. It's a nightmare for merchants and a huge effort to win these customers back.MK What are the biggest challenges in e-payment and what points still have the most potential for optimization?SCHMID The biggest opportunities are certainly cross-border trade and mobile commerce. In some cases, it has taken quite a long time to convince stationary retailers of the benefits of e-commerce. If you now say that they should please optimize everything for mobile and also make it accessible to an international audience, many no longer understand the world. So much effort? For what? The problem is: time is running out! If I don't present answers and solutions to these two points in the near future, the train will have left - and without me. Because no one out there will wait until I'm ready - they'll just shop somewhere else. PayPal offers merchants flexible solutions that can be individually integrated into the mobile web on smartphones and tablets as well as for payment in apps.MK What role will mobile payments play in the future?SCHMID Mobile payment is certainly one of the top topics for the next few years. According to a Google and Ipsos MediaCT study from last year, 52 percent of smartphone shoppers already make purchases with their cell phones at least once a month. That will continue to grow. PayPal was quick to see mobile payments as an important argument for shoppers and merchants. Because when customers store on the go with their smartphone or tablet, they want one thing above all: to complete their purchase securely and quickly.Interview: Simon Wolanin