The Amount in GiroCode
The amount field in a GiroCode encodes the transfer amount in a standardised format defined by the EPC standard. When a banking app scans the code, the amount is automatically pre-filled in the transfer form.
Format: EUR12.34 (period as decimal separator)
The EPC standard requires amounts to be formatted as the ISO 4217 currency code followed immediately by the decimal amount, using a period (.) as the decimal separator – not a comma. In a GiroCode, the format is always:
EUR12.34 ✓ Correct EUR1250.00 ✓ Correct EUR0.50 ✓ Correct EUR1.250,00 ✗ Wrong (comma as decimal + period as thousands separator) EUR1250 ✗ Wrong (no decimal places) EUR12,34 ✗ Wrong (comma as decimal separator)
The amount must always have exactly two decimal places. Always use EUR12.50 instead of EUR12.5.
Is amount required? (No, optional)
The amount field is optional in the EPC standard. If the amount is not specified, the banking app will show an empty amount field in the pre-filled transfer form. The payer can then enter any amount they wish before confirming.
Maximum amount
The EPC standard specifies a maximum amount of EUR 999,999,999.99. SEPA Instant Credit Transfers have a maximum of EUR 100,000 per transaction (as of 2024), though this limit is being raised progressively by the EU.
Rounding rules
Amounts in GiroCodes must be exact. If your invoice total is EUR 1,250.50, encode exactly EUR1250.50. Do not round to the nearest whole number unless your invoice genuinely shows a whole number amount.
Pros and Cons of Omitting the Amount
When omitting the amount is useful
- Donations and charitable giving: Donors typically want to choose their own contribution amount.
- Variable-price offers: For bespoke services, tip-based payments, or custom orders where the final price varies.
- Membership with tiered fees: Associations that offer different membership tiers can use a single GiroCode without amount.
When including the amount is better
- Standard invoices: For regular business invoices with a fixed total, always include the exact amount.
- Recurring fixed fees: Annual membership fees, monthly retainer fees, subscription renewals.
- Automated payment matching: When the amount is pre-filled, your accounting software can more reliably match incoming payments to outstanding invoices.
Practical examples
- Charity donation box → GiroCode without amount (donor chooses)
- Freelance invoice for EUR 2,450.00 → GiroCode with EUR2450.00
- Club membership, annual fee EUR 120 → GiroCode with EUR120.00
- Restaurant table QR code for tipping → GiroCode without amount
The Payment Reference in GiroCode
The payment reference (Verwendungszweck in German) is the text that appears on both the sender's and recipient's bank statement. It is the primary mechanism by which invoice issuers identify which invoice an incoming payment is for.
Maximum length: 140 characters
The EPC standard allows a maximum of 140 characters (in UTF-8 encoding) for the payment reference. However, banking apps often display only the first 35 or 70 characters on the transfer confirmation screen, so the most important information should come first.
Allowed characters (UTF-8)
The EPC standard permits UTF-8 encoded text, which supports standard ASCII characters as well as European special characters. In practice, sticking to plain ASCII characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9, spaces, hyphens, slashes, dots) ensures maximum compatibility.
Characters to avoid in payment references:
- Control characters (tabs, newlines within the reference)
- Emojis and non-Latin scripts
- Quotation marks (may cause parsing issues in some systems)
- Ampersands (&) and angle brackets (<>) – may interfere with XML processing
What belongs in the payment reference?
- Invoice number: The unique identifier for the invoice
- Customer/client number: If applicable, helps with multi-client accounting
- Date or period: Invoice date or service period
- Project name or description: Brief description of what is being paid for
A well-structured payment reference might look like this:
Invoice 2024-0042 / Client 1234 / Web Development March 2024
Best Practices for Payment References
Always include the invoice number
The invoice number is the most important element of any payment reference for business invoices. Use a consistent numbering format (e.g. 2024-0042or INV-2024-042) that sorts chronologically.
Include the date or service period
Example: Invoice 2024-0042 / March 2024
For associations: membership fee + member number
Example: Membership fee 2024 / Member 4711
For private individuals: short description
Examples: Birthday dinner share / Rent April 2024 / Concert tickets refund
Common Mistakes with Payment References
Text too long (gets cut off)
Exceeding the 140-character limit means the reference will be truncated. Always put the most critical information (invoice number) at the beginning, not the end.
Missing invoice number
Without the invoice number in the payment reference, matching incoming payments to invoices requires manual comparison of amounts and dates – time-consuming and error-prone. Never send an invoice without a payment reference that includes the invoice number.
Unclear descriptions
Vague references like “Thank you”, “Payment” or “Services” are useless for accounting purposes. Always be specific and include unique identifiers.
Different reference in QR code and invoice text
Ensure the payment reference encoded in the GiroCode exactly matches the payment reference printed on the invoice in human-readable form.
Payment References for Different Industries
Freelancers & agencies
Example: INV-2024-0042 / CLIENT-ACME / Logo Design
Tradespeople
Example: Job 4711 / Mueller / Kitchen installation
Associations
Example: Membership 2024 / Member 1234 / Smith
Online shops
Example: Order 2024-18450 / shop.example.com
Service providers
Example: Coaching March 2024 / INV-2024-03 / Johnson
Use GiroCode Professionally – Software Recommendations
Anyone who wants to use GiroCodes professionally on invoices will eventually need good accounting or invoicing software. Creating GiroCodes manually is fine for occasional use – but for regular invoicing, an automated solution quickly pays off.
We recommend two proven tools that natively support GiroCodes:
sevDesk
sevDesk is one of Germany's leading accounting platforms for freelancers and SMEs. Invoices with automatically generated GiroCode can be created in just a few clicks and sent directly by email. The software is DATEV-compatible and supports the small business regulation.
Try sevDesk free *FastBill
FastBill offers a simple, speed-focused invoicing platform. With FastBill you can create a professional invoice including a GiroCode in under two minutes – directly in the browser, no installation needed. Ideal for freelancers and small teams.
Try FastBill free for 14 days ** Affiliate link – If you purchase through this link, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
For occasional use or as a starting point, we recommend our free GiroCode Generator – completely local, no registration required.