QR-bill as a payment method in Swiss online shops: How it works

The Swiss QR-Invoice (Swiss QR Invoice) can be used as a full payment method in e-commerce checkout — not just as an invoice sent by post. After ordering, buyers receive a QR code, which they scan and pay directly via their e-banking app. For merchants (comerciantes), the QR-Invoice is the cheapest form of purchase on account with transaction fees starting at 0.50 %, but without creditworthiness check and without risk assumption.

This guide shows you step-by-step how the QR-Invoice works in the online checkout, how you automate the payment reconciliation and for which shops this model is particularly suitable.

1. What the QR-Invoice is in the e-commerce context — and what it is not

The QR-Invoice was introduced in 2020 by the Swiss Bankers Association (SwissBanking) and the SIX Group to replace the old payment slips (red and orange) with a uniform, digitally readable format. At its core, it is a standardized payment part with a Swiss QR Code that contains all payment information: recipient IBAN, amount, reference number and structured payment information.

In the e-commerce context, this means: The QR-Invoice is not sent on paper, but is provided as a digital payment part in checkout or by email after the order. Buyers scan the QR code with their mobile banking app and trigger the payment. The QR-Invoice is not a BNPL solution — there is no creditworthiness check, and the risk of default lies entirely with you as a merchant (comerciante).

Important: The QR-Invoice as a payment method in the checkout is not the same as the classic invoice dispatch. With the classic invoice dispatch, you create an invoice manually and send it — the process is decoupled from the shop. With the QR-Invoice as a checkout payment method, the process is integrated into the ordering process, and the payment reconciliation can be automated.

2. How the QR-Invoice works in the online checkout: Process for buyers and merchants (comerciantes)

The process is divided into five steps:

Step 1: Buyer selects "Purchase on account" or "QR-Invoice" as the payment method in the checkout. The PSP or the shop system generates a QR-Invoice with a unique QR reference (QRR) or SCOR reference.

Step 2: The order is confirmed. Buyer receives the QR-Invoice as a PDF by email or directly on the order confirmation screen — with the Swiss QR Code and the payment deadline.

Step 3: Buyer opens the e-banking or mobile banking app, scans the QR code. All payment information is automatically filled in. The payment is triggered with one click.

Step 4: The buyer's bank transfers the amount to the recipient's IBAN. Depending on the bank, this takes 1–2 business days within Switzerland.

Step 5: You as a merchant (comerciante) receive a CAMT.054 credit notification from your bank. This contains the QR reference, with which the payment can be automatically assigned to the order.

3. Payment reconciliation: CAMT.054, reference number and automatic assignment

The automatic payment reconciliation is the biggest efficiency gain of the QR-Invoice compared to the classic invoice by post. It works via three components:

The QR reference (QRR) is a 27-digit reference number based on the QR-IBAN. It is uniquely generated for each order. Alternatively, the Structured Creditor Reference (SCOR) according to ISO 11649 can be used, which also works outside Switzerland.

The CAMT.054 notification is an XML file in the ISO 20022 standard that your bank automatically provides to you. It contains all credits with the respective reference number. Your ERP system, your accounting tool or your PSP can read this notification and automatically assign the payment to the correct order.

In practice, this means: If a customer transfers EUR 89.00 to your account and the QR reference contains 21 00000 00003 13947 14300 09017, your system automatically assigns the payment to order #13947. Without manual reconciliation, without searching through bank statements.

Prerequisite: You need a QR-IBAN (not just a standard IBAN), which you apply for at your bank. In addition, your software must be able to process CAMT.054 notifications. Most modern ERP and accounting solutions (Bexio, Abacus, Run my Accounts, Klara) support this natively.

4. Payment deadlines and dunning: When is the invoice due, what happens in case of default?

Unlike BNPL providers, who specify a fixed payment deadline of 14 or 30 days, you determine the payment deadline yourself with the QR-Invoice. Usual payment deadlines are 10, 14 or 30 days from the invoice date.

If the payment deadline has expired and no payment has been received, your dunning process begins. In Switzerland, there is no legally prescribed dunning obligation — you can basically start debt collection proceedings directly after the deadline has expired. In practice, however, a step-by-step process is recommended:

Payment reminder after 5–7 days overdue, friendly formulated. First warning after 14 days overdue, with a new payment deadline of 10 days. Second warning after another 10 days, with announcement of debt collection. Debt collection petition to the responsible debt collection office (Art. 67 SchKG), if the payment still fails to arrive.

The costs for a debt collection petition range between EUR 7 and EUR 400 depending on the amount claimed, according to the Ordinance on Fees under the SchKG (GebV SchKG). You must advance these costs as a creditor.

5. QR-Invoice vs. classic invoice per post: What changes for online shops

The switch to the QR-Invoice as a checkout payment method brings several advantages compared to the classic invoice dispatch:

6. For which shops and branches the QR-Invoice is particularly suitable

The QR-Invoice as a checkout payment method is particularly suitable for:

B2B shops and ordering platforms where corporate clients are used to paying by bank transfer. The QR-Invoice makes this process digital and automatable.

Shops with high regular customer base, where the risk of default is known and low. If you know that 95 % of your customers pay reliably, you do not need expensive BNPL risk assumption.

Shops with large shopping carts (over EUR 200), where the percentage fee of the QR-Invoice (0.50 %) is significantly cheaper than the BNPL fee (2–3 %).

Associations, clubs and non-profit organizations where membership fees and donations are collected via QR-Invoice.

The QR-Invoice is less suitable for shops with a high share of new customers and small shopping carts in the fashion or lifestyle segment — here the risk of default is high, and BNPL with risk assumption is the better choice.

Checklist: Set up QR-Invoice as a payment method in your online shop

• Apply for a QR-IBAN at your Swiss bank, if you do not have one yet.

• Check if your PSP or shop system supports the QR-Invoice as a checkout payment method.

• Ensure that your accounting software can process CAMT.054 notifications.

• Define the payment deadline (10, 14 or 30 days) and communicate it clearly on the QR-Invoice.

• Set up an automated dunning system: payment reminder, 1st warning, 2nd warning.

• Decide whether you offer the QR-Invoice in parallel to BNPL methods — both at the same time is possible.

• Test the flow: Order in your own shop, scan the QR code and check if the assignment works.