# Switzerland — payment codes and schemes

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/CH
> extracted at 2026-10-03
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

## Summary

- **Swiss QR-bill** is the national standard, replacing 7 different payment slips since October 2022
- **TWINT** is the dominant mobile payment app with 60+ bank-specific versions
- **SIC IP** launched August 2024 for instant CHF payments (95% coverage)
- **UBS** is now the sole global bank after Credit Suisse merger (June 2024)
- Potential **TIPS link** being explored for cross-border EUR instant payments

## Banking landscape

### Central Bank
- **Name:** Swiss National Bank (SNB)
- **Website:** https://www.snb.ch/
- **Role:** Monetary policy, SIC system principal

### Major Banks (2024)

| Rank | Bank Name | Total Assets (CHF) | Type |
|------|-----------|-------------------|------|
| 1 | UBS Group AG | ~1,565,000 M | Global systemically important |
| 2 | Raiffeisen Group | 305,610 M | Cooperative (~300 banks) |
| 3 | Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB) | ~203,000 M | Cantonal (AAA rated) |
| 4 | Banque Cantonale Vaudoise | ~60,000 M | Cantonal |
| 5 | PostFinance | ~120,000 M | State-owned |

### Credit Suisse Merger
- **June 2024:** Credit Suisse (Schweiz) AG merged into UBS Switzerland AG
- UBS is now Switzerland's sole globally active bank
- Significant market concentration increase

### Banking Sector Overview
- **Total Banks:** 237 (as of January 2024)
- **Types:** Global banks, cantonal banks, cooperative banks, private banks
- **Credit Ratings:** ZKB rated AAA (Fitch), Aaa (Moody's)

### Key Organizations
- **SIX Group:** Payment infrastructure operator
- **Swiss Bankers Association:** Industry representation

---

## Payment infrastructure

### National Payment Systems

| System | Operator | Type | Status |
|--------|----------|------|--------|
| SIC | SIX Interbank Clearing | CHF RTGS | Active (since 1987) |
| SIC IP | SIX/SNB | CHF Instant | Active (August 2024) |
| euroSIC | SECB | EUR payments | Active (via TARGET) |
| TWINT | TWINT AG | Mobile payments | Active |

### SIC (Swiss Interbank Clearing)
- **Operator:** SIX Interbank Clearing Ltd (on behalf of SNB)
- **Launch:** June 10, 1987
- **Participants:** 325 financial institutions (2018)
- **Daily Volume:** ~2.4 million transactions
- **Daily Value:** CHF 156 billion average

### SIC IP (Instant Payments)
- **Launch:** August 2024
- **Speed:** <10 seconds end-to-end (0.2 seconds SIC processing)
- **Coverage:** 95% of Swiss customer payments
- **Remaining Banks:** Expected by 2026
- **Standards:** ISO 20022, aligned with SEPA SCT Inst

### ECB TIPS Link Exploration
- **Announced:** Late 2024
- **Purpose:** Cross-border EUR instant payments
- **Feasibility Phase:** Throughout 2026
- **Partners:** ECB, SNB

### euroSIC
- EUR payment system linked to TARGET
- Operated via Swiss Euro Clearing Bank (SECB) in Frankfurt
- Enables Swiss access to European payment networks

---

## QR code standards

### Swiss QR-bill (Primary Standard)

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| **Standard Name** | Swiss QR-bill / QR-Rechnung |
| **Barcode Type** | QR Code with Swiss cross |
| **Operator** | SIX Group |
| **Launch:** June 2020 |
| **Mandatory:** October 1, 2022 |
| **Current Version:** 2.3 (November 2025) |
| **Currencies:** CHF and EUR |

#### Physical Specifications
- **Payment Part:** DIN A6 landscape (148 x 105 mm)
- **Components:** Payment section + Receipt
- **Identifying Feature:** Swiss cross in QR code center

#### Data Structure (31-34 lines)

| Field | Description | Format |
|-------|-------------|--------|
| QRType | Fixed identifier | "SPC" |
| Version | Standard version | "0200" |
| Coding | Character set | UTF-8 |
| IBAN | Creditor account | CH/LI IBAN or QR-IBAN |
| Address Type | Structured (S) or Combined (K) | "S" (only since v2.3) |
| Creditor Name | Beneficiary name | Max 70 chars |
| Creditor Address | Street, number, postal, city, country | Structured |
| Amount | Payment amount | 0.01 - 999,999,999.99 |
| Currency | CHF or EUR | 3 chars |
| Debtor Info | Payer details | Optional |
| Reference Type | QRR, SCOR, or NON | 4 chars |
| Reference | Payment reference | See below |
| Additional Info | Unstructured message | Max 140 chars |
| Trailer | End marker | "EPD" |
| Billing Info | Structured billing data | Optional |
| AltPmt | Alternative procedure | Optional (2x) |

#### Reference Types

| Type | Name | Format | Use |
|------|------|--------|-----|
| QRR | QR Reference | 27 digits (27th = check digit) | Swiss domestic |
| SCOR | Creditor Reference | RF + 2 check + up to 21 chars (ISO 11649) | International |
| NON | No Reference | Empty | Unstructured payments |

#### QR-IBAN vs Standard IBAN
- **QR-IBAN:** Required when using QR Reference (QRR)
- **Standard IBAN:** Used with SCOR or NON reference types

#### Version 2.3 Changes (November 2025)
- Structured addresses only (no more combined format)
- Additional umlauts and special characters supported

### TWINT QR

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Type | Mobile payment QR |
| Use Cases | POS, P2P, online, parking, vending |
| Modes | Static (printed) or Dynamic (POS terminal) |

---

## Mobile payment apps

### TWINT Ecosystem

| App Version | Bank | QR Support | Notes |
|-------------|------|------------|-------|
| UBS TWINT | UBS | Yes | #1 in Switzerland, 1M+ users |
| ZKB TWINT | Zürcher Kantonalbank | Yes | Cantonal bank version |
| Raiffeisen TWINT | Raiffeisen | Yes | Cooperative banks |
| PostFinance TWINT | PostFinance | Yes | State-owned bank |
| Credit Suisse TWINT | (merged to UBS) | Yes | Transitioning |
| + 55 more versions | Various cantonal/regional | Yes | ~60 total versions |

### TWINT Features
- **POS Payments:** Scan QR on terminal or printed code
- **P2P Transfers:** Send money by phone number
- **Online Shopping:** Checkout integration
- **Parking:** Start/stop directly from app
- **Vending Machines:** QR code payments
- **Farm Stalls:** 1,900+ Swiss farm stands accept TWINT

### Bank Mobile Apps (QR-bill Support)

| App | Bank | QR-bill Scan | QR-bill Pay |
|-----|------|--------------|-------------|
| UBS Mobile Banking | UBS | Yes | Yes |
| ZKB Mobile | ZKB | Yes | Yes |
| Raiffeisen E-Banking | Raiffeisen | Yes | Yes |
| PostFinance App | PostFinance | Yes | Yes |

---

## Third-party payment apps

| App Name | Type | QR Support | Notes |
|----------|------|------------|-------|
| TWINT | Mobile wallet | Yes | Dominant in Switzerland |
| Apple Pay | NFC Wallet | No | Card-based |
| Google Pay | NFC Wallet | No | Limited adoption |
| Samsung Pay | NFC Wallet | No | Card-based |

### TWINT Dominance
- Ubiquitous in Switzerland
- Nearly all banks participate
- Can be linked to any Swiss credit/prepaid card (UBS version)
- Estimated 5+ million users

---

## Schemes

| Scheme | Type | Symbology | Adoption | Technical standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Swiss QR-bill](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/CH/swiss-qr-bill) | Invoice QR | QR Code | 100% mandatory | [`swiss-qr-bill`](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/swiss-qr-bill) |
| [TWINT QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/CH/twint-qr) | Payment QR | QR Code | Dominant | [`twint`](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/twint) |

## Sources

- [SIX - QR-bill Standards](https://www.six-group.com/en/products-services/banking-services/payment-standardization/standards/qr-bill.html)
- [SIX - Implementation Guidelines QR-bill v2.3](https://www.six-group.com/dam/download/banking-services/standardization/qr-bill/ig-qr-bill-v2.3-en.pdf)
- [SIX - SIC System](https://www.six-group.com/en/products-services/banking-services/interbank-clearing/sic.html)
- [SNB - Swiss Interbank Clearing](https://www.snb.ch/en/the-snb/mandates-goals/payment-transactions/swiss-interbank-clearing)
- [SIX - Instant Payments Blog](https://www.six-group.com/en/blog/swiss-instant-payments.html)
- [TheBanks.eu - Switzerland Major Banks](https://thebanks.eu/countries/Switzerland/major_banks)
- [Moneyland - Biggest Swiss Banks](https://www.moneyland.ch/en/biggest-swiss-bank)
- [UBS - TWINT](https://www.ubs.com/ch/en/services/digital-banking/mobile-banking/twint.html)
- [Wikipedia - TWINT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWINT)
- [ECB - SNB TIPS Link Exploration](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/intro/news/html/ecb.mipnews250929.en.html)

## Full country report

[CH-switzerland.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/CH)