# The Swiss QR-bill — Switzerland's own payment code, not an EPC QR

> The Swiss QR-bill is Switzerland's own invoice payment standard, not an EPC QR code. It fully replaced the orange and red payment slips on 30 September 2022, prints as a 46 x 46 mm code with a Swiss cross in the centre, and carries a QR-IBAN plus a 27-character QR reference.

Source: https://useqr.app/docs/payments/swiss-qr-bill · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, MIT licensed, no signup.

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## What it is

Since **30 September 2022**, Swiss invoices carry the QR-bill: on that date the old orange
and red payment slips (Einzahlungsscheine) were withdrawn, making the QR-bill the standard
way to bill in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It was designed by the Swiss financial centre
(specifications published by SIX) for the domestic payment system — it is **not** an
[EPC QR code](/docs/payments/epc-qr-code-format), and the two cannot substitute for each
other.

You recognise one instantly: a QR code with a small **Swiss cross** in the centre, sitting
inside a structured "payment part" slip at the bottom of the invoice, with the amount,
payable-to and reference printed as text around it in a fixed layout.

## What is inside

The payload is the Swiss Payments Code — a line-based text format that begins with the
header `SPC`. Alongside the creditor's name and address it carries two fields with no EPC
equivalent:

- **QR-IBAN.** A special IBAN whose institution identifier falls in the range reserved for
  QR payments (30000–31999). A QR-IBAN must be used together with a QR reference; a normal
  IBAN is used with a creditor reference or no reference.
- **QR reference.** A **27-character numeric reference** (26 digits plus a check digit), the
  successor to the old ISR reference, which lets the biller reconcile every incoming payment
  automatically. Alternatively an ISO 11649 creditor reference (`RF...`) can be used with a
  normal IBAN.

The printed payment part has fixed dimensions: the code itself is specified at
**46 × 46 mm** in print, inside an A6-format payment slip, so scanning is reliable across
every banking app and at the post office counter.

## QR-bill vs EPC QR

| | Swiss QR-bill | EPC QR (Girocode) |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Switzerland, Liechtenstein | SEPA / eurozone |
| Payload header | `SPC` | `BCD` |
| Visual | Swiss cross in centre, fixed slip layout | Plain QR, free layout |
| Print size | Fixed 46 × 46 mm | Free choice |
| Reference | 27-char QR reference or ISO 11649 | ISO 11649 or unstructured text |
| Account | QR-IBAN or IBAN | IBAN |
| Currencies | CHF, EUR | EUR |
| Status | Standard for Swiss invoices | Optional convenience |

A Swiss banking app will not pay a [Girocode](/docs/payments/girocode-explained) slip, and a
German app will not parse an `SPC` payload. If you invoice both Swiss and EU customers, you
need both — the [invoice QR overview](/docs/payments/qr-code-for-invoices) covers choosing
per customer.

## Generating one — honest advice

UseQR does not generate Swiss QR-bills, and a bare QR generator is the wrong tool for them
anyway: the standard specifies not just the payload but the whole payment part — layout,
fonts, the cross overlay, perforation rules for paper invoices. Producing a compliant
QR-bill means producing that entire slip.

Use your bank's invoicing tools or Swiss invoicing software, which generate the payment part
correctly and validate the QR reference check digit. What you *can* do with general tools is
verify: decode a QR-bill with [/validate](/validate) to inspect the `SPC` payload, and check
the printed code meets ordinary [print quality rules](/docs/print/qr-code-print-checklist) —
contrast, quiet zone, no scaling artefacts — before an invoice run.

## FAQ

### Is the Swiss QR-bill the same as an EPC or Girocode QR?
No. The QR-bill uses the SPC payload with a Swiss cross overlay and a fixed slip layout;
EPC uses the BCD twelve-line payload. Swiss and eurozone banking apps each read only their
own format.

### When did the QR-bill become mandatory?
The old orange and red payment slips were withdrawn on 30 September 2022. Since then the
QR-bill has been the standard payment slip on Swiss and Liechtenstein invoices.

### What is a QR-IBAN?
An IBAN whose institution identifier falls in the range reserved for QR payments
(30000–31999). It signals that the payment must carry a 27-character QR reference, which is
what enables automatic reconciliation for the biller.

### Can I make a Swiss QR-bill with a free QR generator?
Not compliantly. The standard covers the whole payment part — layout, Swiss cross, reference
check digit — not just the code. Use your bank or Swiss invoicing software, and use general
QR tools only to verify the result scans.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/epc
- https://useqr.app/validate