If a creditor would like to collect a SEPA direct debit, then he must use his Creditor Identifier, which is routed to the debtor together with the mandate reference number. The Creditor Identifier is independent of any account and can be used at all financial institutions within the SEPA zone.

Structure of the Swiss Creditor Identifier

The Creditor Identifier in Switzerland is structured as follows:

• Section a: Positions 1 and 2: The ISO national code for Switzerland (CH).
• Section b: Positions 3 and 4: Two-digit check (modulo 97-10) pertaining to sections a and d (section c is not considered).
• Section c: Positions 5 to 7: Three-digit Creditor Business Code that can be freely determined by the creditor for the identification of a business field. If no Creditor Business Code is used, the “ZZZ” is used as a placeholder.
• Section d: Positions 8 to 18: Eleven-digit numerical Swiss Creditor Identifier, which unambiguously identifies the creditor within Switzerland. It will be numbered progressively beginning with 1 and filled in with leading zeroes.

Application and issuing

Applications for the issuing of a Creditor Identifier are to be made exclusively through financial institutions. To receive a Creditor Identifier the primary domicile and business location must be in Switzerland or Liechtenstein They are only issued to financial institutions, which means that creditors must apply for their Creditor Identifier through a financial institution.

Only one Creditor Identifier will be issued per creditor. However, the creditor has the option of indicating various positions within its company which collect claims by means of debits, without needing multiple Creditor Identifiers.

The issuing of Creditor Identifiers is made regardless of the applicant’s legal characteristics and economic situation and therefore does not contain any statement or evaluation by the issuing authority.

No authorization to collect direct debits in the SEPA Direct Debit Scheme is granted through the issuing of a Creditor Identifier. Such authorization can only be granted by the financial institution that holds the applicant's account.

Applications to financial institutions are to be sent by online online form to the Creditor Identifier CH/LI Issuing Authority, c/o SIX Interbank Clearing Ltd.