Overview
- The Polarzauber market at Zurich Hauptbahnhof will accept only card and mobile payments from 20 November to 24 December across roughly 120 stands, including Twint, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- Organizers confirmed to K-Tipp that stand operators who take cash face a 500-franc fine, and Focus reports violators could even be removed from the market.
- SBB, which owns the station, and the City of Zurich publicly support the policy and say no general rules dictate accepted payment methods.
- Several traders warn of lost revenue because many customers still use cash, and they object to a newly introduced revenue-sharing fee.
- Swiss law allows cash refusal when it is clearly announced in advance, and other markets in Bern, Lucerne and Winterthur encourage cashless payments but typically still accept cash.