From a one-person business to 500,000 orders. Our story.

Not every company starts in a glass office building, with a big budget and a staff of people. We started simply, patiently, and with one goal: to do our work as well as possible. We believed that if we acted fast and treated customers like partners, trust would come with time - and we weren’t wrong. 😊

Table of contents

1. SwissSoftware24 in numbers
2. 2013, ricardo.ch and the first stage of development
3. Support for a digital product
4. Contact
5. B2B cooperation
6. Cooperation with manufacturers and offer development
7. Order fulfillment
8. Conclusion
9. FAQ - most common questions

SwissSoftware24 in numbers

• Start: 2013 - a one-person business, sales on ricardo.ch (laptops and electronics), “E-CH” Hankus as a seller on ricardo.ch, then “swizpol Hankus”
• 2015: expansion of sales to eBay and Amazon
• 2016: entry into the German and Austrian market
• 2017: launch of the online store swisssoftware24.ch
• 2019: expansion of sales, among others, to France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium
• 2022: trademark registration
• Total number of orders since the beginning: approx. 500,000
• Response time to a message/complaint: approx. 12 hours
• Returning customers: approx. 50% (including subscription renewals)
• Independent reviews: Toppreise store profile 4.8 (234 reviews)

2013, ricardo.ch and the first stage of development

In 2013 SwissSoftware24 was still a one-person business that sold laptops and electronics on ricardo.ch. It was a testing phase in which basically everything mattered: speed of response, fair approach to the customer, punctuality and - most importantly - building recognition and reputation through transactions.

It started very ordinarily, with two used laptops listed on ricardo.ch. It turned out then that despite the fact that the equipment was used, it could be sold for more than the purchase price. That was a signal that it was worth taking a risk, ending the children’s furniture store and starting to get to know this market and learn e-commerce from scratch.

At first, one room in the apartment was the office, warehouse and workshop, because over time repairs, refurbishing, service and helping customers with topics that could keep you busy for long hours were added - system installations, configurations, data recovery... This stage carries one lesson: what matters is not only the sale, but whether the customer gets a solution to their problem and gains peace of mind.

The next step was software - first in boxed versions. As befits beginnings, the first boxes were sent by our founder together with his son, carrying them to the post office every evening so they would reach customers as quickly as possible. When digital keys started appearing on the market, we had to switch and take a risk so that “the train wouldn’t leave without us”. At first keys were sent manually, and over time automatically, and thanks to that today most customers receive their key quickly, without waiting, and we can focus on support and service.

And that is exactly how, step by step, we built SwissSoftware24.ch.

Support for a digital product

We quickly noticed that in software sales (and not only) customers are looking for something more than the product itself. They are looking for peace of mind. They want to be sure that the code will work, the instructions will be clear, and the seller will not disappear after receiving the transfer.

Today SwissSoftware24 operates as a software store where 3 things are important:

• fast fulfillment,
• help after purchase,
• transparent information (contact, regulations, policies).

However, in the world of e-commerce, declarations alone are not enough. Numbers matter, which is why we proudly share them with our customers:

• ~500,000 orders since the beginning of operations
• ~50% returning customers - including people who renew subscriptions every year
• ~12 hours average response time to a message/complaint

The numbers speak for themselves. We are proud that half of our customers are people who already know us and come back, whether to renew a subscription or for new tools. You can also verify our credibility on the independent Toppreise portal, where you can’t “buy” good reviews - you have to earn them. You can check them here: https://www.toppreise.ch/shops/swisssoftware24-ch-s1904

Contact

Selling a product is not only handing it over to the customer. It is also answering questions, including about activation, compatibility, and formalities for companies.

At SwissSoftware24 we are officially available to you from Monday to Friday from 8 to 16, but despite that we try to respond to messages and complaints as quickly as possible (most often it is within 12 hours).

You can contact us:

• Phone: +(41) 43 550 05 20 (in German and English)
• E-mail: [email protected] (in German, English, Italian and French).

B2B cooperation

We also have customers who do not buy single licenses for home use from us, but are looking for a larger number of keys for professional use.. For companies, institutions and IT teams it is crucial that purchases are repeatable, fast and well documented, and that in case of questions you can talk to a human being rather than a chatbot, which is why at SwissSoftware24 we also handle B2B orders: from recurring renewals to larger purchases of a single product counted in dozens, and even hundreds of keys.

In practice, you can contact us for a quote for keys already in the case of wanting to order 5 licenses. Our advisors will be happy to answer all questions, adjust the order terms and complete all formalities. We serve both companies of several dozen people and large companies and institutions, and among our customers there have been, among others, FIS and AMAG. We issue invoices with VAT 8.1%

Cooperation with manufacturers and offer development

In e-commerce, trust comes from whether the customer feels that they are placing an order in a place that has a good reputation, reviews and quality confirmed by others, which is why we develop SwissSoftware24 based on cooperation with manufacturers and software distributors and consistently build a portfolio especially in areas where customers most often expect support and security by distributing products and establishing partner cooperation with brands such as Kaspersky, Bitdefender, or ESET.

Order fulfillment

Variant A: key available immediately (automatic fulfillment)

In most cases, fulfillment of an order for an ESD key is very fast. After the payment is booked, the system automatically prepares the order and sends the customer an email with the information needed for activation (e.g. key/license and instructions).

That means:

• fulfillment happens automatically after payment is received,
• the email goes to the address provided in the order,
• the message contains all key information to start using the product.

The standard time to deliver the key and invoice is usually 5 minutes and works 24/7. If the customer does not see the email, we always ask them to check folders such as spam/offers and the correctness of the email address provided in the order. If despite that the key cannot be found - we are available to help.

Variant B: key available on request

Sometimes part of the products is not available “off the shelf”. These are mainly products… Niche, such as not very popular antivirus programs or expensive server software that is not worth keeping in stock. In such a situation, after the order is paid, we obtain the license from the manufacturer or distributor, and then send it to the customer by email as soon as it is made available to us.

How does it work step by step?

1. The customer places and pays for the order.
2. The system marks the order as requiring license procurement.
3. A sales specialist obtains the key from the manufacturer/distributor.
4. After receiving the key, we send an email to the customer with a complete set of information for activation.

Conclusion

Looking at this story from the perspective of time, one thing does not change: SwissSoftware24 has grown through timely fulfillment, efficient communication and a fair approach to the customer. These are the elements that make some people come back every year to renew subscriptions, and companies treat us as a reliable purchasing partner.

Today, after approx. 500,000 orders, we see that not only the product matters, but the whole process around it - from fast key delivery through the invoice and formalities, to support when something needs clarification, and that is what we build SwissSoftware24 on.

Below you'll find the FAQ – with the most frequently asked questions and answers to make your purchasing decision as easy as possible (also regarding B2B and VAT). If something is missing from the FAQ, write to us – we're here to help.

FAQ - most common questions

1) How quickly will I receive the ESD key after purchase?

In most cases, the key and invoice are sent automatically after the payment is booked. It usually takes about 5 minutes and works 24/7.

2) What if I don’t see the email with the key or invoice?

First check folders such as spam/offers and whether the email address provided in the order is correct. If you still don’t see the message - write to us or call us. We will verify the order and help.

3) What if the key doesn’t work or I have a problem with activation?

Call or write to us with the order number and a short description of the problem (e.g. the error message). We will respond and guide you through the solution.

4) Are all products available immediately?

Most of them are, but part of the products we fulfill on request. Then after the order is paid, we obtain the license from the manufacturer or distributor and send it as soon as it is made available to us.

5) How long does fulfillment take in the “on request” variant?

It depends on the product and availability at the manufacturer/distributor, usually it is up to 3 working days.

6) When and during what hours can I contact you?

Officially we are available Monday to Friday from 8:00-16:00, but whenever possible we also try to respond outside these hours and we do it as quickly as possible - on average in about 12 hours.

7) In what languages do you support customers?

By phone: in German and English.
By email: in German, English, Italian and French.

8) How can I contact you?

Phone: +(41) 43 550 05 20
E-mail: [email protected]

9) Do you issue invoices?

Yes. We issue invoices with VAT 8.1%.

10) Do you handle B2B orders and larger quantities of licenses?

Yes. We handle B2B orders - from recurring renewals to larger purchases of licenses (dozens and even hundreds of keys). You can contact us for a quote already when ordering from 5 licenses.

11) What does a B2B purchase look like step by step?

You contact us with information on how many licenses you need and which product the request concerns. Together we clarify the details and prepare an offer.

12) Where can I check independent reviews of SwissSoftware24?

On Toppreise - a Swiss price comparison and reviews site. Currently there is a rating of 4.8 based on 234 reviews. https://www.toppreise.ch/shops/swisssoftware24-ch-s1904