1. Localizations for Switzerland Implementation Guide
  2. Understanding ESR Payment Slips for Switzerland

Understanding ESR Payment Slips for Switzerland

Einzahlungsschein (ESR) are preformatted payment slips that accompany the invoices that you send to customers. ESR payment slips contain a unique reference number that the Postfinance Bank uses when customers make electronic payments through that bank. Postfinance uses the reference number to refer to the payment transaction when it sends information to the payor and payee about the transfer of funds to satisfy the payment requirements. When Postfinance returns payment information to you, you use the ESR reference number to match receipts to invoices.

The ESR reference number consists of the document number (DOC), document company (KCO), and the document type (DCT) of the invoice, as well as the bank transit number (TNST) and a check digit that the system creates using an algorithm. The system concatenates these values to form one string. The document type is written in its ASCII code representation because the ESR reference number must be numerical characters.

The system formats the ESR reference number only when the company customizes either the Print Invoices program (R42565) or the Invoice Print program (R03B505) to call the Maintain ESR Reference Number business function (B03B0220), and you use the customized program to print invoices with attached ESR payment slips. The Maintain ESR Reference Number business function creates the ESR reference number.

When PostFinance sends you electronic media in XML format that confirms the payments that have been credited to you, you use the Upload ESR Payments XML Format program (R74C301) to upload the ESR payment information to the Electronic Receipts Input table (F03B13Z1). You can use the R74C301 program to unformat the ESR reference number. When PostFinance sends you electronic media in a text file, you use the Text File Processor program (P007101) to process the electronic media. The Text File Processor program calls the Upload ESR Payments program (R03B803) to unformat the ESR reference number. You can use the Upload ESR Payments program to unformat the ESR reference number only if the Maintain ESR Reference Number business function was used to format the ESR reference line on the printed ESR payment slips.

When you run the R74C301 program, the system unformats the ESR reference number in the XML file and parses it into the Document Number (DOC), Document Company (KCO), and Document Type (DCT fields) in the F03B13Z1 table.

When you run the R03B803 program, the system unformats the ESR reference number in the Text Processor Header table (F007101) and the Text Processor Detail Table (F007111), and parses it into the Document Number, Document Company, and Document Type fields in the F03B13Z1 table.

The ESR payment slip process includes these events:

  1. You run the customized print invoices program to print invoices with ESR payment slips.

  2. You send the invoices with ESR payment slips to customers using the postal service.

  3. Customers forward the ESR payment slips to Postfinance Bank.

  4. Postfinance withdraws the appropriate amount from the customer's account and deposits it into the company's account.

  5. Postfinance creates electronic media that contains the payment information and sends it to you.

  6. For XML file, you upload the ESR payments information into the Electronic Receipts Input table (F03B13Z1) by using the Upload ESR Payment XML Format program (R74C301).

    For text file, you run the Upload ESR Payments program from the Text File Processor program to upload payment information from the F007101 and F007111 tables to the F03B13Z1 table.

  7. For XML file and text file, you review and revise as necessary the information in the F03B13Z1 table by using the Work With Electronic Receipts Input program (P03B121).

  8. You review and revise as necessary the information in the F03B13Z1 table by using the Work With Electronic Receipts Input program (P03B121).

  9. You use the Known Invoice Match with Amount program (R03B50D) or the Known Invoice Match Without Amount program (R03B50E) to process accounts receivables.

    You must use one of these programs because the outbound ESR process creates one payment slip per invoice and you must use a program that applies one receipt to one invoice.

See also: