# 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, 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and red payment slips (Einzahlungsscheine) were withdrawn, making the QR-bill the standard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