The structured address (Type S) has been mandatory in all Swiss QR-bills since November 22, 2025. Combined addresses (Type K) are non-compliant today — banks will fully reject them from September 30, 2026.
What is a Type K address in a Swiss QR-bill?
The Swiss QR-bill standard (ISO 20022, implemented by SIX Interbank Clearing) defines two ways to encode a postal address in the QR code embedded in every Swiss invoice:
- Type K — Combined address: address stored in two free-text lines. No field separation. Simple to generate but not machine-readable for banking systems.
- Type S — Structured address: each address component (street name, building number, postal code, city, country) stored in a separate dedicated field.
Type K was tolerated during the transition period. Since November 22, 2025, only Type S is accepted under SIX standard v2.3. Every invoice still using Type K is technically out of compliance right now.
Type K vs Type S — what's the difference?
Here's what the raw QR payload looks like for both formats:
Combined address
ADR Type: K Line 1: Rue des Artisans 12 Line 2: 1204 Genève Country: CH
Two free lines. Not machine-parseable. Rejected after Sept. 30, 2026.
Structured address
ADR Type: S Street: Rue des Artisans Number: 12 Postal: 1204 City: Genève Country: CH
Each field separated. Fully machine-readable. Accepted by all Swiss banks.
Who is affected?
Any business, freelancer, or fiduciary in Switzerland that issues QR-bills is potentially affected. In practice, this means:
- SMEs and sole traders who invoice clients with QR-bill PDFs
- Accounting software that hasn't been updated since November 2025 (Banana, some versions of Bexio, older Abacus templates)
- Fiduciaries managing invoices for multiple clients — one update needed across their entire client base
- Any business that generates QR-bills manually or from older templates
If you're not sure whether your invoices use Type K or Type S, the easiest way to check is to upload a recent PDF to QRBridge — the diagnostic is free and takes seconds.
What happens if you do nothing?
After September 30, 2026, Swiss banking infrastructure will automatically reject any payment instruction referencing a QR-bill with a Type K address. No warning. No grace period. The payment simply fails.
This means your customers will not be able to pay you using the QR code on your invoices. They would need to enter payment details manually — which most won't bother doing.
Correct your invoices now. Every non-compliant QR-bill you send today is a risk — some banking systems are already stricter than others.
How to fix your QR-bill: step by step
There are two approaches depending on your situation:
Option 1 — Update your invoicing software
If you use accounting software (Banana, Bexio, Sage, Abacus, etc.), check for updates. Most Swiss software vendors have released updates since November 2025 that generate Type S addresses automatically. Update the software and regenerate your invoice templates.
Option 2 — Use QRBridge (existing invoices)
If you have invoices already sent or invoices in templates you can't easily update, QRBridge corrects the QR payload directly on your PDF:
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1
Upload your invoice PDF
Go to qrbridge.pages.dev and drop your PDF into the upload zone. Any PDF containing a Swiss QR-bill is accepted.
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2
Free compliance check
QRBridge reads the embedded QR code, detects the address type (Type K or Type S), and shows you the diagnostic instantly — no registration required.
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3
Receive your corrected invoice
Enter your email address. QRBridge corrects the address structure to Type S format, compliant with SIX Interbank Clearing v2.3, and sends you the fixed PDF within 30 minutes.
Type K vs Type S — quick comparison
| Criteria | Type K (combined) | Type S (structured) |
|---|---|---|
| Address format | 2 free-text lines | Separate fields per component |
| Compliant since Nov. 2025 | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Bank-processable after Sept. 2026 | ✗ Rejected | ✓ Accepted |
| Machine-readable | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Required action | Convert to Type S urgently | No action needed |
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my QR-bill uses Type K or Type S?
Upload your invoice PDF to QRBridge — the free diagnostic tells you instantly. You can also look at the raw QR code data: if you see "K" as the address type identifier, it's Type K. If you see "S", it's already Type S and compliant.
Do I need to re-send invoices I already sent to clients?
For invoices already paid, no action is needed. For unpaid invoices with a future due date that go past September 30, 2026, yes — correct and re-send them to avoid payment rejection.
My invoicing software is up to date — am I safe?
If your software was updated after November 2025 and explicitly mentions SIX v2.3 or Type S compliance, you should be safe. When in doubt, run a PDF through QRBridge's free check to confirm.
Is QRBridge free?
The compliance diagnostic is completely free. You upload your PDF, QRBridge checks the address type, and shows you the result — no account needed. Invoice correction is a paid service starting at CHF 19 per invoice, or available on a monthly subscription for fiduciaries and volume users.
Check your QR-bill compliance now
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