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eBill is setting course for Europe. The field-tested Swiss-made model is now setting out to conquer the European market too. The latest issue of PAY magazine also takes you to Bern – for a Cryptopolitan at the museum.

As a complement to the Swiss Implementation Guidelines QR-bill, the Style Guide and the introduction script, this document describes how to fill in and print the "Alternative procedures" fields.

New versions of the Swiss ISO 20022 Implementation Guidelines

A new section (note) has been added to the Style Guide for QR-bill in the details of payment section II on page 10.

According to the latest survey results from the research institute gfs.bern, around two thirds of all Swiss companies plan to complete the changeover work on time. 94% of respondents are aware of the changeover obligation and 81% know the exact end date of the payment slips.

The chapters "Versioning", "QR-bill with QR-IBAN" and "Non-compliance with Layout Rules" have been adapted, chapter 3.4. has been deleted.

The consultation report as to the planned detailed changes to SPS 2022 based on the new ISO 20022 version has been completed.

According to the latest survey results from the research institute gfs.bern, 93% of the companies questioned are aware that they have to make the switchover to the QR-bill. However, only 40% are not aware of the precise date on which IS/ISR will be discontinued.

The consultation report as to the planned general changes to SPS 2022 based on the new ISO 20022 version has been completed.

The second part of the public consultation procedure is running from today to 21 May 2021 on the planned general changes to SPS 2022 based on the new ISO 20022 version.

The script for invoice issuers and recipients as well as developers of software for invoice issuers, invoice recipients and banks has been revised. It includes use cases, checklists, test cases and samples to support successful introduction of the QR-bill in German, French, Italian and English.

These instructions show step by step how the QR code in a QR-bill can be checked using the validation portal.

A public consultation procedure is running from today to 20 April 2021 on the planned general changes to SPS 2022 based on the new ISO 20022 version.

The QR-bill introduction script in German, French, Italian and English has been revised in terms of content and design. The document includes use cases, checklists, test cases and samples of the payment part.

The updated specifications of the QR-bill are available in version 2.2. Only corrections and clarifications were made.

In its media release today, PostFinance announced that it has determined the end date of the red (IS) and orange (ISR) payment slips to be 30 September 2022.

As of 30 September 2022, PostFinance will be taking the red and orange payment slips (IS/ISR) off the market. This quadrilingual checklist serves as an aid for the banks to make their own changeover and to prepare their customer communication.

The datasheet shows how to transfer debtor information from the payment part of a QR-bill to a customer or bank payment so that regulatory requirements are met.

The consultation report on the Swiss Implementation Guidelines for Credit Transfers, Cash Management and Status Report has been completed.

A new list presents simple browser-based, publicly available solutions for creating Swiss QR Codes.

A new list gives an overview of printing companies offering perforated paper for the QR-bill.

QR-bills can now also be paid with TWINT. In addition to eBill, TWINT will be available as a second alternative procedure for QR-bills as of July 2020.

The datasheet describing the banking rules that enable the mapping of the fields of the Swiss QR Code into a SWIFT FIN message (MT101 and MT103) has been changed on page 16: Under "Unstructured message", "70 Remittance Information" and "If QRR or SCOR:" it's now "Lines 2-4 for additional messages (3x35x)" instead of "Lines 2-3 for additional messages (3x35x)".

The QR-bill is set to be launched in Switzerland on 30 June 2020. This will make payment easier, faster and more efficient. The new QR-bill will gradually replace the current payment slips.

The datasheet describing the banking rules that enable the mapping of the fields of the Swiss QR Code into a SWIFT FIN message (MT101 and MT103) has been changed on page 15: Under «Reference type», «70 Remittance Information» and «Line 1» it's now "/QRR/QR reference" instead of "QRR/QR reference" and "/SCOR/Reference" instead of "SCOR/Reference".

Technical and functional specification in German, French and Italian for the printing of QR-bills using the XML standard by banks or bank customers for printers.

In view of the current pandemic situation, market reactions show that a number of invoice issuers are sufficiently advanced in their implementation preparations to start sending QR-bills from 30 June 2020.

Minor changes were made to the IBAN tool functions and the illustration "Generic payment process based on a QR-bill". The new version will be in effect as of 29 February 2020.

The QR-bill introduction scripts in German, French and English include use cases, checklists, test cases and samples of the payment part. They are aimed at banks, invoice issuers and recipients or developers of invoice issuer/recipient and banking software.

List of software versions in pain.001 being used by the bank customers. It is based on information provided by financial institutions.

Readiness statuses of banks with regard to communication, client interfaces and infrastructure.

Zewo, the Swiss charity foundation, informs its member organizations about the handling of the QR-bill.

The newly structured and extended list of FAQs provides answers to the most common questions about the QR-bill before its introduction in mid-2020.

The communication matrix provides an overview of all the communication means of the financial center for the QR-bill. It filters and classifies the publications according to target groups (financial institutions, invoice issuers, etc.) with explanations and direct access to the respective information.

On its SME Portal, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO explains the most important aspects of the QR-bill introduction.

Since last November, templates are available in a zip file which allow the creation of the black corner marks for the fields "Amount" and "Payable by" in the payment part of the QR-bill. These have now been supplemented with corner mark templates for the fields "Payable by" and "Amount" in the receipt and for the scissors symbol.

Currently, the compilation consists of more than 20 ERP providers featuring the QR-bill.

Invoice recipients in Switzerland must be able to pay QR-bills from 30 June 2020. A 2.5-minute clip exemplifies how companies can prepare for it, and what the benefits are for them.

The right layout pays off. The new Style Guide details the layout rules and recommendations for the payment part with Swiss QR Code and for the receipt.

The central validation platform of the Swiss financial center supports software producers in validating data structure and image files for Swiss QR Codes on the QR-bill.

The rules published on 15 November 2018 in German for producing and processing the payment part with Swiss QR Code and receipt are now also available in English and French.

The QR-bill's design is definitely fixed. Having taken into account the needs of all market participants, the new implementation guidelines are published. The time until the first QR-bill is sent on 30 June 2020 must be used to make the technical adaptations at banks, software providers and also corporate clients.

Zewo, the Swiss charity foundation, informs its member organizations about the actual state of the ISO 20022 changeover.

In the latest edition of its online magazine “insight #3.18”, the Swiss Bankers Association accentuate that in the last month, the conversions to ISO 20022 have been increasing strongly and steadily – not least thanks to the excellent advices from banks.

On its SME Portal, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO reports on the ISO 20022 standard changeover status at the SMEs and the on-going consultation on the QR-bill.

The Swiss financial center set itself the goal of harmonization of payments and to make them more efficient and economical for all market participants. With the successful introduction of ISO 20022 among corporate customers, it has come an important step closer to that goal.

Immobilia, the monthly publication of the Swiss Real Estate Association SVIT informs its 2000 real estate member companies about the harmonization of Swiss payments.

The responsible bodies of the financial center will communicate the exact launching date of the QR-bill in Switzerland the middle of this year. The implementation of the ISO 2002 standard is the prerequisite for a smooth data transmission in the QR-bill from a technical point of view. All banks changed over their systems to ISO 20022 last year. The switchover of business customers' accounting software to ISO 20022 by 30 June 2018 is the next important milestone. In order to give customers, software partners and banks enough time for the technical preparation of the QR-bill after this milestone, the QR-bill will not be launched before mid-2019.

Swiss television SRF 1 will broadcast the business magazine program ECO on Monday, 29 January at 10.25 pm, featuring the current state of harmonization of payment traffic in Switzerland.

On its SME Portal, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO documents the experiences of SMEs changing over to the ISO 20022 standard.