Switzerland has no general statutory 30-day payment period. Without an agreement or a different conclusion from the nature of the transaction, payment is due immediately under Article 75 CO. A debt being due and a debtor being in default are separate matters.

Agree terms before invoicing

Choose terms appropriate to the work and obtain agreement with the quote or contract. You might propose 14 or 30 days, an advance payment or milestones. These are contractual choices, not universal legal deadlines.

Show the agreed due date clearly on the invoice. Unilaterally adding a date to an invoice does not establish an agreed deadline under Article 102(2) CO.

When does default start?

Without an agreed fixed deadline, a creditor’s reminder is generally required after payment becomes due (Article 102(1)). Where the parties agreed a fixed deadline, default starts on its expiry without a reminder (Article 102(2)).

Statutory default interest is generally 5% a year from default under Article 104 CO. It does not automatically start 30 days after every invoice arrives. Keep evidence of the accepted terms or receipt of the reminder.

Hypothetical example: for CHF 1'250.00 in default for 30 days, using a 365-day year: CHF 1'250.00 × 5% × 30 / 365 = CHF 5.14.

Invoice details

For VAT purposes, Article 26 of the VAT Act covers supplier and recipient identification, the supplier’s VAT number, the nature, extent and date of the supply, consideration and the necessary tax information. Swiss VAT rates are 8.1%, 2.6% and 3.8%, depending on the supply. Do not charge VAT unless entitled to do so.

An invoice reference and due date help with tracking. Payment terms are not mandatory particulars under Article 26. Use the Swiss invoice template to organise the details.

A QR-bill can use a regular IBAN or QR-IBAN, depending on the reference type. The QR code does not replace agreed payment terms.

Reminders and debt enforcement

Check whether payment has arrived or a dispute needs resolving. Then send a clear request stating the amount, reference and response deadline. Use a payment reminder template — German document and retain correspondence.

There is no general statutory reminder-fee tariff. Remove charges without a verifiable basis. Debt enforcement fees depend on the claim amount and must be advanced by the creditor. A reminder does not interrupt limitation.

Magic Heidi invoicing software brings together invoices, expenses and reminders. Free includes 3 invoices and 3 expenses. Pro is CHF 25.00 a month billed annually (CHF 299.00 a year), or CHF 39.00 billed monthly: pricing.

Source: Code of Obligations, Articles 75 and 102–104. Updated September 2026.