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eBill puts your bills inside your online banking, so the invoice arrives in the same place you pay it. No paper, no PDF to open, no copying a reference number across. It is run by SIX, it is used by around 3.8 million people in Switzerland, and almost every bank here is connected to it. Here is what it is, how to switch it on, and the two settings worth understanding before you do.
Figures published by SIX, the operator of eBill, read 12 August 2026.
What eBill actually is
eBill is Switzerland’s digital invoice network, run by SIX, the company behind the Swiss payment system. Companies send the invoice into the network, your bank shows it inside your online banking, and you approve it. The amount, the reference and the recipient are already filled in, so there is nothing to type and nothing to mistype.
The important thing to understand is that eBill is not a payment method. It is a delivery channel. The money still moves the same way it always did, out of your account by bank transfer. What changes is where the bill turns up and how much of it you have to key in yourself.
The honest test. If you currently receive a bill, open the PDF, then copy the reference number into your banking app, eBill removes all three steps. If you already pay everything by standing order or direct debit, it changes very little for you.
How to switch it on
Setup happens inside your bank, not on the eBill website. The wording differs slightly between banks, but the sequence is the same everywhere.
- Find eBill in your online banking. It usually sits under payments. You activate it once, per bank.
- Confirm your identity details. Billers match you on name, address and date of birth, so a typo here is why bills fail to arrive later.
- Turn on automatic addition of invoice issuers. Without it, you have to register with each company separately. With it, a biller who has you on file can start sending through eBill on its own.
- Decide about standing approval, deliberately. It pays recurring invoices without asking you. Useful for rent, risky for anything that varies.
Which banks support eBill
eBill needs online banking at an institution that is on the eBill network. SIX publishes the participant list on its activation page, and it held 103 institutions when I read it on 12 August 2026.
| Where you bank | On the eBill list | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| UBS | Yes | Listed as UBS Switzerland AG |
| PostFinance | Yes | Listed as PostFinance AG |
| Raiffeisen | Yes | One entry covers the Raiffeisen banks |
| Cantonal banks | Yes | 23 by name, including ZKB, BCV, BEKB and SGKB |
| Migros Bank | Yes | Listed by name |
| Swissquote | Yes | Listed by name |
| Yuh | Yes | Listed by name. Free, under Pay |
| Zak, by Bank Cler | Yes | Listed as Bank Cler. In the Zak app since March 2022 |
| neon | Yes, indirectly | Not listed under its own name. Its partner bank Hypothekarbank Lenzburg is, and neon’s FAQ points to Profile, then eBill |
| Revolut, Wise and other foreign accounts | No | Neither is on the list. A Swiss IBAN is not Swiss online banking |
Every row checked against the participant list SIX publishes on its eBill activation page, read 12 August 2026, and against the provider’s own eBill page where one exists. Correction: an earlier version of this page said each row had been checked that way. It had not been. Checking it properly left the conclusions standing and added one thing worth knowing, which is that neon does not appear on the list under its own name.
SIX puts 95% of Swiss financial institutions on the network, so the question is rarely whether your bank has eBill. It is whether the account you think of as your bank account sits at a Swiss bank at all.
eBill, direct debit and QR-bill compared
These three get muddled constantly, and the difference is about who starts the payment and whether you see it first.
| eBill | Direct debit (LSV) | QR-bill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the bill arrives | Inside your online banking | Nowhere, it is just taken | Post or PDF |
| Who starts the payment | You approve each one, unless you set standing approval | The company | You, manually |
| You see it before it is paid | Yes | Not necessarily | Yes |
| Right to object after payment | Yes, on eBill Direct Debit | Yes, within 30 days | Not applicable |
| Typing a reference number | Never | Never | Scan or type it |
| Works with a foreign account | No | No | Yes |
The QR-bill did not replace eBill and eBill did not replace the QR-bill. The QR-bill is the paper and PDF format that replaced the old orange and red payment slips. eBill is the channel that avoids the slip existing at all.
The features most people never switch on
Almost everyone activates eBill and then leaves it at the default. Six features sit behind that default, and two of them are genuinely worth your attention.
| Feature | What it does | Worth switching on? |
|---|---|---|
| Standing approval | Pays recurring invoices automatically, up to a limit you set | For predictable bills like rent or insurance |
| Add invoice issuers automatically | New billers appear without you registering with each one | Yes, it removes the main setup chore |
| Sharing | Lets someone else see and approve invoices with you | Useful for couples and for helping a parent |
| Payment in instalments | Split a bill, if the issuer allows it | Only when cash flow needs it |
| eBill Direct Debit | Debit-based collection that keeps your right of objection | A safer alternative to classic LSV |
| Donations | Give to a registered charity in one click | Personal choice |
What to watch out for
Standing approval is the one to think about. It pays recurring invoices automatically, which is fine for a fixed rent and much less fine for a bill that varies, like a phone contract with roaming or a health insurer that adjusts mid year. Set a ceiling if your bank offers one, and keep variable bills on manual approval so you still see them before the money goes.
Two smaller things worth knowing. Switching bank means setting eBill up again at the new bank, because the activation lives with the bank rather than with you. And if a bill stops arriving, the usual cause is a mismatch between the name or address your biller holds and the details you confirmed at setup.
Is it worth it?
For most people in Switzerland, yes, and the reason is not convenience but error rate. Every reference number you type by hand is a chance to pay the wrong account or the wrong amount. eBill removes that step entirely, keeps a record of what you approved, and costs nothing extra at most banks.
If you are still choosing where to bank, the Swiss banking comparison covers which accounts are free and which cards earn cashback. And if you want the wider picture of getting your money working, start with the investing in Switzerland guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is eBill in simple terms?
eBill delivers your invoices into your online banking, in the same screen where you pay them. Instead of a paper bill or a PDF with a reference number to copy, the invoice appears in your banking app already filled in, and you approve it with a tap. It is operated by SIX and used by around 3.8 million people in Switzerland.
Does eBill cost anything?
For private customers, banks in Switzerland do not normally charge for eBill, and eBill itself does not bill you. Check your own bank’s price list before assuming, because pricing is set by each bank rather than by eBill.
How do I set up eBill?
Log in to your online banking, find eBill in the menu, and confirm your details. You then either wait for billers to find you, or switch on automatic addition of invoice issuers so new billers appear on their own. Each company you pay also needs to offer eBill, which most large Swiss billers now do.
Is eBill the same as a direct debit?
No, and the difference matters. A classic direct debit lets the company take the money and you find out afterwards. With eBill you see the invoice and approve it before anything leaves your account, unless you have deliberately set up standing approval. eBill Direct Debit sits in between: it is debit-based, but it keeps your right of objection.
Can I use eBill with Revolut or Wise?
No. eBill runs on the Swiss banking infrastructure, and a foreign e-money account is not connected to it even when it gives you a Swiss IBAN. If you want eBill, you need an account at a Swiss bank that is on the network, which covers 95% of Swiss financial institutions.
Compare & choose
The other comparisons on Investing Hero, each built the same way: every fee read from the provider’s own pricing page.
Sources: eBill by SIX, the participant list published on its activation page, and the providers’ own eBill pages, read 12 August 2026. Last checked 12 August 2026.
