01What Is a QR Invoice?
The QR invoice has been the only valid payment format in Switzerland since 30 September 2022. On that date, the old orange (ESR) and red (ES) payment slips were permanently discontinued. Banks and PostFinance have since accepted only QR invoices.
The heart of every QR invoice is the Swiss QR Code -- a two-dimensional barcode conforming to ISO 18004. It contains all payment information in machine-readable form: payee, IBAN, amount, currency and reference number. The specification is defined by SIX (the operator of Switzerland's financial infrastructure) and is updated regularly.
The payment part with the Swiss QR Code is printed at the bottom of the invoice and can be scanned directly by the payer using their banking app. Alternatively, the invoice can be paid at the post office counter or via e-banking by entering the reference number manually.
02Mandatory Fields of a QR Invoice
For a QR invoice to be valid and processable by banks, certain fields must be filled in correctly — similar to the general mandatory fields on a Swiss invoice. The SIX standard defines the exact structure of the QR payload.
| Field | Description | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| IBAN / QR-IBAN | Account of the payee (CH or LI) | Yes |
| Payee | Name and address (structured or combined) | Yes |
| Amount | Payment amount (can be left blank for open amounts) | Optional |
| Currency | CHF or EUR | Yes |
| Payer | Name and address of the payer | Optional |
| Reference type | QRR (QR reference), SCOR or NON | Yes |
| Reference number | 26-digit (QRR) or structured (SCOR) | For QRR/SCOR |
| Additional information | Free text for invoice details (max. 140 characters) | Optional |
The 'Amount' and 'Payer' fields are technically optional. You can create a QR invoice without an amount -- e.g. for donation appeals. In practice, however, you will almost always specify an amount so that the customer can pay the invoice with a single scan.
03QR-IBAN vs. Regular IBAN
A common stumbling block is the distinction between QR-IBAN and regular IBAN. Both look similar but serve different purposes and cannot be used interchangeably.
You can identify a QR-IBAN by its institution identification (IID) in the range 30000 to 31999. It is used exclusively for QR invoices with a QR reference (reference type QRR). Your bank will issue a QR-IBAN on request -- it differs from your regular IBAN and has a different account number.
A regular IBAN (IID outside the 30000-31999 range) is used for QR invoices with a SCOR reference (Structured Creditor Reference per ISO 11649) or without any reference (reference type NON).
| Feature | QR-IBAN | Regular IBAN |
|---|---|---|
| IID range | 30000 -- 31999 | All others |
| Reference type | QRR (QR reference) | SCOR or NON |
| Reference number | 26-digit, numeric | ISO 11649 or none |
| Automatic reconciliation | Yes (like the former ESR) | Limited |
| Suitable for | Regular invoicing | One-off payments |
04Creating a QR Invoice: 5 Steps
Here is how to create a correct QR invoice -- whether manually or with software. These five steps apply to all variants.
Check with your bank whether you have a QR-IBAN. If you want to work with a QR reference, you must have a QR-IBAN. For SCOR or payments without a reference, a regular IBAN is sufficient.
Enter your full name (or company name) and your address. The address must be structured: street, house number, postal code, city, country code (CH or LI).
If you use a QR-IBAN, create a 26-digit QR reference number. This typically contains your customer number and invoice number, plus a check digit (Modulo 10, recursive). For SCOR references, use the ISO 11649 format.
Add the amount (in CHF or EUR), currency and optionally the payer's address. In the 'Additional information' field, you can include the invoice number as free text, for example.
The QR code must be exactly 46 x 46 mm and contain the Swiss cross in the centre. The payment part is placed at the bottom of the invoice, with a perforation line and the receipt section on the left.
05Avoiding Common Mistakes
In practice, we see the same mistakes over and over again with QR invoices. These lead to the invoice being rejected by the bank or the incoming payment not being matched correctly.
- IBAN with spaces in the QR payload. This is the most common mistake. The IBAN must always appear without spaces in the QR code -- i.e. CH4431999123000889012, not CH44 3199 9123 0008 8901 2. On the printed payment part, it may be formatted with spaces, but never in the QR code.
- Wrong combination of IBAN and reference type. A QR-IBAN strictly requires the reference type QRR. A regular IBAN accepts only SCOR or NON. If you mix these up, the payment will be rejected.
- Invalid check digit in the reference number. The QR reference has a check digit calculated using Modulo 10 (recursive). If you assemble the reference manually and calculate the check digit incorrectly, automatic matching will not work.
- Incorrect QR code format. The Swiss QR Code must be exactly 46 x 46 mm, contain the Swiss cross and be printed on a white background. A code that is too small or distorted cannot be scanned.
- Missing perforation line. The payment part must be separated from the rest of the invoice by a perforation line (with scissors symbol). Without this line, the payment part cannot be processed at the post office counter.
06QR Invoices with einzly
einzly takes all the complexity off your hands. You enter your IBAN (or QR-IBAN) once, add your company details -- and from then on, einzly automatically generates a standards-compliant Swiss QR Code with every invoice. You can then send the invoice directly from einzly. In our visual tutorial we show you the entire process step by step.
In detail, this means:
- Automatic reference number generation. einzly creates a unique QR reference number with the correct check digit for every invoice. You do not need to calculate anything manually.
- IBAN validation. During setup, einzly checks whether your IBAN is valid and whether it matches the chosen reference type. Spaces are removed automatically.
- Correct payment part. The payment part is generated in the correct size and with all mandatory fields -- including the Swiss cross, perforation line and receipt section.
- PDF export. Every invoice is created as a print-ready PDF that you can send directly or print out. The payment part is integrated at the bottom.