QR-Bill Invalid? These 7 Mandatory Fields Are Constantly Forgotten

A QR-bill that cannot be scanned or is rejected by the recipient's bank creates extra work for both sides: the payer must follow up, and you need to issue a corrected version. It costs time and leaves an unprofessional impression. The culprit isn't usually a typo in the amount—it's missing or incorrectly formatted mandatory fields, the ones the Swiss Payment Standard (SPS) requires.

This article shows which seven fields are most frequently missing or filled incorrectly, and how to get them right once and for all.

What Makes a Field Mandatory?

The Swiss Payment Standard, published by SIX Interbank Clearing, defines an exact data format for the QR code on Swiss QR-bills. The QR code contains up to 31 data fields, some mandatory and some optional. If a mandatory field is missing or empty, the bank's payment system cannot process the code correctly—payment fails or requires manual rework.

For a detailed overview of all mandatory fields, see our guide on QR-bill mandatory fields. This article focuses on the seven fields that cause the most problems in practice.

The 7 Most Common Mandatory Field Gaps

1. Regular IBAN Instead of QR-IBAN

This is the classic mistake. QR-bills require a QR-IBAN—a special IBAN variant your bank issues on request. It also starts with CH, but positions 5–9 fall within the range 30000–31999.

A regular IBAN (e.g. CH56 0483 5012 3456 7800 9) works for payment slips but not for the QR code on a QR-bill. Many invoice issuers simply copy their account number—and that's exactly what triggers rejection.

2. Missing or Incorrect Address Type

The SPS distinguishes two address types: structured (S) and combined (K). If you choose type S, street, building number, postal code, and town must be in separate fields. If you choose K, address line 1 and 2 are treated as free text.

The problem arises when someone chooses type S but writes the building number in the street field instead of the designated field—or vice versa. The QR code contains values, but in the wrong structure.

3. Currency Not Specified or Incorrect

Only two values are allowed: CHF or EUR. The field must not be empty. If you want to show a third-country currency on a QR-bill (e.g. USD), you must either issue a separate foreign-currency invoice without a QR code or convert the amount to CHF. A QR-bill in USD is technically impossible.

4. Amount Without Decimal Places

The amount must always have exactly two decimal places in the QR code—e.g. 1250.00 not 1250. Many word processors or DIY solutions round or truncate automatically, and the QR code then doesn't match the standard.

Anyone entering the amount manually in the code should explicitly verify the format. In the SnapBill app, it's formatted correctly automatically.

5. Reference Number and Reference Type Inconsistent

There are three reference types:

• QRR (QR Reference): 27-digit number, similar to the old ESR reference
• SCOR (Creditor Reference): structured creditor reference per ISO 11649
• NON: no reference

The common problem: someone chooses type QRR but provides no reference or a incorrectly formatted 27-digit one. Or the type is NON, but a value sits in the reference field anyway. Inconsistencies between reference type and reference number make the QR code invalid.

6. Missing Creditor Information

The invoicer's name, address, postal code, town, and country are mandatory. The country field is surprisingly often forgotten—because nobody thinks it's necessary for "obviously Switzerland." However, in the SPS, the country code (two letters per ISO 3166-1, i.e. CH) is its own mandatory field.

7. Prohibited Special Characters

The QR code on a QR-bill supports only the Latin Character Set per SPS specification. This excludes many special characters. Particularly common problems: ampersand (&), quotation marks, certain accented letters from foreign languages, or emojis in extra fields. If a company writes its name internally as "R&D Services AG" and copies it directly into the QR code, it can cause a reading error.

How to Recognize a Faulty QR-Bill

Some errors only emerge when payment doesn't arrive or your customer reports the QR code won't scan. A more proactive approach: test the generated QR code before sending—most banks offer a test-scan function in their app.

Alternatively: use a free online decoder (e.g. on qr-rechnung.ch) to check your QR code's content before you send the invoice.

VAT Details Don't Belong in the QR Code

A widespread misconception: Value Added Tax (e.g. 8.1% standard rate, 2.6% reduced rate, or 3.8% hospitality) is not stored in the QR code itself. The QR code contains only the total amount, account number, reference, and address data. The VAT breakdown belongs in the readable invoice text above the payment data section.

As a VAT-liable business issuing invoices, you'll find all relevant tax marking requirements in our article on Swiss VAT basics 2026.

At a Glance

Error	Consequence	Solution
Regular IBAN instead of QR-IBAN	QR code invalid	Request QR-IBAN from your bank
Wrong address type	Structure error in code	Keep type S or K consistent
Currency missing or wrong	Processing error	Only CHF or EUR allowed
Amount without decimal places	Format error	Always use .00, .50, etc.
Reference type/number inconsistent	Rejection	Choose NON, QRR, or SCOR consistently
Country for creditor missing	Mandatory field empty	Always state CH explicitly
Prohibited special characters	Reading error	Check Latin Character Set

Once you configure these seven points correctly in your invoice template—whether in software or a tool like SnapBill—you avoid the vast majority of QR-bill problems permanently.