Estimated reading time: 4 min
In brief
- Structured addresses have been mandatory in QR-bills since November 2025.
- The Swiss Payment Standards follow their own transition timetable in 2026.
- Check your data, software versions and interfaces, then test the entire process.
An invoice may be readable on screen yet contain insufficient data for automated bank processing. An address stored in a single free-text field can be difficult to transmit in the correct format. The operational risk is a payment requiring correction, delayed receipt of funds or additional manual work.
For an SME, it is therefore useful to examine the entire process: the business partner’s record, the invoice, the payment file, the bank’s response and the accounting reconciliation. A document that looks correct does not prove that the whole chain works.
What is changing: two different timetables
According to SIX, version 2.3 of the QR-bill guidelines took effect on 22 November 2025; only structured addresses are permitted. This is therefore not an entirely new obligation to expect in November 2026. [1]
For the Swiss Payment Standards, SIX is maintaining the migration to structured or hybrid addresses in November 2026. Version 2.4 of the QR-bill guidelines is still scheduled for 14 November 2026. SIX also notes postponements in certain international frameworks and bank-specific options outside the SPS. The channel used must be checked, without suggesting that all payments will be universally blocked. [2]
Who is affected, and what are the consequences?
This concerns businesses that issue QR-bills, export payments from their software or manage large numbers of customer and supplier records. Responsibilities are shared between accounting, administration, the software provider and the bank.
The aim is not to retype every address manually. It is to identify incomplete data, incorrectly used fields and interfaces that need adapting. Regularly paid business partners are a good initial sample, supplemented by a few unusual cases.
A four-step check
First, select a representative sample of customers and suppliers. Check the separate address fields, particularly country, town or city, postcode, street and number where applicable. Avoid moving information into a field merely to make an error disappear.
Second, ask the software provider which versions are supported and which updates affect your installation. Third, have the bank confirm the timetable and format for your data exchanges, including any exceptions.
Finally, test using the validation tools offered by your providers: invoice generation, QR data checks, bank files and processing responses. Record the result, date and person responsible for the check. Do not initiate an unnecessary real payment to test an interface.
Caution
A bank-specific timetable must not be presented as an identical deadline for the whole of Switzerland. Conversely, an international postponement does not guarantee that your domestic interface can remain unchanged.
The migration is also an opportunity to clarify who keeps addresses up to date. Without a designated data owner, one-off corrections may be lost during a subsequent import.
Conclusion
The desired result is a tested invoicing and payment process, with clean data and a timetable confirmed by the providers. A targeted check now generally takes less effort than a series of corrections when a payment deadline arrives.
How Delta Conseil SA can support you
Delta Conseil SA can help you assess your situation and gather the relevant information.
Frequently asked questions
Can a QR-bill retain an entirely free-text address?
SIX states that only structured addresses have been permitted in QR-bills since 22 November 2025.
Does the international postponement cancel the Swiss transition?
No. SIX states that it is maintaining the Swiss deadlines described in the Swiss Payment Standards.
Do we need to change our software?
Not necessarily. You need to check the version, data and interfaces actually in use.
Official sources
Editorial date: 25 September 2026 · Prepared and checked on 20 October 2026. This updated version is not evidence of publication on the editorial date.
Disclaimer
This publication is provided for information purposes and does not constitute individual legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Each situation must be assessed in light of its specific circumstances and the law applicable at the time of the decision.
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