IBAN
The IBAN is the internationally standardised account number; the Swiss form has 21 characters and consists of the country code, two check digits, the five-digit bank identification and the account number.
Definition
The two check digits make it possible to spot a typo without asking the bank — an advantage that only works if the software actually performs the check. Liechtenstein accounts also have 21 characters, German ones 22, Italian ones 27.
For payments in francs within Switzerland the IBAN suffices; for payments in foreign currency or abroad the recipient institution’s BIC is added.
The numbers
- 21 characters
- length of the Swiss IBAN ISO 13616
What the software must be able to do
Check whether the software validates the check digits on entry and distinguishes IBAN from QR-IBAN. An unvalidated IBAN in the supplier master is a payment that bounces — or worse, one that arrives somewhere else.
Checked Aug 2026
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