Views: 12
Summary – Mandatory since 30 September 2022 in Switzerland, the QR invoice replaces the orange and red payment slips to standardize and secure payments, reduce input errors and ensure compliance through IBAN/QR-IBAN. The Swiss QR Code consolidates all banking details, payment references and checksum controls, streamlining mobile scanning, automating reconciliation and enabling native ERP integration to accelerate processing times and lower administrative costs. Solution: plan your migration by testing workflows in a sandbox environment, adopt open-source modules or microservices-based APIs, train your teams and maintain a modular architecture to avoid vendor lock-in.
The QR invoice is the new mandatory payment standard in Switzerland, permanently replacing the old orange and red payment slips. It relies on the Swiss QR Code, a two-dimensional code that integrates both payment references and banking details.
Its adoption has been compulsory since September 30, 2022, requiring the exclusive use of IBAN or QR-IBAN to ensure uniformity and security of payment flows. This article provides a pragmatic overview of how the QR invoice works, its benefits for payers and creditors, and the rules you need to follow to succeed in the transition and automate your financial processes.
How the QR Invoice Works
The QR invoice defines a structured, universal, and secure format for all payments in Switzerland. It embeds all necessary data in a single Swiss QR Code, eliminating manual entry errors. This standard relies on IBAN/QR-IBAN usage and guarantees interoperability among banks and billing systems.
Nature and Structure of the QR Invoice
The QR invoice consists of a graphical panel displaying a Swiss QR Code and a payment slip containing the textual details. Mandatory data include the IBAN or QR-IBAN account number, the amount, the currency, the structured payment reference, and the beneficiary’s and payer’s addresses. This standardized structure removes free-text fields that could cause errors and disputes.
The Swiss QR Code encodes all these elements, allowing banking applications to automatically scan the information and initiate the payment without any manual intervention. The absence of grey areas reduces fraud risk and improves transaction reliability.
The technical specification for the QR invoice is defined by SIX Interbank Clearing and complies with ISO standards. Optional fields, such as the payer’s IBAN, can be used to prefill data in banking applications, further speeding up processing.
Payment Elements and Security
Switching to IBAN/QR-IBAN is a key step in strengthening transaction security. The IBAN guarantees the validity and integrity of banking details, and many banks perform strict checksum verification during processing. Any error in the IBAN or payment reference is immediately detected.
The QR invoice incorporates a checksum mechanism and an internal verification algorithm. This dual verification prevents fraudulent modifications of amounts or beneficiaries, securing the entire end-to-end process.
Issuers can also include an “Additional Information” field for free-form messages, while preserving payment reliability. However, this field must never replace essential data, as that could compromise readability by banking systems.
Real-World Use Case of QR Invoice Implementation
A medium-sized public entity migrated its fee invoices to the QR invoice format in early 2023. Previously, it processed thousands of red slips, which caused manual entry errors and payment delays. After integrating the Swiss QR Code into its open-source ERP, the organization saw a 90% reduction in incidents related to incorrect banking details.
This case demonstrates that standardization and automation of the QR invoice minimize manual interventions and accelerate settlement times. The entity was able to reallocate its financial resources to higher-value tasks, such as rights analysis and budget planning.
The integration was carried out through a custom module compatible with the existing hybrid ecosystem, avoiding any vendor lock-in. The project leveraged open-source libraries to generate and validate QR codes, ensuring long-term scalability and security.
Concrete Benefits for Payers
The QR invoice makes life easier for payers by offering a single code to scan for an accurate payment, without tedious retyping. It delivers a significant reduction in errors and faster transaction processing. Payers also benefit from mobile options and increased automation in their management software, improving the smoothness of financial workflows.
Faster Payments and Elimination of Errors
With the QR invoice, payers no longer have to manually copy the IBAN, payment reference, or amount. A simple scan of the Swiss QR Code in their banking app prepopulates all fields, eliminating the risk of transposing digits or entering incorrect references.
This accuracy reduces the rate of rejected or misallocated payments, minimizing reminders and penalties. Organizations report decreased administrative costs related to payment processing and fewer calls to the finance department.
Settlement deadlines are met more consistently, enhancing supplier-customer relationships and preserving both parties’ cash flow.
Mobile Experience and Speed of Execution
The rise of mobile banking apps makes the QR invoice particularly suited to modern use cases. The code can be scanned directly with a smartphone camera, and the transaction completes in a few clicks, even on the go.
An IT service provider implemented the QR invoice on its bills, enabling clients to pay their monthly subscriptions from their mobile devices. As a result, off-hours payments tripled, demonstrating the impact of mobile on speed and availability of settlements.
This example highlights the importance of user experience: the more intuitive the payment, the faster it is made, with no risk of forgetfulness or delays.
Automation of Reconciliation and Tracking
Accounting and ERP systems can automatically ingest incoming QR invoices, including bank reconciliation. Payment statuses update without human intervention, providing real-time visibility into financial positions.
Accounting teams become more efficient, spending less time on data entry and verification. They can focus on data analysis and cash-flow forecasting.
Thanks to a modular, API-driven architecture, information from bank statements and invoices is synchronized continuously, ensuring reliable, instant reporting.
Edana: strategic digital partner in Switzerland
We support companies and organizations in their digital transformation
Benefits for Creditors and Software Integration
For invoice issuers, the QR invoice offers direct generation from ERP or billing systems, without external gateways or manual entry. Processing costs drop significantly. Creditors also benefit from enriched data and a smoother end-to-end process, from invoice issuance to accounting.
Native Generation in Billing Systems
Integrating the QR invoice into business software allows simultaneous generation of the PDF invoice and the Swiss QR Code. Dedicated modules retrieve banking details from a master source, ensuring data consistency.
A Swiss logistics provider automated its client invoice generation via an open-source ERP plugin. Every document now includes a QR invoice, with no heavy internal development or additional licensing.
This contextual approach, combining proven components and custom development, reflects a hybrid-ecosystem philosophy, ensuring a modular and scalable process.
Cost Reduction and Workflow Optimization
Eliminating traditional payment slips reduces postage and paper-processing costs. Teams spend less time printing, folding, and mailing invoices.
A financial services firm achieved annual savings of over CHF 30,000 on mailing costs. It also halved manual interventions in its accounts payable department by using a direct-import API for QR invoices.
By avoiding exclusive reliance on a single vendor, the company maintains control over its evolution and avoids vendor lock-in risks.
Utilization of Enriched Data
The QR invoice standard carries the payment reference, which often corresponds to an order or project number. Management systems can automatically link the invoice to the correct file, improving traceability and transparency.
Financial managers gain reliable dashboards where each payment ties back to its budget or operational source. This facilitates analysis of billing cycles, identification of delays, and calculation of Days Sales Outstanding (DSO).
With a microservices-based architecture, reports are generated continuously and can be consumed by any BI tool without additional technical complexity.
Essential Rules and Best Practices for Transition
Adoption of the QR invoice has been mandatory in Switzerland since 2022, with exclusive use of IBAN or QR-IBAN and prohibition of replacements for domestic payments. Compliance is non-negotiable. To succeed in migration, plan the integration into existing systems, train your teams, and test processes end to end.
Legal Adoption and Standard Constraints
Since September 30, 2022, all invoices circulated in Switzerland must be issued in QR format. Orange (BVR) and red (BVR ISR) slips are no longer accepted by banks for domestic payments. This rule also applies to public organizations and companies with more than 20 employees.
Using IBAN or QR-IBAN is imperative. QR-IBAN allows routing payments to reference or treasury pool accounts. Invoices issued with non-IBAN accounts will be rejected automatically.
It is crucial to verify the banking details stored in your systems and ensure they are valid and ISO-compliant. Conduct generation and reading tests of the Swiss QR Code before going live.
Limitations for International Payments
The QR invoice applies only to Swiss franc or euro payments destined for accounts held with a Swiss bank or an institution adhering to the standard. For international transactions in other currencies, maintain a separate format, such as SEPA or SWIFT.
An international NGO based in Switzerland had to keep two invoice formats: the QR invoice for Swiss donors and SEPA transfers for European contributions. This duality illustrates the importance of segmenting processes according to legal requirements.
It is advisable to create distinct workflows in your billing system for each geographic area to avoid errors and ensure regulatory compliance wherever you operate.
Migration Strategy and Tailored Integration
Transitioning to the QR invoice should be part of a broader digitalization project for payments. Start by mapping your current processes, identifying pain points, and defining functional and technical requirements.
Next, select modules or open APIs for generating and validating Swiss QR Codes, prioritizing open-source solutions to promote modularity and limit vendor lock-in. Test in a sandbox environment with your banking partners.
Finally, train your accounting and business teams on the new formats, integrate end-to-end tests into your CI/CD pipelines if you use an extensible ERP, and provide post-go-live support to quickly resolve any incidents.
Optimize Your Move to the QR Invoice
The QR invoice is more than a graphical update: it transforms your payment processes into faster, more reliable, and automatable workflows. Payers enjoy a seamless mobile experience and error-free data entry. Creditors generate QR codes directly in their systems, reduce costs, and leverage enriched data for precise reporting.
Compliance with legal requirements—particularly the exclusive use of IBAN/QR-IBAN and distinct handling of international payments—is essential. A well-orchestrated migration strategy based on open-source building blocks and a modular architecture ensures adaptability and long-term viability of your solution.
Our experts are ready to support you in implementing a high-performance, scalable, and secure digital invoicing process. With a contextual, vendor-agnostic approach, you’ll benefit from a hybrid ecosystem aligned with your business needs while adhering to Swiss standards.
