Scan to pay: a SEPA QR code on your euro invoices
A SEPA QR code (or EPC QR code) holds your name, your IBAN, the amount due and the payment reference, so a customer pays an invoice by scanning it with their banking app. Swiftly Workspace prints one on the PDF of finalized euro invoices with an amount due.
Typing an IBAN of up to 34 characters and a reference by hand is where bank transfers go wrong: a swapped digit, a missing reference, a payment nobody can match. A QR code removes the typing. The customer scans, checks what the banking app filled in, and confirms.
How a scan-to-pay QR code works
The format comes from the European Payments Council, which publishes guidelines for a QR code that carries everything a SEPA credit transfer needs. The guidelines are meant for codes printed next to the same details in plain text, as on an invoice, so the payer can compare the two.
- You send the invoice with the code on it.
- Your customer opens their banking app and scans the code.
- The app fills in your name, your IBAN, the amount and the reference.
- The customer checks the details and confirms the transfer as usual.
The money goes from their bank to yours like any other transfer. There is no payment provider in between, and nothing leaves the customer's account until they confirm it. For more on the standard itself, see the EPC QR code explained.
When the code appears on a Swiftly invoice
| Invoice | QR code |
|---|---|
| Finalized, in euros, amount still due, with a due date and your IBAN | Yes |
| Partly paid | Yes, for the remaining amount |
| Draft | No |
| Fully paid | No |
| Credit note | No |
| In another currency | No: the scheme is for euro transfers |
The reference in the code is the invoice number, so the payment arrives with something you can match. Structured payment references explains how a structured reference makes matching easier still.
Putting your IBAN on an invoice
The code needs your bank account on the invoice. On a Mac, while the invoice is still a draft:
- Open the invoice and choose the Means & Files tab.
- Under Payment Means, click Add Payment Means.
- Pick SEPA credit transfer (58), enter your IBAN and, if you like, your BIC, and save.
- Finalize the invoice when it is ready, as in how to create and finalize an invoice on a Mac.
To check the result, click PDF Preview in the invoice's toolbar on a Mac, or tap Preview PDF in the invoice on iPhone or iPad.
After your customer pays
The transfer lands in your bank account like any other. Record the payment against the invoice, as described in how to record a payment on a Mac. Once the invoice is fully paid, its PDF no longer shows a code, so a paid invoice doesn't ask to be paid twice.
Tips for faster payment
- Set a due date on every invoice. The code appears on invoices with an amount due by a date, and a clear date helps customers plan the transfer anyway.
- Keep the plain-text details. Not every banking app scans these codes, so your IBAN and reference stay printed on the invoice too.
- Check your IBAN once. A typo in the account on the invoice ends up in every code. Scan a test invoice with your own banking app before you send the next batch.
More ideas in how to get paid faster.
What is inside the code
The European Payments Council's guidelines list the data a code may carry. The Swiftly invoice code fills these in:
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Beneficiary name | Your company name, up to 70 characters |
| IBAN | The account you added to the invoice |
| BIC | Your bank's code, if you entered one; optional for transfers within the European Economic Area (EEA) |
| Amount | What is still due on the invoice, in euros |
| Reference | The invoice number |
The code carries no login, no card details and nothing that moves money by itself. Anyone who scans it sees the same details that are printed on the invoice, and the customer's bank asks them to confirm before any transfer leaves their account. That is also why the guidelines pair the code with the same information in plain text: the payer can compare the two at a glance and spot a mistake before confirming.
Frequently asked questions
Can every banking app scan a SEPA QR code?
Not every one. The European Payments Council leaves it to each bank whether to offer scanning, so many apps do and some don't. That is why the IBAN and reference stay printed on the invoice as well.
Can I put a SEPA QR code on an invoice in another currency?
No. The format is for SEPA credit transfers, which are in euros, so an invoice in another currency doesn't get one. Its bank details still appear in plain text.
What does the QR code show after a partial payment?
The remaining amount. The code always asks for what is still due, so a customer who paid part of an invoice scans a code for the rest.
Do I need a payment provider to use scan to pay?
No. The code just fills in a normal bank transfer. There is no payment provider, no card fee and no new account to open: your existing IBAN is enough.
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