Buying tyres used to mean a trip to the garage, a price quote and a wait. Today plenty of drivers in Switzerland compare prices online, order from home and have the tyres delivered straight to a workshop. The idea is simple, but the details are what trip people up: how long will delivery take, who fits the tyres, how do you pay and what happens if you change your mind?
This guide walks through the process using Reifendirekt.ch, the Swiss shop of a large European online tyre retailer. The details below come from the retailer’s own site, so check the live pages on the official Reifendirekt.ch website before you place an order, as terms can change.
Browse Tyres at Reifendirekt.ch
In this guide
Step 1: Find the Right Tyre
Reifendirekt says it has more than 20 years of experience and stocks well-known brands such as Continental, Dunlop, Pirelli, Yokohama and Hankook alongside others. You can shop by season (summer, winter and all-season), and the range also covers motorcycle tyres, racing tyres and retreads. The site has a tyre configurator, so you can search by your car or by the size printed on the sidewall, such as 205/55 R16.
Once you have a list of candidates, it is worth checking the independent test results for each model, not just the price. Brands often publish their own results too. For example, Continental says its AllSeasonContact 2 won the 2025 all-season test run by ADAC, TCS and OEAMTC, and that it is available for rims from 15 to 21 inches. That is Continental’s own claim, so confirm the details before relying on it.
Step 2: Choose How Your Tyres Arrive
Reifendirekt offers three delivery options. You can have the tyres sent to your home, to a fitting partner or to another address. The retailer says it works with over 2,700 workshop partners, and that the partner is notified automatically when your order leaves the warehouse.
There is one catch. You should still contact the workshop yourself to book your fitting appointment, as the automatic notice only tells them that your tyres are coming. Payment for the fitting is made on site at the garage, separately from your online order.
Step 3: Know the Delivery Times
Online ordering is rarely instant, so plan ahead, especially at the changeover between summer and winter tyres, when garages are at their busiest. According to Reifendirekt, delivery times after the goods have been imported into Switzerland are roughly as follows:
| Product | Typical delivery time (per Reifendirekt) |
|---|---|
| Car tyres | 4 to 6 working days |
| Rims | 5 to 7 working days |
| Motorcycle tyres | 5 to 7 working days |
| Complete wheels | About 7 to 9 working days |
Because winter tyres tend to sell out when the first snow falls, ordering a few weeks early gives you a buffer.
Step 4: Pay Your Way
The retailer lists a wide choice of payment methods, which is helpful if you prefer not to use a card online. Options named on the site include:
- Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club.
- PayPal, with the amount converted to euros.
- Revolut, Sofort and Amazon Pay.
- Invoice, for orders up to CHF 325 (up to CHF 1000 for complete wheels).
- Prepayment by bank transfer.
Prices on the site are shown per piece and include VAT. Reifendirekt also says delivery within Switzerland is free from two tyres, while a single tyre carries a flat shipping fee of CHF 10. Check the basket total before you pay, as the figures can change.
Step 5: Get the Tyres Fitted
Your fitting partner will mount the tyres, balance the wheels and, depending on the workshop, handle the old tyres. Ask the garage what the fitting costs, whether it includes balancing and tyre-pressure sensors, and how they dispose of old tyres, because prices vary between workshops.
Do not try to fit the tyres before you are sure you want to keep them. Reifendirekt’s return rules only cover tyres that are unused and have not been fitted.
Step 6: Know the Return Policy
Reifendirekt advertises a 30-day return right. The tyres must be unused and unfitted, and you should contact customer service first so that they can arrange collection. It is best to inspect the delivery as soon as it arrives and check that the size, load index, speed rating and season are what you ordered.
Reading the Sidewall: Quick Checks Before You Order
- Size: width, aspect ratio and rim diameter, for example 205/55 R16.
- Season: look for the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol on winter and all-season tyres.
- Tread depth: the legal minimum is 1.6 mm, though many experts suggest changing summer tyres at 3 mm and winter tyres at 4 mm, as Reifendirekt notes.
- Load and speed rating: stay at or above the values in your vehicle documents.
Summer, Winter or All-Season?
All-season tyres appeal to drivers who do not want to swap tyres twice a year. Winter tyres suit those who regularly face snow and cold roads. Summer tyres focus on dry and wet grip in warmer weather. Which one is right depends on where you live, how many kilometres you drive and how much you need in each season. The retailer’s configurator lets you filter by type so you can compare them side by side.
Compare Summer, Winter and All-Season
Is Buying Tyres Online Worth It?
Buying online makes the most sense when you know what size you need, have time for delivery and have a workshop that will fit tyres that you bought elsewhere. You get the comparison shopping and home ordering of e-commerce and a local garage still does the fitting. If you need a tyre today because of a puncture, a local garage is still the faster route.
Reifendirekt says it serves over 15 million customers worldwide, and the Swiss site gives a 30-day return right. Both are good points to know, but read the full terms of sale on the Reifendirekt.ch store before ordering.
Final Thoughts
Ordering tyres online is a straightforward process once you know the steps: choose the tyre, pick a delivery option, book your fitting and keep an eye on delivery times. Take a look at the current range, prices and delivery estimates on the official Reifendirekt.ch site, and plan your order well before the seasonal rush.
Images: Continental press photos, used to illustrate tyres sold by online retailers. Delivery, payment and return details are quoted from Reifendirekt.ch and may change.
