Swiss Implementation Guidelines QR-bill
Swiss Implementation Guidelines QR-bill
Swiss Implementation Guidelines QR-bill
Comments and questions about this document can be directed to the respective financial institution or
to SIX at the following address: [email protected].
For ease of legibility, this document uses the masculine form to refer to both genders.
Change control
This document «Swiss Implementation Guidelines QR-bill», Version 2.1 dated 30 September 2019, entirely
replaces the previous Version 2.0 dated 15 November 2018. Compared to the previous version, no
changes have been made to the content of technical specifications. The changes are limited to
corrections and clarifications.
All changes that have been made compared with Version 1.0 are listed in the Documentation of Changes.
This can be found in the archive under www.PaymentStandards.CH/archives.
Patent notice
SIX and the responsible project sponsors for the new QR-bill for the Swiss financial center have together
carefully reviewed the technical and legal framework conditions for the territory of Switzerland in
consultation with specialists and are providing corresponding specifications for a standardized QR-bill
(«standardization»). The usage possibilities for billing and paying a QR-bill listed below were used as a
basis:
Payer captures QR code using a reader or camera in e-/m-banking
Payer captures QR code using a reader or scanner in their own infrastructure and transmits the
payment instruction electronically (e.g. as pain message)
Cash inpayment at post office counter (branches and branches with a partner company)
Credit transfer instruction form
Further uses of the QR-bill that are not listed, such as payment via an ATM, are also not a component of
the standardization.
For the commercial technological implementation of the standardization, accepted industry solutions
and measures are to be planned by the commercial users.
Important notices
Third-party specifications and company-specific functionality do not form part of the standardisation
process. Individual providers are responsible for finding appropriate solutions. This applies particularly
to the option of embedding «Billing information» or content in the «Alternative procedures» fields.
The «Billing information» element can be used for sending structured information between the bill
issuer and bill recipient. The layout of the QR-bill includes a data field for this purpose.
Containers for alternative payment procedures are also provided in the «Alternative procedures»
elements. The content and use of such data are the responsibility of the providers of those procedures.
In order for the content of the «Billing information» and «Alternative procedures» fields to be
identifiable, SIX is prescribing certain parameters for coding syntax. This, and use of the fields at all,
must be agreed with SIX before they are published or used (see Annex E).
If all the processes involved in producing and processing QR-bills are to work smoothly, the Guidelines
for the QR-bill must be observed.
The specifications for the QR-bill are addressed primarily to the issuers of invoices, but they also apply to
financial institutions and their service providers who offer their customers payment traffic services
based on the QR-bill, the developers of software for invoice issuers and recipients and banks, and all
other associated participants in the market.
The following documents contain technical and layout-related specifications for the QR-bill and
payments made on the basis of a QR-bill:
Swiss Implementation Guidelines QR-bill: Technical and specialist specifications for the payment
section with Swiss QR Code and receipt (this document).
Style Guide QR-bill (summary of layout rules from this document)
Processing rules for QR-bills (Business Rules)
Technical information about the QR-IID and QR-IBAN
Bank Master (list of IIDs and QR IIDs of banks)
Swiss Payment Standards (Implementation Guidelines on exchanging of data between customers
and banks)
Implementation Guidelines for Interbank Messages
Failure to comply with the Guidelines for the QR-bill may result, for example, in
it not being possible for the debtor and their financial institution to enter the payment.
it not being possible for payments to be executed by the debtor and their financial institution.
credits to the bill issuer and their financial institution being booked incorrectly or not at all.
laws ebing violated (e.g. data protection).
SIX Interbank Clearing Ltd assumes no responsibility or liability for the correctness and
completeness of the information provided. Likewise, SIX Interbank Clearing Ltd does not offer
advice for the specific scope of functionality for systems for using the QR-bill, provides no control
mechanisms for technical procedures and offers no guarantee and accepts no liability for the
actual mechanical or procedural implementation of the standardisation process or of solutions for
using and processing QR-bills.
SIX makes various help resources and other support materials available without liability. Find out more
at www.PaymentStandards.CH.
Table of contents
1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................6
1.1 Introduction to the QR-bill .................................................................................................................... 6
1.2 Change ownership.................................................................................................................................. 7
1.3 Versioning of the Swiss Implementation Guidelines QR-bill ............................................................ 8
1.4 Reference documents ............................................................................................................................ 8
2 Definition of terms ....................................................................................................................9
2.1 QR-bill ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
2.2 Payment part with Swiss QR code and receipt ................................................................................... 9
2.3 QR Code according to ISO 18004 ........................................................................................................ 10
2.4 The term «module» according to ISO 18004 ..................................................................................... 10
2.5 The term «error correction level» according to ISO 18004 ............................................................. 10
2.6 Swiss QR Code ....................................................................................................................................... 10
2.7 DPI........................................................................................................................................................... 11
2.8 IID............................................................................................................................................................ 11
2.9 QR-IID ..................................................................................................................................................... 11
2.10 IBAN ........................................................................................................................................................ 11
2.11 QR-IBAN ................................................................................................................................................. 11
2.12 Customer references ............................................................................................................................ 12
2.12.1 QR reference.......................................................................................................................................... 12
2.12.2 Creditor Reference................................................................................................................................ 12
3 Layout rules for the payment part with Swiss QR Code and receipt .................................. 13
3.1 The basics............................................................................................................................................... 13
3.2 Correspondence language .................................................................................................................. 13
3.3 Paper format and quality ..................................................................................................................... 14
3.4 Fonts and font sizes .............................................................................................................................. 14
3.5 Sections of the payment part .............................................................................................................. 15
3.5.1 Title section ............................................................................................................................................ 15
3.5.2 Swiss QR Code section ......................................................................................................................... 15
3.5.3 Amount section ..................................................................................................................................... 15
3.5.4 Information section .............................................................................................................................. 16
3.5.5 Further information section ................................................................................................................ 17
3.6 Sections of the receipt.......................................................................................................................... 18
3.6.1 Title section ............................................................................................................................................ 18
3.6.2 Information section .............................................................................................................................. 19
3.6.3 Amount section ..................................................................................................................................... 20
3.6.4 Acceptance point section ..................................................................................................................... 20
3.7 Notes about the QR-bill in PDF format .............................................................................................. 21
4 Swiss QR Code database .......................................................................................................... 22
4.1 In general ............................................................................................................................................... 22
4.2 Technical specifications ....................................................................................................................... 22
4.2.1 Character set ......................................................................................................................................... 22
4.2.2 Field lengths .......................................................................................................................................... 22
4.2.3 Separator element ................................................................................................................................ 22
4.2.4 Delivery of the data elements ............................................................................................................. 22
1 Introduction
The Swiss Implementation Guidelines QR-bill were compiled on behalf of the Board of
Directors of SIX Interbank Clearing Ltd. The primary target group comprises the
developers of software for billers, bill recipients and banks.
The payment slips used in Switzerland go back over a hundred years and are used
100 million times a year.
The increasing regulatory requirements for payment traffic make some system
modifications necessary, in particular a review of data management. Payment traffic
must also take account of digital structural changes in business and society, without
forgetting those groups of the population who make payments over the post office
counter or by post.
The QR-bill is replacing the existing multiplicity of payment slips in Switzerland and so
is helping to increase efficiency and simplify payment traffic, at the same time
offering a way of dealing with the challenges presented by digitalisation and
regulation.
The following illustration shows a schematic basic process in the Swiss payment
traffic based on a QR-bill. Its purpose is to outline synchronized scopes of application
of various Implementation Guidelines and business rules:
This basic process is intended for basic understanding and does not represent any
complete presentation of all possible constellations. There are also other use cases
which vary slightly from it (e.g. where the payer and the debtor are different; the
payment part with receipt is used for a donation; debtor is unknown when the
payment is set up). We will not go into those any further here.
The basic process comprises the following steps: the biller generates a QR-bill with a
payment part and receipt and sends it to the bill recipient. It is usually sent on paper
or digitally as a PDF document. The bill recipient (who in this case is also the debtor)
can now trigger the payment using various payment channels, for example:
M-banking
E-banking
Paper payment instruction sent to their bank
Cash inpayment at post office counter (branches and branches with a partner
company)
Entering a payment order in their institution’s own infrastructure (e.g. ERP
software)
The data contained in the QR-code serves as an aid in filling in the data so that no
manual entries are required. Alternatively, data can be entered manually based on
the textual information.
Complying with the requirements stated in this document will ensure that payments
sent via any payment channel can be executed reliably.
The «Processing rules for QR-bills» describe the relevant technical processing stages.
The «Technical information on the QR-IID and QR-IBAN» provides detailed information
about the use of the QR-IBAN based on a QR-IID.
and contains the recommendations of the Swiss financial institutions. Future changes
and updates will be made by Interbank Clearing Ltd, which expressly reserves the
right to amend, supplement or delete any part or all of it.
The main versions place the versioning counter in the first position. (Version 1.0;
Version 2.0). Main versions can either have an impact on the data structure, the
content or on the design recommendations, and generally require technical
adaptations.
Subversions (Version 1.1; Version 1.11) generally do not require any technical
adaptations.
The version must be depicted in the data structure (for details see 4.3 «Data
structure», «Version» element).
Organisation Link
ISO www.iso20022.org
SIX www.iso-payments.ch
www.sepa.ch
www.six-group.com/interbank-clearing
Harmonization of Swiss www.PaymentStandards.CH
payments
2 Definition of terms
2.1 QR-bill
The following figure serves a sketch of two possible designs of a QR-bill with payment
part, intended to improved comprehension of the subsequent definitions.
The payment part of the QR-bill with receipt contains the information that is required
to execute the payment in the form of a QR code and also as readable information.
The receipt must be on the left of the payment part, regardless of whether it is
integrated in the bill or on a separate sheet of paper.
The payment part is in DIN-A6 landscape format (148 mm x 105 mm). The receipt to
the left of the payment part measures 62 mm x 105 mm, so the two together
measure 210 mm x 105 mm.
The QR Code has the ability to restore the data contained in the code if the code is
damaged (e.g. through dirt, folding, imprinting). The standard includes four error
correction levels corresponding to different restoration capacities (L = approx. 7%, M
= approx. 15%, Q = approx. 25%, H = approx. 30%). The higher the error correction
level that is chosen, the lower the codeable data volume.
The Swiss QR Code complies with the specifications in this document and enables
payments to be triggered by financial institutions across all payment channels and at
post office counters (at branches and branches of a partner company). It is marked
with a Swiss cross in the middle.
2.7 DPI
The printer and scanner resolution are customarily specified in Dots per Inch (DPI).
2.8 IID
2.9 QR-IID
The QR-IID is derived from the institutional identification (IID). QR-IIDs consist
exclusively of numbers from 30000 to 31999. IBANs (QR-IBANs) based on these QR-
IIDs are used only for the new procedure with a QR reference in the QR-bill (see also
paragraph 2.11).
2.10 IBAN
2.11 QR-IBAN
For payments with a structured QR reference, the QR-IBAN must be used to indicate
the account to be credited. The formal structure of the QR-IBAN corresponds to the
rules stipulated in ISO 13616 standard for IBAN. The payment scheme with reference
is recognized through a special financial institution identification (QR-IID). The values
30000 – 31999 are exclusively reserved for the QR-IID. Each legally independent
financial institution participating in the scheme is assigned one QR-IID. The QR-IBAN
contains the QR-IID of the account-keeping financial institution for identification of
the scheme.
Detailed information about the QR-IID and QR-IBAN can be found in the «Technical
information on the QR-IID and QR-IBAN» document [6]. The latest version can be
downloaded at www.PaymentStandards.CH.
For payments with structured reference, the two following reference types are used.
2.12.1 QR reference
The following layout rules apply to the payment part on a QR-bill with receipt which
can be used in the following ways:
1. integrated in a QR-bill in paper form
2. as an enclosure to a QR-bill in paper form
The QR-bill can also be produced as a PDF file (see paragraph 3.7 «Notes about
the QR-bill in PDF format»).
The layout rules for the payment part apply regardless of whether it is
incorporated in a bill or enclosed with it.
The payment part with receipt must be positioned at the lower edge of the QR-bill.
The receipt must be positioned to the left of the payment part. It is of the same
height as the payment part. The payment part and receipt together come to the
same length as the shorter side of DIN-A4 format.
If the payment part with receipt is integrated in a QR-bill in paper form, there
must be a perforation between the bill details and the payment part and receipt.
There should be a perforation between the payment part and the receipt, if the
QR-bill is generated on paper.
A perforation between the payment part and the receipt is also required if the
payment part and the receipt are enclosed separately with a bill.
If information about the amount and debtor (payable by (name/address)) are not
imprinted during the billing process, then corresponding fields are to be provided
both in the payment part and on the receipt, for filling in by hand (see also Figure
5, Figure 6, Figure 9). Other handwritten supplementations are not permitted.
Only the defined headings and information or values may be imprinted (see part
3.5 «Sections of the payment part») for the individual sections (see part 3.5.4
«Information section»).
Use of payment part and receipt as an advertising platform or advertising is not
permitted. The reverse side may not be imprinted.
A Style Guide [4] giving detailed layout information and examples of the payment
part and receipt – whether integrated or separate – is available from the Download
Center at www.PaymentStandards.CH.
The payment part with receipt must be printed on white paper with a weight of at
least 80 to max. 100 g/m². The use of certified recycled, FSC and TCF papers is
permitted. Neither coated nor reflecting standard paper may be used.
The payment part is in DIN-A6 landscape format (148 mm x 105 mm). The receipt to
the left of the payment part measures 62 mm x 105 mm, so that the two together
measure 210 mm x 105 mm (DIN long).
Only the sans-serif fonts Arial, Frutiger, Helvetica and Liberation Sans are permitted
in black. Type may not be in italic nor underlined.
The font size for headings and their associated values on the payment part must be
at least 6 pt, and maximum 10 pt. Headings in the «Amount» and «Details» sections
must always be the same size. They should be printed in bold and 2 pt smaller than
the font size for their associated values. The recommended font size for headings is
8 pt and for the associated values 10 pt. The exception, in font size 11 pt (bold), is the
title «Payment part».
When filling in the «Alternative procedures» element, the font size is 7 pt, with the
name of the alternative procedure printed in bold.
The «Ultimate creditor» element is intended for use in the future but will not be used
when QR-bill is introduced and should therefore not be filled in. If approval is given
for the field to be filled in, the font size is expected to be 7 pt with the designation in
bold.
The font sizes for the receipt are 6 pt for the headings (bold) and 8 pt for the
associated values. The exception, in font size 11 pt (bold), is the title «Receipt».
If, during scanning, in addition to the content of the Swiss QR Code, the information
in the visible section of the payment part is also read, the best results will be achieved
if the headings are in font size 8 pt. and the text information is in 10 pt. However, it
must be ensured that all the required information can be shown in the visible section.
The following illustration depicts the five sections of the payment part. The contents
are described in the following chapters.
The spaces between the sections – darker in color in Figure 4 – are mandatory, must
be at least 5 mm in height and width, and may not be printed.
The term «Payment part» must be printed in the title section in 11 pt type bold.
In the Swiss QR Code section, the maintaining of the 5 mm wide border ensures that
the Swiss QR Code can be read without problems.
The amount section includes the currency and the amount, which are used as
headings. The currencies Swiss francs and euros are supported. The currency codes
«CHF» or «EUR» must be printed to the left in front of the amount or the amount field.
If the amount is included in the Swiss QR Code, then it must be printed after the
currency code. A blank (space) should be used as the thousands separator and a full
stop «.» as the decimal separator. The amount must always include two decimal
places.
(«Payable by») can add the amount by hand, preferably in black. A file for creating the
corner marks is available from the Download Center at www.PaymentStandards.CH.
All values relevant for a payment from the Swiss QR Code must be printed in the
information section. While doing so each bit of information must be marked with a
heading. The values must, if they are contained in the Swiss QR Code, be
positioned in the following correct order. If the Swiss QR Code contains no values, the
relevant headings should not be shown.
Heading Comments
Account / Payable to IBAN/QR-IBAN from the Swiss QR Code. Printed in blocks of 4
characters (5x4-character groups, the last character separate).
Holder of the listed account
Reference QR reference or Creditor Reference (ISO 11649). The QR reference is
printed in blocks of 5 characters (beginning with 2 characters, then
5x5-character groups). The Creditor Reference is printed in blocks of
4 characters, the last block being able to contain less than 4
characters).
Additional information Additional information for the bill recipient.
This is where the content from the data elements «Ustrd»
(Unstructured message) and «StrdBkginf» (Billing information) is
shown. Both fields together can only contain a maximum of 140
characters. If both elements are filled in, then a line break can be
introduced after the information in the first element «Ustrd»
(Unstructured message). If there is insufficient space, the line break
can be omitted (but this makes it more difficult to read). If not all the
Heading Comments
details contained in the QR code can be displayed, the shortened
content must be marked with «...» at the end. It must be ensured
that all personal data is displayed.
Payable by If the debtor is not included in the Swiss QR Code, then instead of
or «Payable by» the heading «Payable by (name/address)» must be
used and a blank field with black edges (line thickness 0.75 pt)
Payable by (name/address)
printed out (see Figure 5). The field must measure at least 65 x 25
mm. A file for this purpose is available from the Download Center at
www.PaymentStandards.CH.
Payable by Corresponds to the due date proposed by the biller
Comments
Use of the above-listed headings (see Annex D) is mandatory and they may not be
changed, if they are contained in the Swiss QR Code.
This area contains the two data elements «Ultimate Creditor» and «Alternative
procedures ».
1. Ultimate Creditor
Note: The following information about the «Ultimate Creditor» field is only for
advance information, in the event of it being used in the future.
This section is where the «Ultimate creditor» field, if available and approved for use, is
displayed. Instead of the designation «Ultimate creditor», the relevant values in the
Swiss QR Code are preceded by the words «In favour of» (bold). Just one line is
available, so it is possible that not all the information in the QR-bill can be printed
there. If that is the case, the shortened entry must be marked by «...» at the end. The
data is printed in font size 7 pt, in the same order as in the Swiss QR Code.
2. Alternative procedures
The bottom area of the payment part or of the area «Further information section»
may be used to indicate an alternative procedure. There are a maximum of two
elements, each consisting of one line in font size 7 pt. The element includes at the
start the (abbreviated) name of the alternative procedure (e.g. eBill as currently the
only user of the element). This must be followed by the personal data, so that this is
certain to be displayed.
In the Swiss QR Code, there are always 100 alphanumerical characters available for
the «Alternative procedures». A maximum of approx. 90 characters can be printed on
one line, so it is possible that not all the data included in the QR code can be
displayed. If that is the case, the shortened entry must be marked by «...» at the end.
It must be ensured that all personal data is displayed.
The following illustration shows the four sections of the receipt. The content of the
different sections is described in the paragraphs below. The QR code and further
«Information sections» from the payment part are omitted.
The blank areas – shaded dark in Figure 7– are mandatory, must measure at least 5
mm in height or width and must not be printed in.
Figure 7: Schematic depiction of the receipt for the payment part of a QR-bill
The term «Receipt» must be printed in the title section in 11 pt bold type.
In the information section, the values used must be printed, just as they are in the
payment part, exactly matching those in the Swiss QR Code. Each piece of
information must be labelled with a heading. The following values must be shown, in
the order indicated below, provided they are contained in the Swiss QR Code:
Heading Comments
Account / Payable to IBAN/QR-IBAN from the Swiss QR Code. Printed in blocks of 4
characters (5x4-character groups, the last character separate).
Holder of the listed account
Reference QR reference or Creditor Reference (ISO 11649). The QR reference is
printed in blocks of 5 characters (beginning with 2 characters, then
5x5-character groups). Der Aufdruck der Creditor Reference erfolgt
in blocks of 4 characters, the last block being able to contain less
than 4 characters).
Payable by If the debtor is not included in the Swiss QR Code, then instead of
or «Payable by» the heading «Payable by (name/address)» must be
used and a blank field with black edges (line thickness 0.75 pt)
Payable by (name/address)
printed out (see Figure 9). The field must measure at least 52 x 20
mm. A file for this purpose is available from the Download Center at
www.PaymentStandards.CH.
Comments
Use of the above-listed headings (see Annex D) is mandatory and they may not be
changed, if they are contained in the Swiss QR Code.
The amount section includes the currency and the amount, which are printed as
headings. The currencies Swiss francs and euros are supported. The currency codes
«CHF» or «EUR» must be printed to the left in front of the amount or the amount field.
If the amount is included in the Swiss QR Code, then it must be printed after the
currency code. A blank (space) should be used as the thousands separator and a full
stop «.» as the decimal separator. The amount must always include two decimal
places (e.g. CHF 1 590.00).
The acceptance point section contains the word «Acceptance point», which should be
printed right-aligned in the language of correspondence.
QR-bills (or separate payment parts with receipts) in PDF format are only suitable for
payments in e-banking or mobile banking, but not for paper payment traffic. When
printing out PDF files, it must be ensured that the format specifications given above
are complied with.
If the QR-bill with payment part and receipt or the separate payment part with receipt
are generated as a PDF document and sent electronically, the A6 format of the
payment part and the receipt on the left must be indicated by lines. Each of these
lines must bear the scissors symbol «» or alternatively the instruction «Separate
before paying in» above the line (outside the payment part). This indicates to the
debtor that he or she must neatly separate the payment part and receipt if they want
to forward the QR-bill to their financial institution by post for payment, or settle it at
the post office counter (branches or branches of partner organisations).
4.1 In general
The database of the Swiss QR Code is oriented upon the Swiss Implementation
Guidelines for Credit Transfers for the ISO 20022 «Customer Credit Transfer
Initiation» message (pain.001).
According to the Swiss standard, in the Swiss QR Code, for reasons of compatibility
with the Swiss Implementation Guidelines for Credit Transfers for the ISO 20022
«Customer Credit Transfer Initiation» message (pain.001) [3], only the Latin character
set is permitted. UTF-8 should be used for encoding.
For certain fields, additional restrictions apply regarding characters e.g. only
alphanumerical values are possible for the IBAN.
The field lengths specified represent maximum lengths for the individual elements.
It is not permitted to fill in the elements with blanks up to the maximum length.
The individual elements in the Swiss QR Code according to the Swiss standard are
separated from one another with a carriage return (CR + LF).
Note: Instead of the characters CR + LF, the LF character can be used alone (see also
the FAQ at www.PaymentStandards.CH/FAQ)
All data elements must be present. If there is no content for a data element, then at
least one carriage return (CR + LF or LF) must take place.
The sole exceptions to this are additional data elements marked with «A» (alternative
scheme). These may be omitted if they are not being used.
The last data element delivered may not be completed with a concluding carriage
return (CR + LF or LF).
The data groups highlighted in light blue in Table 5 «Status of the elements» serve
solely for depiction of the technical context and the definition of common rules.
Such data groups may not be delivered in the Swiss QR Code.
If a data group is used, in those marked with «optional», all sub-elements marked as
«dependent» must be filled.
Table 7 «Swiss QR Code data elements» specifies all elements relevant for the Swiss
QR Code.
1. Data structure
Logical data structure, defined data groups (name of the data group always in the
blue fields) which logically belong to one another
2. Element name
Technical element name
3. St.
Status
4. General definition
5. Field definition
Status
The following status values (information about usage) are possible for the individual
elements:
Data elements that contain at least one sub-element represent so-called data groups
and are colored light blue.
To be able to recognize where in the logical structure of the Swiss QR Code an element
is positioned, the nesting depth is indicated with a «+» sign placed in front of the «Data
structure» column. For example, the IBAN in the «Creditor information» is shown as
follows:
QRCH
+CdtrInf
++IBAN
A name is listed in the table for individual data groups that differ from the field
names, which is to be used as a designation in the payment part/receipt. This
designation is listed in the tables in italics and in blue beneath the designation of the
data group:
Ultimate Creditor
Payable by
Figure 10: Data group with technical element name and technical name for the
payment part
QRCH AltPmtInf Alternative schemes Optional data group with a variable number of elements
+AltPmtInf Parameters and data of other supported schemes
QRCH AltPmt A Alternative scheme parameters A maximum of two occurrences may be provided.
+AltPmtInf Parameter character chain of the alternative scheme Maximum 100 characters per occurrence permitted
++AltPmt according to the syntax definition in the “Alternative
scheme” section
The mapping of the data in the Swiss QR Code in the ISO 20022 pain.001 message is
described in the Swiss «Implementation Guidelines for Credit Transfers» (pain.001) [3].
The address of the parties involved – for example that of the creditor – may be sent
either structured (separately) or as combined address fields (two pieces of data in
each field).
Structured address fields: The elements «Street or address line 1», «Building number
or address line 2», «Postal code», «Town» and «Country» should be filled in. For a P.O.
Box, the «Street or address line 1» element should be used.
Combined address fields: The elements «Street or address line 1», «Building number
or address line 2» and «Country» should be filled in. For a P.O. Box, the «Street or
address line 1» element should be used.
The two following types of structured references can be delivered in the «Reference»
element:
The QR reference (see paragraph 2.12.1) enables the creditor to compare their
invoices and the incoming payments automatically. In its structure, it equates to
the ISR reference (27 characters, numerical; check digit calculated by Modulo 10
recursive; 27th digit of the reference; see Annex B «Check digit generation by
Modulo 10 recursive»).
Use of the QR reference presupposes that a QR-IBAN has been used. The QR-IBAN
identifies the payment across all payment channels as one which must have a QR
reference delivered with it. An IBAN must therefore not be used.
Use of the Creditor Reference (ISO 11649) presupposes that an IBAN has been
used. A QR-IBAN must not be used.
The two elements «Unstructured message» and «Billing information» are available for
additional information. The number of characters in the two fields together must not
exceed 140 characters:
Unstructured messages can be used to give the payment purpose or for
additional textual information about payments with a structured reference.
Unstructured references are printed on the payment part under the heading
«Additional information».
The element «Billing information»contains coded information of the biller for the
bill recipient. This information may be used for automating accounts payable
processes, for instance. The data is not forwarded with the payment but it is
printed on the payment part. The coding of the element always begins with «//»
(slash slash) followed by the double-digit, abbreviated name of the proposed
version of the «Structured information for the bill issuer» that is being used
So that the relevant «Billing information» can be identified, SIX is prescribing a two-
digit coding system. This and the Structural recommendations (syntax) must be
agreed with SIX before it is used (process cf. Annex E). Billing data must not include
any personal data.
Since only ca. 90 caracters can be displayed on the payment part in «Alternative
schemes», the following rules are to be followed in order to ensure the of data
protection while filling this element:
First the (abbreviated) name of the alternative procedure must be coded (e.g.
eBill).The next character must contain the subelement separator that is used (e.g.
«/»).
Subsequently, the the data that may include personal data should be coded so
that they are displayed on the payment part.
An unlimited number of sub-elements can be delivered within the permitted field
length of the element.
The data in the alternative scheme element is only interpreted and used by the
corresponding scheme.
It solely serves the debtor for the easy use of this scheme.
For current information about alternative procedures, please see
www.PaymentStandards.CH/alternative-schemes.
The code generation must take place with error correction level «M», which means a
redundancy or assurance of around 15%.
The maximum Swiss QR Code data content permitted is 997 characters (including the
element separators). The version of the QR Code resulting with error correction level
«M» and binary coding is version 25 with 117 x 117 modules.
To guarantee the secure scanning of the Swiss QR Code, a minimum module size of
0.4 mm is recommended for printing.
To increase the recognizability and differentiation for users, the Swiss QR Code
created for printout is to be overlaid with a Swiss cross logo measuring 7 x 7 mm.
A corresponding file with the logo can be downloaded from the website's download
section at www.PaymentStandards.CH.
Figure 12: Swiss QR Code with Swiss cross as recognition feature (not true to scale)
Before the further processing of the values read from the Swiss QR Code, individual
field contents that are listed in the Implementation Guidelines must be checked. This
means that:
The content must match a valid value; this applies for QRType, the version, the
coding type and the currency.
The general specifications according to part 4.2 «Technical specifications» must be
adhered to.
The value must be syntactically correct; this applies for the amount (if entered).
The permitted combinations of account with reference type (IBAN only with
«SCOR» [Creditor Reference] or «NON» [optional free text information]; QR-IBAN
with «QRR» [QR reference]) must be used.
The following elements from the Swiss QR Code (data group header) will never be
forwarded with the payment:
QRType
Version
Coding Type
Annex A: Examples
The QR-bills shown in the following examples are schematic and not drawn to scale. The
exact depictions are published in the Style Guide [4].
The following abbreviations and symbols are used in the examples below:
¶ = CR + LF Note:
Instead of the character string CR
+ LF, the character LF can be used
alone.
CR = Creditor
UCR = Ultimate creditor This group must not be filled in at
present, because it is intended for
future use.
UD = Ultimate debtor
APn = Alternative scheme n
Data example for the QR code with two additional schemes and
Billing information
Element as described in Filling
part 4.3 Data structure
(partially shortened)
QRType SPC¶
Version 0200¶
Coding Type 1¶
Account CH4431999123000889012¶
CR – AdressTyp S¶
CR – Name Robert Schneider AG¶
CR – Street or address line 1 Rue du Lac¶
CR – Building number or 1268¶
address line 2
CR – Postal code 2501¶
CR – City Biel¶
CR – Country CH¶
UCR – AdressTyp ¶
UCR – Name ¶
UCR - Street or address line 1 ¶
UCR – Building number or ¶
address line 2
UCR – Postal code ¶
UCR – City ¶
UCR – Country ¶
Amount 1949.75¶
Currency CHF¶
UD– AdressTyp S¶
UD– Name Pia-Maria Rutschmann-Schnyder¶
UD– Street or address line 1 Grosse Marktgasse¶
UD– Building number or 28¶
address line 2
UD– Postal code 9400¶
UD– City Rorschach¶
UD– Country CH¶
Reference type QRR¶
Reference 210000000003139471430009017¶
Unstructured message Order of 15 June 2020¶
Trailer EPD¶
The use of check digit generation in the reference prevents errors in the order entry
by the debtor.
Modulo 10 recursive must be used to generate the check digit. The recursive schema
for calculating the QR reference consists of using Modulo10 to keep separating off
the next digit of the 26 digit reference until the number only consists of one digit.
The sequence of numbers to be checked is processed from left to right. For the first
digit the carry-forward = 0.
The number to be checked corresponds to the column number, and the carry-
forward to the line number in the table. The combined value of both produces the
carry-forward for the next digit in the sequence.
Example
Rules
Commence with carry-over 0
and combine with 1st digit of
row 2, resulting in a value or
carry-over of 4
Carry-over 4 combined with
2nd digit of row 1 results in a
combination or carry-over of 2
etc.
Figure 20: pain.001 – Scheme with structured reference with additional information
The «Alternative procedures» field contains information necessary to convert a QR-bill into another
procedure (e.g. eBill: Requires an e-mail address of the debtor). The definition of structure and data
content is, with few restrictions, at the discretion of the relevant service provider.
Target groups
This guide is dedicated to invoice senders and recipients as well as their industry associations which
want to use the «Billing information» field in the QR-bill.
The description of the «Alternative procedures» field is dedicated to service providers in the Swiss
payment traffic which convert the QR-bills into a form wished by their customers.
Purpose
This guide describes the process for defining, implementing and invalidating syntax definitions for the
«Billing information» and «Alternative procedures» fields.
Delimitation
The specifications of relevant fields are to be found in the main section of the Implementation
Guidelines for the QR-bill (cf. Chapter 4.4). This process description is limited to the presentation of the
syntax definition life cycle.
2 Determination of the To be determined by the user group Service provider which offers the
document owner (normally it is an industry association alternative procedure
providing central services to its
members)
3 Identification of Document owner:
necessary Determination of contents, scope and technical structure of information
information which are necessary in addition to the data already available in the
database of the QR code.
4 Creation of syntax or Definition by the document owner, if need be with support of SIX.
guidance Contact: [email protected]
5 Validation of syntax Document owner:
Making contact with SIX.
Contact: [email protected]
SIX:
Review of compliance with technical guidelines (field length, character
set, etc.)
6 Implementation and Document owner:
publication Implementation and providing information to the user group
SIX:
Information and link on PaymentStandards.ch
Table 18: Process for implementing the «Billing information» and «Alternative
procedures» fields
2. Version changes
Table 19: Process for version changes of the «Billing information» and «Alternative
procedures» fields
3. Invalidation
Table 20: Process for invalidating the «Billing information» and «Alternative
procedures» fields
Notes:
Syntax definition of Swico (Version 1.2) for filling in the «Billing information» field in the
Swiss QR code and QR-bill payment part. This description corresponds to the current
state as of the implementation date of Implementation Guidelines in Version 2.1 and
has been included only as an example. It has to be taken into account that it may not
represent the most current version. The latest version can be found at www.swico.ch.
Examples of Comments
Area Tag What
values
Separator // // Fix «//»
Prefix S1 Organisation S1 Fixed for syntax defini-tion by
identifier Swico in Version 1.x
Voucher /10/ Bill number /10/10201409 Free text
number
Voucher date /11/ Voucher date /11/190512 12.05.2019
Customer /20/ Customer reference /20/140.000-53 Free text
reference
VAT number /30/ UID number /30/106017086 UID CHE-106.017.086 without
the CHE prefix, separator and
without MWST/TVA/IVA/VAT
suffix
VAT date /31/ Date or start and end /31/180508 08.05.2018
date of the service /31/181001190131 01.10.2018 bis 31.01.2019
VAT details /32/ Rate for calcula-tion /32/7.7 7.7% for the total amount
or list of rates with
/32/8:1000;2.5:51.8 8.0% on 1000.00, 2.5% on 51.80
Examples of Comments
Area Tag What
values
correspond-ing net 0;7.7:250 and 7.7% on 250.00
amounts
VAT import tax /33/ Pure VAT amount or /33/7.7:16.15 16.15 pure VAT (7.7% rate)
a list of pure VAT /33/7.7:48.37;2.5:12 where goods are imported
amounts and .4 48.37 pure VAT (7.7% rate) and
respective rates for 12.40 pure VAT (2.5% rate)
import where goods are imported
with many rates
Conditions /40/ Conditions or list of /40/0:30 0% discount for 30 days
conditions /40/2:10;0:60 (payable within 30 days from
/40/3:15;0.5:45;0:90 the voucher date) 2% discount
for 10 days, 0% for 60 days 3%
discount for 15 days, 0.5% for
45 days, 0% for 90 days
Table 21: Data elements in the field Billing information, example of Swico
Rules
The separators // are prescribed by SIX. They are intended to identify the beginning of billing
information (structured information for the invoice sender) when it is printed on the visible part.
The /nn/ tags must be filled in in ascending order.
Each tag may only be given once.
A tag with no data can be omitted.
A tag with no data is the equivalent of an omitted tag.
The length of the value for any tag is not directly limited.
The «Unstructured message» and «Structured information from the biller» fields must not contain
more than 140 characters in total.
Field content may not contain the characters «/» and «\»; these must be replaced by «\/» and «\\»
(Escape).
An amount or a percentage with decimal places must use the character «.» (full stop) as the separator.
Numbers smaller than 1 are presented with a leading zero (e.g. «0.3»).
Dates are formatted as YYMMDD (year, month, day).
Fields including more than one data element in a list use the character «;» (semicolon) as a separator.
Table 22: Rules for the field Billing information, example of Swico
Information such as amount and currency is contained in dedicated fields in the data
set of the QR code, so it is not sent in the «Billing information ».
Fields
/11/ The voucher date is the same as the date of the invoice; it is used as the reference date for
the terms and conditions.
Together with the field /40/0:n, a maturity date of the invoice can be calculated (payable
within n days after the voucher date).
/20/ The customer reference is a reference sent by the customer and is used to identify the bill.
/30/ The VAT number is the same as the numerical UID of the service provider (without the CHE
prefix, separator and VAT suffix).
The VAT number can be used by the bill recipient to identify the biller unambiguously. All
billers who have a UID should enter it here, even if the other VAT fields are omitted.
For a bill with more than one VAT number, the first should be entered.
/31/ The VAT date can either be the date on which the service was provided or the start and end
date of the service (e.g. for a subscription).
If the document refers to several services with different dates of delivery, the /31/ field
must be omitted (enter manually).
/32/ The VAT details refer to the invoiced amount, excluding any discount.
VAT details contain either:
– a single percentage that is to be applied to the whole invoiced amount or
– a list of the VAT amounts, defined by a percentage rate and a net amount; the colon «:»
is used as the separator.
The net amount is the net price (excluding VAT) on which the VAT is calculated.
If a list is given, the total of the net amounts and the VAT calculated on them must corre-
spond to the amount in the QR Code.
/33/ Where goods are imported, the import tax can be entered in this field. The amount is the
VAT amount.
The rate serves correct recording of VAT in the accounts.
This makes it easier for the bill recipient to record the VAT in the case of an import.
/40/ The terms and conditions may refer to a discount or list of discounts.
The voucher date /11/ counts as the reference date.
Each discount is defined by a percentage and a deadline (in days); the colon «:» is used as
the separator.
The indication with a percentage rate equal to zero defines the default payment date of the
invoice (e.g. «0:30» for 30 days net).
Attention: when this day is used, at least the default payment date of the invoice should be
indicated. Without this indication, the payment software will not be able to suggest any date
for the payment.
Examples
Example 1
//S1/10/10201409/11/190512/20/1400.000-53/30/106017086/31/180508/32/7.7/40/2:10;0:30
/10/ Invoice number 10201409
/11/ Invoice date 12.05.2019
/20/ Customer reference 1400.000-53
/30/ VAT number CHE-106.017.086 MWST
/31/ VAT date on which the service was provided 08.05.2018
/32/ VAT rate on the total invoice amount 7.7%
/40/ 2% discount for 10 days, payment date of 30 days
Example 2
//S1/10/10104/11/180228/30/395856455/31/180226180227/32/3.7:400.19;7.7:553.39;0:14/40/0:30
/10/ Invoice number 10104
/11/ Invoice date 28.02.2018
/30/ VAT number CHE-395.856.455 MWST
/31/ VAT date on which the service was provided from 26.02.2018 until 27.02.2018
/32/ VAT rate 3.7% on 400.19 net (415.00 gross)
VAT rate 7.7% on 553.39 net (596.00 gross)
VAT rate 0% on 14.00 net (14.00 gross)
The VAT details yield a total amount for the invoice equal to (400.19+14.81) + (553.39+42.61) +
(14.00+0.00) = 1025.00
/40/ payment date of 30 days
Example 3
//S1/10/4031202511/11/180107/20/61257233.4/30/105493567/32/8:49.82/33/2.5:14.85/40/0:30
/10/ Invoice number 4031202511
/11/ Invoice date 07.01.2018
/20/ Customer reference 61257233.4
/30/ VAT number CHE-105.493.567 MWST
/32/ VAT rate 8% on 49.82 net (53.80 gross)
/33/ Pure VAT for import of 14.85, VAT rate 2.5%
The VAT details yield a total amount for the invoice equal to (49.82+3.98) + (14.85) = 68.65
/40/ payment date of 30 days
Example 4
//S1/10/X.66711\/8824/11/200712/20/MW-2020-04/30/107978798/32/2.5:117.22/40/3:5;1.5:20;1:40;0:60
/10/ Invoice number X.66711/8824
/11/ Invoice date 12.07.2020
/20/ Customer reference MW-2020-04
/30/ VAT number CHE-107.978.798 MWST
/32/ VAT rate 2.5% on 117.22 net (120.15 gross)
The VAT details yield a total amount for the invoice equal to (117.22+2.93) = 120.15
/40/ 3.0% discount for 5 days
1.5% discount for 20 days
1.0% discount for 40 days
payment date of 60 days
Index of Tables
Table 1: Reference documents ..................................................................................................................... 8
Table 2: Links to the relevant Internet pages............................................................................................. 8
Table 3: Headings of the payment part in the information section ...................................................... 17
Table 4: Headings of the payment part in the information section ...................................................... 19
Table 5: Status of the elements .................................................................................................................. 24
Table 6: Characters permitted .................................................................................................................... 24
Table 7: Swiss QR Code data elements ..................................................................................................... 30
Table 8: Examples of how to use address information ........................................................................... 31
Table 9: Abbreviations used in the examples........................................................................................... 37
Table 10: Data for QR code, example 1 ....................................................................................................... 39
Table 11: Data for QR code, example 2 ....................................................................................................... 41
Table 12: Data for QR code, example 3 ....................................................................................................... 43
Table 13: Structured reference in pain.001................................................................................................. 46
Table 14: Structured reference with additional information in pain.001 ............................................... 47
Table 15: Biller's additional information in pain.001................................................................................. 48
Table 16: Multilingual headings in the payment part ............................................................................... 49
Table 17: General terms ................................................................................................................................ 49
Table 18: Process for implementing the «Billing information» and «Alternative procedures»
fields ................................................................................................................................................ 51
Table 19: Process for version changes of the «Billing information» and «Alternative
procedures» fields ......................................................................................................................... 51
Table 20: Process for invalidating the «Billing information» and «Alternative procedures»
fields ................................................................................................................................................ 52
Table 21: Data elements in the field Billing information, example of Swico ......................................... 53
Table 22: Rules for the field Billing information, example of Swico ........................................................ 53
Table 23: Description of the field Billing information, example of Swico ............................................... 54
Table 24: Billing information Swico, examples ........................................................................................... 55
Index of figures
Figure 1: Basic process ....................................................................................................................................6
Figure 2: Schematic depiction of a QR-bill with integrated payment part/receipt and with payment
part/receipt as an enclosure ..........................................................................................................9
Figure 3: Swiss QR Code ................................................................................................................................10
Figure 4: Schematic illustration of the payment part of a QR-bill ...........................................................15
Figure 5: Schematic depiction of the amount section ..............................................................................16
Figure 6: Schematic depiction of the information section .......................................................................17
Figure 7: Schematic depiction of the receipt for the payment part of a QR-bill ...................................18
Figure 8: Schematic depiction of the information section on the receipt of a QR-bill .........................19
Figure 9: Schematic depiction of the receipt of a QR-bill .........................................................................20
Figure 10: Data group with technical element name and technical name for the payment part ........24
Figure 11: Scaling of the Swiss QR Code to fixed sizes ...............................................................................34
Figure 12: Swiss QR Code with Swiss cross as recognition feature (not true to scale) ..........................35
Figure 13: Example of a QR-bill (schematic, not true to scale) ..................................................................37
Figure 14: Payment part, example 1 (schematic, not true to scale) .........................................................39
Figure 15: Payment part, example 2 (schematic, not true to scale) .........................................................41
Figure 16: Payment part, example 3 (schematic, not true to scale) .........................................................43
Figure 17: Check digit matrix ..........................................................................................................................44
Figure 18: Check digit calculation example ..................................................................................................45
Figure 19: pain.001 – Scheme with structured reference without additional information ...................46
Figure 20: pain.001 – Scheme with structured reference with additional information .........................47
Figure 21: pain.001 – Scheme with message................................................................................................48