The QR-bill was developed only for payments made within Switzerland and Liechtenstein. This means that its format (including payment part and receipt) and the scanning and processing of the QR codes are only valid for payment transactions in these two countries.
However, it goes without saying that the QR-bill contains information which you can use for international payments you make manually. This includes the name and address of the payment recipient, the amount and the IBAN and creditor reference.
This results in the following scenarios for foreign payments using QR-bills.
Invoice issuers abroad – invoice recipients in Switzerland/Liechtenstein
The invoice recipient can only make use of the QR-bill’s functions (automatic scanning of payment information via QR code) if the invoice issuer provides an IBAN or a creditor reference of an account in Switzerland or Liechtenstein. Otherwise, the invoice recipient has to manually create the payment order via their online banking.
Invoice issuers in Switzerland/Liechtenstein – invoice recipients abroad
Whether payments can be made from abroad to Switzerland using the QR-bill depends on whether your chosen foreign bank supports the Swiss QR-bill. The Swiss financial centre has no effect on this. In areas close to the border, there may be relevant services for Swiss customers. But, in this case, it’s also possible for the foreign invoice recipient to use the information on the QR-bill for a manual payment order.