Paper invoice vs electronic invoice: is there still any point to paper?

Paper invoice: advantages and disadvantages in 2025

Paper retains a few residual advantages: a tangible physical presence, a perception of seriousness amongst certain traditional clients, and no dependence on technology or an internet connection.

But the disadvantages are significant. Each paper invoice costs between 2 and 3 CHF in direct expenses: printing, envelope, postage stamp. Add to this delivery times (2-3 days minimum), risks of loss or misplacement, and the time spent printing, folding, franking and posting.

Physical archiving also requires storage space, with filing cabinets accumulating year after year. For an SME issuing 100 invoices per year, this represents an annual cost of 200 to 300 CHF, not counting management time.

Electronic invoice: the concrete benefits for your business

The electronic invoice reverses all these disadvantages. Sending by email is instantaneous, the unit cost virtually zero, and traceability complete: you know exactly when your client received the document.

Integration with your management systems allows you to automate payment tracking and reminders. No more need to print, stuff envelopes or travel to the post office. You save 5 to 10 minutes per invoice.

The impact on cash flow is direct: an invoice received instantly is generally paid more quickly than an invoice that arrives 3 days later. For businesses that invoice regularly, this time saving translates into better financial visibility and less administrative stress.

Cost comparison: paper vs electronic

The figures speak for themselves. A paper invoice costs 2 to 3 CHF (printing, envelope, stamp) versus 0 CHF for an electronic invoice.

For an SME issuing 100 invoices per year:

• Paper: 200-300 CHF/year in direct costs + 8-16 hours of processing time

• Electronic: 0 CHF in sending costs + time saving of 8-16 hours

Add to this the archiving cost: filing cabinets, physical storage space and search time for paper, versus a few gigabytes of cloud storage for digital.

Over a year, a business that goes digital easily saves 300 to 500 CHF, whilst gaining several days of administrative work.

Archiving and legal compliance: what Swiss law says

Swiss law requires you to retain your accounting documents for 10 years, whether in paper or digital format. Both are legally valid.

Since 2025, electronic archiving has been fully regulated by the Olico ordinance, which defines the technical requirements for compliant retention: readability, integrity, accessibility throughout the legal period.

The format matters little: paper or digital, the essential thing is that your documents remain readable and accessible for 10 years. Digital archiving greatly simplifies this obligation, with automatic backups and instant access in case of tax audit.

For more details, consult our guide on document retention for 10 years.

Client acceptance: is paper still necessary?

The vast majority of clients now accept electronic invoices, particularly with Swiss QR-invoices that work equally well in paper or digital format.

Some sectors or more traditional clients may still prefer paper: old-school tradespeople, elderly private clients without email, or specific contractual requirements. But these cases are becoming the exception, not the rule.

The right approach: favour digital by default, and adapt occasionally according to the client's profile. Most businesses see client acceptance exceeding 90% for electronic invoices, without any resistance or complaints.

The Swiss QR-invoice facilitates this transition: even when printed, it remains scannable and automatically processable by banks.

Use cases: when does paper still make sense?

Paper remains relevant in a few specific situations:

• Elderly private clients without an email address or computer equipment

• Very traditional sectors: certain tradespeople, family farms, small rural shops

• Contractual requirements: some contracts still explicitly require paper invoices

• Emergency situations: hand delivery during an on-site intervention

These cases generally represent less than 10% of invoices issued by a modern SME. The essential thing is to maintain flexibility: a good invoicing system allows you to send by email by default, and print occasionally when it's really necessary.

Going digital: the practical steps

The transition to electronic invoicing happens in a few simple steps:

1. Choose a compliant tool
Opt for software that generates compliant Swiss QR-invoices and ensures digital archiving. BePaid offers these features from the free version.

2. Inform your clients
Send an email announcing the switch to digital. Most will appreciate the speed and practicality.

3. Set up archiving
Configure your certified electronic archiving system to comply with legal obligations.

4. Digitise existing documents
If needed, scan your old paper documents to centralise your history.

You can also consult our article on why to ditch Excel for dedicated software.

Our recommendation for Swiss SMEs and freelancers

Our position is clear: favour the electronic invoice by default. The time, money and efficiency gains are too significant to do without.

Simply keep the option to print occasionally for the rare clients who really require it. But don't let the exception become the rule.

Use modern invoicing software that offers you this flexibility: automatic electronic sending, generation of compliant QR-invoices, secure digital archiving, and printing option if needed.

BePaid meets these criteria with a simple interface, total Swiss compliance, and a free version to test without commitment. At 20 CHF/month for the Premium version, you quickly save more than the subscription cost just in postal sending costs.

Paper retains a few rare use cases, but the electronic invoice is the logical choice for most Swiss businesses in 2025. The savings are real, digital archiving complies with the law, and your clients now accept the digital format without reservation.

The hidden costs of paper – printing, envelopes, postage, processing time – accumulate quickly. Conversely, electronic invoicing saves you time, reduces errors and facilitates payment tracking. Digital archiving, regulated by the Olico ordinance, frees you from accumulating filing cabinets.

If you still invoice on paper out of habit, test the difference. BePaid allows you to create your first electronic QR-invoices for free, without commitment. You will quickly see the time saved and the simplicity brought to your daily management.