The Swiss QR-invoice standard is evolving. On 14 November 2026, version 2.4 of the Implementation Guidelines published by SIX Group becomes mandatory for all invoice issuers in Switzerland.
What is the QR-invoice?
The QR-invoice (QR payment slip) replaced the former red and orange payment slips on 1 October 2022. It incorporates a QR code containing all payment information, encoded according to the ISO 20022 standard — the same standard used on Swiss and European (SEPA) payment rails.
What changes with version IG 2.4
Structured addresses (type S): what changes in practice
The QR-invoice encodes the creditor's and debtor's details directly in the QR code. SIX defines two address formats:
Type K — Combined (removed since 22 November 2025)
The address is encoded on one or two free-form lines, without field separation. For example: "Rue Voltaire 16, 1201 Geneva". This transitional format, inherited from the migration from the former payment slips, is no longer accepted.
Type S — Structured (mandatory since 22 November 2025)
Each address element is in a separate, distinct field:
- Street: Rue Voltaire
- Number: 16
- Postcode: 1201
- Town: Geneva
- Country: CH
This format allows banking and ERP systems to process payments automatically, without human intervention. Swiss banks and scanning applications require this format to correctly validate and route payments.
Practical impact: software that still generates QR codes with type K addresses produces non-compliant invoices — potentially rejected by Swiss banking apps or unreadable by payment scanners, causing settlement delays for your business.
Other changes in version IG 2.4
- Enhanced validation of IBAN and reference fields (QRR/SCOR): consistency checks are stricter, and data entry errors are rejected earlier in the process
- Updated specifications for permitted characters in free-text communication fields: certain special characters are no longer allowed
What this means for you
If you use Boost My Bizz, you don't need to do anything. We monitor SIX guideline updates and automatically adapt the invoices generated. Every invoice issued from our platform complies with the current version — including type S structured addresses and IG 2.4 validation.
If you use other software, ask your provider these questions before 14 November 2026:
- Does your software generate type S (structured) addresses?
- Are you compliant with version IG 2.4 of the SIX guidelines?
- Do you have a scheduled update date?
Why this matters
An invoice issued with software that is not compliant with IG 2.4 risks:
- Being rejected by Swiss banking systems
- Being unreadable by scanning applications (e-banking, mobile banking applications)
- Causing payment delays for your business
- Generating correction fees from your bank
Compliance is not optional — it is a technical requirement imposed by SIX Group, the operator of Switzerland's financial market infrastructure.
Key deadlines to remember
- 1 October 2022: introduction of the QR-invoice, replacement of red and orange payment slips
- 22 November 2025: type S structured addresses mandatory, type K prohibited
- 14 November 2026: version IG 2.4 mandatory