The Swiss QR Invoice (QR-Rechnung in German, QR-facture in French) is the mandatory payment standard in Switzerland since October 2022. It permanently replaced the red and orange payment slips. It contains a QR code with all payment information (QR-IBAN, amount, reference) that the debtor scans from their e-banking app. The standard is defined by SIX Group under ISO 20022.
The QR-IBAN is a specially designated IBAN assigned by your bank, required for QR Invoices with a structured QR reference. It is issued by your bank or PostFinance. Without a QR-IBAN, you can still create a valid QR Invoice using your standard CH IBAN (without a structured payment reference).
Under the Swiss Code of Obligations (CO): name and address of the seller, name and address of the client, issue date, invoice number, description of services, amount excl. VAT, VAT rate and amount (if VAT-registered), total amount incl. VAT, payment details (IBAN/QR-IBAN), and since 2022 the QR code.
Yes. The QR Invoice is universal: UBS, Raiffeisen, PostFinance, Cantonal Banks, and all Swiss banks connected to the SIC network. The client scans the QR code from their e-banking or payment app.
In Switzerland, VAT registration is mandatory from CHF 100,000 of annual taxable turnover (art. 10 VAT Act). Below this threshold, you can register voluntarily if advantageous (e.g., to recover input tax on professional investments).
Standard rate: 8.1% (general goods and services). Special rate: 3.8% (accommodation services — hotels, Airbnb, etc.). Reduced rate: 2.6% (food, medicines, books, newspapers). These rates have been in effect since 1 January 2024 (AHV21 reform).
Pli generates a VAT summary per period (monthly, quarterly, or semi-annual). All net and VAT amounts broken down by rate, ready for entry into the FTA (Federal Tax Administration) online form.
You must register with the FTA within 30 days of exceeding the threshold. You become liable from the start of the following quarter. Pli makes switching between invoicing with and without VAT straightforward.
30 days net is the standard in Switzerland per art. 102 CO. You can set a different term. In case of late payment, the legal default interest rate is 5% per year (art. 104 CO) unless another rate is stated on the invoice.
Each invoice must have a unique, sequential number. Recommended format: INV-{year}-{number} (e.g. INV-2026-0001). Pli numbers your invoices automatically. For cancellations, issue a credit note rather than deleting the invoice.
In Switzerland, the retention obligation for accounting records is 10 years (CO art. 958f). This applies to all invoices issued and received. Pli stores your history indefinitely — even if you cancel your subscription, you keep read access.
No. Pli subscriptions have no lock-in: monthly or annual (with 2 months free). You can cancel at any time from the app settings or your App Store / Google Play account.
Yes. With a Pli account (free to create), your data is securely synchronised. On a new device, simply log back in and find all your history.
Yes. Pli complies with the nFADP (new Federal Act on Data Protection, in force since September 2023). Your data and your clients' data are processed on servers in Europe, encrypted, and never sold to third parties.
Yes. Pli works for all legal forms: sole trader, GmbH, AG, association. You configure your profile with your company name and VAT number where applicable.