Choosing the right invoicing software: 8 criteria to consider

1. Compliance with Swiss standards

Since 2022, QR-invoices have become the mandatory standard in Switzerland. Choosing non-compliant invoicing software can lead to significant payment delays and complications with your bank.

Swiss clients expect invoices with integrated QR-codes, enabling direct and automated payment. Without this compliance, you risk manual entry errors and a degraded customer experience.

This criterion is non-negotiable: verify that the solution automatically generates QR-invoices compliant with Swiss standards. It's the starting point of any serious evaluation.

2. Ease of use and learning curve

You don't have time to waste with complex software requiring hours of training. An intuitive interface allows you to create your first invoice in minutes, not over several days.

Test the clarity of the dashboard: can you quickly find your unpaid invoices? Can you create a new client without consulting the documentation? These indicators reveal the quality of the ergonomics.

Entrepreneurs who abandon Excel are precisely looking to simplify their daily routine, not add complexity. Favour a solution that's operational immediately.

3. Essential vs. superfluous features

Not all software is equal in terms of key features. Some offer dozens of options you'll never need, whilst others lack the essentials.

The challenge is to distinguish what's indispensable for your business from what's superfluous. An SME with 5 employees doesn't have the same needs as a solo freelancer.

The must-haves for everyone

Whatever your situation, certain functions are non-negotiable:

• Invoice creation with Swiss QR-codes
• Client management: contact details, history
• Payment tracking: real-time status
• PDF exports for sending and archiving
• VAT management with Swiss rates (8.1%, 3.8%, 2.6%)

Without these basics, you'll waste time on avoidable manual tasks.

Features according to your profile

Solo freelancer: Prioritise simplicity. You need to create invoices quickly, not manage 10 users or complex workflows.

SME with a team: Multi-user access and differentiated rights become essential. Managing multiple simultaneous projects too.

Business with volume: Automation becomes a priority: automatic reminders, recurring invoices, automated invoicing to improve efficiency. Automatic bank reconciliation and accounting integrations save hours each month.

4. Transparent and predictable pricing

The displayed price isn't always the real price. Some solutions hide fees per invoice, transaction costs or charge for each module separately.

Beware of complex pricing models. A fixed monthly subscription offers clear budget predictability. Check what's included: unlimited or capped number of invoices? Number of users? Customer support?

A free version allows you to test without risk. At BePaid, pricing is simple: 20 CHF/month all-inclusive, with a free version limited to 10 invoices and 5 clients to get started. No hidden fees, no surprises.

5. Automation and time savings

Automation transforms your daily management. Automatic reminders eliminate manual tracking of unpaid invoices. Recurring invoices generate themselves for your regular clients.

Concretely, you can save 2 to 5 hours per week on repetitive administrative tasks. This freed-up time focuses on your core business.

The impact on cash flow is direct: automated invoicing strategies reduce payment delays by 30% on average. The right sending timing combined with automatic reminders considerably accelerates collections.

6. Security and data protection

Your financial data and that of your clients deserve serious protection. Security isn't a technical detail, it's a legal and commercial responsibility.

Check these essential points:

• Hosting: Switzerland or Europe to comply with protection standards
• GDPR compliance: personal data processing
• Automatic backups: protection against data loss
• SSL encryption: securing exchanges

A security incident can be costly in terms of client trust and legal compliance. Favour solutions that are transparent about their protection measures.

7. Integrations and ecosystem

Your invoicing software doesn't work alone. Integrations with your other tools determine your overall efficiency.

For a small structure, standard accounting exports (CSV, Excel) are often sufficient. Your fiduciary can process them easily.

For an SME with volume, automatic bank reconciliation becomes valuable: it automatically matches received payments with your invoices. Direct accounting integrations (exports to your accounting software) eliminate double entry.

Evaluate your real needs: complex integrations are useful from a certain volume, but can be superfluous at the start.

8. Customer support and assistance

An invoicing problem blocking you on a Friday afternoon? The quality of support makes all the difference between an emergency resolved in 30 minutes and a ruined weekend.

Check these elements:

• Availability: opening hours, days covered
• Languages: support in French essential
• Channels: email, chat, telephone depending on urgency
• Responsiveness: guaranteed response time

Complementary resources also count: clear documentation, video tutorials, detailed FAQ. Good support anticipates your questions and makes you autonomous quickly.

How to weight these criteria according to your situation

Not all invoicing software criteria are equal depending on your profile. Here's how to prioritise:

Freelancer / Self-employed:

• Priority 1: Simplicity and ease of use
• Priority 2: Affordable and transparent price
• Priority 3: Swiss compliance (QR-invoices)

Growing SME:

• Priority 1: Automation (reminders, recurrences)
• Priority 2: Scalability (multi-user)
• Priority 3: Accounting integrations

Established structure:

• Priority 1: Advanced integrations
• Priority 2: Security and compliance
• Priority 3: Responsive customer support

To avoid common mistakes, test each solution with your real use cases before committing.

Choosing invoicing software isn't just a simple price comparison. Compliance with Swiss standards, ease of use, features adapted to your business, pricing transparency, automation, data security, possible integrations and support quality are all criteria to evaluate according to your priorities.

For a freelancer starting out, ease of use and compliance will take precedence. For a growing SME, automation and integrations will become essential. The important thing is to choose a tool that matches your current situation whilst being able to evolve with you.

BePaid was designed to meet these criteria: compliant QR-invoices, intuitive interface, automated reminders and transparent pricing at 20 CHF/month. You can start for free with 10 invoices to test the solution without commitment. Discover how BePaid simplifies your invoicing and save time on your administrative tasks.