Is my QR-bill from an Excel or Word template still valid?

That depends on the address format inside the QR code, not on how the bill looks. If the code contains the old combined address (type K), the bill has not been allowed since 21 November 2025, and many banks only guarantee processing it until the end of September 2026. Templates set up before the end of 2025 and not updated since are most at risk. Checking takes two minutes; the fix is a current generator with separate address fields.

The fastest way is our QR-bill checker: save the bill as a PDF or take a photo, drop it in, done. The check runs in your browser and the file is not uploaded.

Who is typically affected

Maintained invoicing software gets updates, though it's still worth checking your version. Setups that someone built once and that have been running untouched since are a different story:

associations and clubs that send membership fees with an Excel list and a QR macro,
private landlords who produce rent invoices from a Word template,
condominium owners' associations that bill renovation-fund contributions and service charges with a home-made spreadsheet,
small businesses and freelancers with an invoice template from 2020 to 2025.

The combined address was allowed until 21 November 2025. A template from that period may well have been correct at the time and still be out of date today.

How to check your template

Option 1: with the checker. Create a bill from your template, print it to PDF or photograph the payment part, and drop the file into the QR-bill checker. You get a clear result and, if needed, a list of errors.

Option 2: with any QR scanner app. Scan the QR code with your phone and show the text. Count the lines:

Line 5 holds the address type of the biller, i.e. your own address: "S" is fine, "K" is the old format.
If the payer's address is also in the code, its address type comes further down (line 21). It must be "S" there too.

A hint, not proof: if your template only has two free address lines, or a single "postcode town" field, it probably produces type K. To see what S and K look like in the code, read Why the Swiss QR-bill requires a structured address.

How to fix it

A sticker or a reprinted address line won't do, because the address is inside the QR code. The template itself has to be replaced:

Use a current generator. Replace the old macro or add-in with a current QR-bill generator that has separate fields for street, building number, postcode and town. SIX publishes a list of generators on its QR-bill page. Make sure the software explicitly supports the current Implementation Guidelines.
Enter addresses properly. Put your own address and, if you print them, the addresses of your members, tenants or co-owners into separate fields. The building number belongs in its own field; version 2.4 only tolerates it in the street field for the time being.
Test. Create a test bill and check it before sending all your bills.
Re-send open bills. Any unpaid bills in the old format should be regenerated and sent again.

Don't forget people who pay by standing order

Rent and fees are often paid by standing order. Banks have to update standing orders and payment templates by 13 November 2026, because from 14 November 2026 no payment order may contain an unstructured address. The SIX factsheets recommend that billers send these payers a new QR-bill, so they can set up their standing order again with the correct address. A short note to members or tenants saves questions later. All dates in one place: Swiss QR-bill timeline 2020–2027.

Common questions

Do I need to change the IBAN or reference? For CHF bills, usually not; the problem is the address. EUR bills with a QR-IBAN and QR reference are no longer provided for from 14 November 2026.

Our template shows "S" on line 5. Are we done? Almost: also check line 21 if the payer's address is in the code, and let the checker look for other errors.

What if a member says their payment was refused? See Swiss QR-bill rejected by the bank. The basics of the new format are in Structured address on the Swiss QR-bill.