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

The Swiss QR bill (Swiss QR Invoice) can be used as a full-fledged payment method in e-commerce checkout — not just for sending invoices by post. After placing an order, buyers receive a QR code which they scan and pay directly via their e-banking app. For merchants, the QR-invoice is the cheapest form of purchase on invoice, with transaction fees starting at 0.50 %, although without credit checks and without risk assumption.

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

1. What the QR-invoice is in an 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 standardised payment part with a Swiss QR Code that contains all payment information: recipient IBAN, amount, reference number and structured payment information.

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

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

2. How the QR-invoice works in online checkout: process for buyers and merchants

The process is divided into five steps:

Step 1: The buyer selects "purchase on invoice" 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. The 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 terms.

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

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

Step 5: You as a merchant receive a CAMT.054 credit advice 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

Automatic payment reconciliation is the greatest 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 message is an XML file in the ISO-20022 standard that your bank makes available to you automatically. It contains all credits with the respective reference number. Your ERP system, your accounting tool or your PSP can read this message 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 matching, without searching through bank statements.

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

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

Unlike BNPL providers, who specify a fixed payment term of 14 or 30 days, with the QR-invoice you determine the payment term yourself. Common terms are 10, 14 or 30 days from the invoice date.

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

Payment reminder after 5–7 days overdue, friendly phrased. First dunning letter after 14 days overdue, with a new payment term of 10 days. Second dunning letter after a further 10 days, with notice of debt collection proceedings. Request for debt collection at the competent debt collection office (Art. 67 SchKG), if payment is still not received.

Depending on the amount of the claim, the costs for a request for debt collection lie between EUR 7 and EUR 400 according to the Gebührenverordnung zum SchKG (GebV SchKG). You as the creditor must advance these costs.

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

Switching to the QR-invoice as a checkout payment method brings several advantages compared to classic invoicing:

6. For which shops and industries 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 a high percentage of loyal customers, where the default risk 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, federations and non-profit organisations where membership fees and donations are collected via QR-invoice.

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

Checklist: Setting up the 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 whether your PSP or shop system supports the QR-invoice as a checkout payment method.

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

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

• Set up an automatic dunning system: payment reminder, 1st dunning letter, 2nd dunning letter.

• 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 whether the assignment works.