Swiss QR-bill generator, in English

How to send a Swiss invoice, step by step

1. Collect the basics. Your name or company exactly as the bank holds it, your address, a Swiss or Liechtenstein IBAN (or QR-IBAN) and your client's name and address.
2. Write the invoice. Invoice number, date, service date or period, items, total, payment terms. Show VAT and your VAT number only if you are VAT-registered.
3. Add the QR payment part. The generator below creates the payment part with the QR code and the receipt for you.
4. Test it once. Scan the QR code with your own e-banking app and compare amount, account and reference before the first invoice goes out.
5. Send it. Save the invoice as PDF and e-mail it, or print it on A4 at 100% scale. Keep a copy of every invoice.
6. Follow up. If the due date passes, check your account first, then send a friendly reminder first.

New to this? Read the guide: Swiss QR bill invoice for freelancers, with an example text for your invoice e-mail.

Swiss QR-bill explained for newcomers

What is the Swiss QR-bill?

Since 30 September 2022 the old orange and red payment slips have been discontinued in Switzerland; the Swiss QR-bill has replaced them. It is an A4 page (or an invoice) with a payment part at the bottom: a QR code, the receipt, account, amount and reference. Your client scans the code in the banking app and the payment details are filled in automatically.

IBAN or QR-IBAN?

A normal IBAN works with no reference or with a Creditor Reference (SCOR, ISO 11649: «RF», two check digits and up to 21 more characters). A QR-IBAN is a special IBAN with an institution number between 30000 and 31999 (characters 5 to 9). It must be used together with a 27-digit QR reference, which this tool builds from your invoice number. Not every bank account has a QR-IBAN. Look in your e-banking or ask your bank. If you only have a normal IBAN, choose «No reference» or «Creditor Reference».

Which reference should I choose?

• No reference: the simplest option. You match payments by name and the text «Invoice …».
• Creditor Reference (SCOR, ISO 11649): a reference starting with RF, built from your invoice number. Helpful if your accounting software matches payments by reference.
• QR reference (QRR): only with a QR-IBAN. Created automatically from the digits of your invoice number.

CHF or EUR?

The QR-bill can be issued in CHF or EUR. According to SIX, version 2.4 of the guidelines applies from 14 November 2026, and version 2.3 stays valid until November 2027. From November 2027, EUR invoices can only use your normal IBAN with a Creditor Reference (RF…) or your normal IBAN with no reference and an unstructured message. This generator already applies that rule: it accepts a QR-IBAN with a QR reference for CHF invoices only. Your account must be a Swiss or Liechtenstein account (IBAN starting with CH or LI) and must be able to receive the currency.

Foreign clients

If your client lives abroad, enter the postcode, city and the two-letter country code (for example DE, GB or US). Foreign banks may not be able to read the Swiss QR code. A bank transfer with your IBAN and the invoice number as the reference is then the safe way. Add your IBAN and BIC/SWIFT in the invoice note if needed.

How the generator demo works

1. Enter your details and your client's address. Use a Swiss (CH) or Liechtenstein (LI) IBAN.
2. Add your items. The total, optional VAT and the payment part update live.
3. Check the preview: read amount, IBAN and names once more. Press «Print / save as PDF» (A4, 100%, no «fit to page»).
4. Test once: scan the QR code with your own e-banking app before you send the first invoice. Then send the PDF; your client pays by scanning the code in their banking app.

The tool checks the IBAN (check digits), creates the QR reference with the modulo-10 method, shortens texts that are too long and warns you about characters that are not allowed in the Swiss QR code. The QR code is created in your browser according to the SIX Swiss Implementation Guidelines (data structure version 0200).

Questions