Swiss QR Invoice for Freelancers

Since October 2022, the Swiss QR invoice is the only payment standard in Switzerland. The old payment slips have been fully replaced. For freelancers, this means: without a QR invoice, your invoices not only look unprofessional — they also make it harder for your clients to pay. Mappli generates Swiss QR invoices automatically and SIX-compliant.

What is a Swiss QR invoice?

The Swiss QR invoice was introduced by SIX, the Swiss financial infrastructure company, as the new standard for payment transactions. It replaces the previous payment slips (ESR and red/orange payment slips) with a unified format featuring a QR code.

The QR code contains all relevant payment information: IBAN, amount, currency, payment reference and the address details of both the invoicer and the recipient. Your client simply scans the QR code with their banking app — all fields are filled in automatically. No manual typing, no errors, faster payment.

Why freelancers need a QR invoice

As a freelancer, you depend on timely payments. The easier you make it for your clients to pay, the faster the money flows. A Swiss QR invoice reduces the barrier massively: instead of typing in an IBAN and reference number, your client scans the code and confirms the payment — done in 30 seconds.

Then there's the professional impression. Clients in Switzerland expect a QR invoice. If you send a simple PDF invoice without a QR code instead, it looks amateurish and creates unnecessary effort. Especially with larger companies and public authorities, the QR invoice is often a requirement for payment.

Many freelancers currently use separate tools or Excel templates to create QR invoices. This costs time, is error-prone and doesn't fit into a seamless workflow. This is exactly where Mappli comes in.

How the QR invoice works in Mappli

In Mappli, you create an invoice as usual: select client, add line items, set VAT rate — done. Mappli automatically generates the SIX-compliant QR code with all necessary information. You don't need to worry about the format, the reference number or the technical specifications.

The invoice contains the correct VAT disclosure under Swiss law, including the various rates (8.1 %, 2.6 %, 0 %). Reference numbers are generated automatically — you can choose between QR-IBAN with QR reference and IBAN with Creditor Reference. Every invoice gets a unique number that you can track in your accounting.

You can export the invoice directly from Mappli as a PDF or share it via the client portal. Your client sees the invoice online and can scan the QR code and pay. You can manage the status of each invoice and keep track of open and paid invoices.

SIX-compliant and professional

Mappli strictly adheres to the technical specifications from SIX for the Swiss QR invoice. This includes the correct layout of the payment part and receipt, the proper encoding of the QR code, the validation of IBAN and reference numbers, and compliance with all format requirements. You can be sure that your invoices will be correctly processed by all Swiss banks.

Combined with eIDAS-compliant e-signatures for contracts and a professional client portal, Mappli offers everything you need as a Swiss freelancer — in a single tool, fully in English, with servers in the EU.