E-bill & QR-bill in Switzerland 🇨🇭
Two concepts, one goal: simpler invoices, faster payments
Paper invoices, manual bookings and payment reminders cost time – and nerves. The good news is that in Switzerland QR–invoice and E–invoice two powerful tools to significantly simplify the invoicing process.
But what is what? What are the differences? And what are the concrete benefits for your company – today and in the future?
QR-bill: The new standard for payments
The QR-bill is now the Swiss standard for payment transactions. It has finally replaced the old orange and red payment slips.
What does this mean for your company?
You can transmit all payment information with a single QR code:
- Amount and currency
- IBAN or QR-IBAN
- Reference number
- Payee
Your customers no longer have to type anything – scanning is enough.
Your advantages at a glance
- Faster incoming payments
- Fewer queries and typos
- Uniform standard for all Swiss banks
- Easy to integrate into existing invoices (paper or PDF)
- Works in common e-banking apps
Important to know:
The QR-bill simplifies payment – but not automatically accounting. Anyone who processes a lot of invoices or wants to digitize internal processes will quickly reach their limits here.
E-bill: The next step towards automation
If you want to go even further, use the E–calculation.
In contrast to the PDF invoice,thee-invoice iscompletely digital and structured. It will directly between accounting systems exchanged – without media discontinuity, without manual entry.
What does the E–bill so attractive?
- Invoices are read in automatically
- Bookings run faster and error-free
- Approval and payment processes can be controlled digitally
- Ideal for companies with high invoice volumes
- Less effort for accounts receivable and accounts payable management
- Europe sets the standard with EN 16931 and ViDA
- Standardized via Peppol and Swiss e-billing networks
E-invoicing is a real efficiency booster, especially for large numbers of invoices or in business with larger customers and authorities.
In addition, the use of e-invoicing in international business, for example with Germany and other countries, is becoming increasingly indispensable due to their legal requirements. Many European countries now require structured, digital invoicing, especially in the B2B and public authority environment. If you want to keep up here, there is no way around e-invoicing.
QR-bill or e-bill? The difference clearly explained
| QR–Invoice | E–Invoice |
Focus | Simply pay | Efficient posting |
Shape | Paper or PDF withQRcode | Structured, digital data |
Accounting | Partly manual | Largely automated |
Mandatory in CH | Yes (for payment slips) | No (still voluntary) |
Ideal for | All companies | SMEs with growth & digital focus |
In short:
QR–invoice = simplify payment E–invoice = optimize processes
VAT & Law: Security remains guaranteed
Whether QR-bill, PDF or e-bill– from the perspective of the Swiss VAT all formats are permissible. The decisive factor here is:
- Correct invoice details
- Traceable bookings
- Audit-proof storage (10 years)
This is where e-invoices really comeinto their own: Digital processes are transparent, verifiable and cleanly documented.
Outlook for the future: Where is Swiss invoicing heading?
Like the EU, Switzerland is clearly moving towards fully digital invoicing processes. Topics such as the Peppol network, automated payment reconciliation, electronic archiving and AI-supported accounting will continue to gain in importance over the next few years.
Companies that rely on QR-bills and e-bills today are creating the basis for modern, scalable financial administration.
When is it worth switching to e-billing?
- If you receive many recurring invoices
- If you want to digitize internal approval processes
- If you work with public authorities or large companies
- If you want to reduce accounting costs
- If you want to avoid media discontinuity
