Sri Lanka vs Switzerland · Real-time payment systems compared
| Capability | CEFTS | TWINT |
|---|---|---|
| QR Code Payments | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wallet Support | — | ✓ |
| 24/7 Availability | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cross-Border | — | — |
| ISO 20022 | ✓ | — |
| Request to Pay | — | ✓ |
| Open API | ◐ | ◐ |
| Alias/Proxy | ✓ | ✓ |
The Common Electronic Fund Transfer Switch is Sri Lanka's fast-payments backbone, launched in 2015 by LankaPay under Central Bank of Sri Lanka guidance as part of the Common Card and Payment Switch (CCAPS). CEFTS clears 24/7 real-time interbank credit transfers up to LKR 5 million, initiated through internet/mobile banking, ATMs, kiosks or over-the-counter. LANKAQR (QR-code standard), JustPay (in-app payments) and LPOPP (online payment platform, including GovPay) all ride on CEFTS. CEFTS now carries roughly two-thirds of Sri Lanka's interbank retail transactions.
Switzerland's dominant mobile payment app for P2P transfers, in-store QR payments, and e-commerce checkout, used by 5M+ Swiss residents (over half the population). Operated by TWINT AG — a joint venture of major Swiss banks (UBS, Credit Suisse/UBS, ZKB, Raiffeisen, PostFinance) and SIX Group — it works through individual bank apps or the standalone TWINT app. Unlike card networks, TWINT settles directly between bank accounts with low merchant fees. It has become Switzerland's answer to mobile payment systems, competing with Apple Pay and Google Pay in the Swiss market.