Billing Solutions: B2B e-invoicing, eBill and Paper Bill

Questions and answers

What are the benefits of the Billing Solutions service?

Comprehensive digitization solutions
With PostFinance’s Billing Solutions service, you can digitize and streamline your invoicing processes systematically.

An interface for all invoice communication with business partners or private customers
Whether you want to exchange invoices with your business customers in electronic, structured format from software to software or via the e-invoicing platform (B2B e-invoicing), send eBills to your private customers in online banking, or outsource the sending of paper invoices to us (Paper Bill) − everything is done via the same interface with us. You provide your invoice data – we take care of the rest. In other words, we ensure that your invoices reach their destination reliably in the required format.

An experienced partner at your side
With PostFinance, you have an experienced partner at your side to help you digitize your invoicing processes. One way this can be seen is in the fact that many software programs have an interface to PostFinance which can be used to transmit digital, structured invoices. As the biggest network partner, we are also directly connected to the eBill portal, and as a financial institution, we are able to guarantee smooth end-to-end processes through to our customers’ e-banking. With Paper Bill, we even have a solution that enables you to send paper invoices digitally.



What are electronic invoices?

A digital invoice is issued, sent and received in a predefined, structured electronic format (e.g. XML). In this way, invoices can be processed completely automatically and electronically from software to software or exchanged digitally via an invoice portal.

What are the advantages of electronic invoices?
The advantages of sending invoices with B2B e-invoicing and eBill:
• Shortened payment deadlines, faster receipt of payment
• Cost savings (low shipping costs, easy payment collection)
• Less paper consumption
• High data quality (no ISR enquiries)
• Improved payment behaviour among invoice recipients – resulting in lower costs and less workload for reminder processes
• Meeting a growing need among customers
The advantages of receiving invoices with B2B e-invoicing:
• No manual entry of invoice details
• All invoices available electronically at any time
• Automation of invoice processing
• Payment transactions via existing processes
• Easy tracing of all actions
• Cost and time savings (faster processes/processing)
• Option of electronic archiving (on your systems) and forwarding within your company
The advantages of sending invoices with Paper Bill:
• Reduced costs and complexity
• The highest security standards
• Complete control over your paper invoices’ processing status
• Structured return reports that make it easier to manage customer master data
What requirements must we meet for sending and receiving digital invoices and for Paper Bill?

Ideally, you should have software that you can use to create your invoices, which you can then send digitally to PostFinance via an interface.

Overview of software partners with an interface to PostFinance

Alternatively, you can use our eInvoicing portal to send or receive digital invoices. To send invoices, upload your PDF invoices individually for mailing as B2B e-invoices or eBills. Or you can enter the invoices manually. It is also possible to receive B2B e-invoices. This is the ideal solution if you send only a small number of digital invoices.

Are you already working with the eInvoicing portal? The link will open in a new window Log in to the eInvoicing portal

What will electronic invoices cost me?

When sending and receiving B2B e-invoices or sending eBills, each transaction incurs a fee. The price depends on the number of e-invoices sent and/or received per month.

Go to the prices for send e-invoices

Go to prices for eBill for invoice issuers

Go to prices for receive e-invoices

Our experts would be happy to provide you with information about the prices and conditions for Paper Bill.

Which services are included in the Billing Solutions service from PostFinance?
• You benefit from free advice and our support. Transactions amounting to CHF 8 are included free of charge each month in the price level of up to 1,000 invoices.
• The eInvoicing portal is free to use. The portal is particularly suitable for business customers who do not use software with an interface to PostFinance and is also ideal for smaller invoice volumes.
• PostFinance supports you free of charge in finding and acquiring suppliers or customers who also prefer electronic invoicing.
  Find out more in our best practice guides:
  “Connecting providers to B2B e-invoicing”
  “Finding new B2B e-invoicing recipients”
  “Attracting new eBill recipients”
How do we benefit if we process electronic invoices via PostFinance?

In Switzerland, various players are involved in sending and receiving electronic invoices:

• Software partners offer business software (ERP) through which invoices can be created and processed
• eInvoicing providers receive digital invoice data and forward it to the recipient in the correct format
  
• eBill network partners forward digital invoices to the eBill platform, which is implemented in 99 percent of Swiss financial institutions
• Financial institutions provide your customers with access to eBill services in e-banking/e-finance
  

PostFinance acts as the hub between the system on which you process your invoices and your customers’ or suppliers’ receipt or mailing channel.
The benefit for you is that we have a broad network of software partners whose software solutions offer an interface to PostFinance for sending and receiving digital invoices. We are also an eInvoicing provider, an eBill network partner and a bank affiliated with eBill. PaperBill also enables you to outsource the sending of paper invoices to us and, in turn, to fully digitize your invoicing processes. PostFinance therefore provides you with comprehensive billing solutions from a single source.