Vendor Onboarding & Banking Details
Streamline supplier registration with this Swiss-compliant vendor onboarding form. Captures company identity, UID, IBAN, contact persons, services, insurance certificates, and data processing agreement per Swiss OR and nFADP.
About this template
The Vendor Onboarding and Banking Details form is designed for Swiss businesses that need to register new suppliers or service providers. It captures all the information required for procurement, accounts payable, and compliance teams to vet and set up a new vendor: legal entity details, UID (Unternehmens-Identifikationsnummer), IBAN and banking details, primary and finance contact persons, service categories, insurance documentation, and the mandatory data processing agreement for vendors who handle personal data on your behalf.
- Legal company name, legal form, and country of domicile
- Swiss UID (CHE-XXX.XXX.XXX) and VAT registration status
- IBAN, bank name, BIC/SWIFT, and account holder details
- Primary contact person and accounts receivable contact
- Categories of goods or services to be supplied
- General liability and professional indemnity insurance details
- File upload for insurance certificates and trade register extract
- Data processing agreement acknowledgement and e-signature
AMLA and nFADP compliance for vendor banking data
Collecting and storing vendor IBAN and banking details creates obligations under the Swiss Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA / GwG) and the nFADP. Verify vendor identity against trade register records, retain IBAN data only as long as the business relationship exists, and ensure access is restricted to authorised finance personnel only.
How to use this template
Open the template
Click 'Use template' to create a copy in your dashboard.
Customise for your procurement policy
Add your company name and adjust required fields to match your internal vendor approval process.
Add your DPA clause
Insert your standard Data Processing Agreement (DPA / Auftragsdatenverarbeitung) text or a link to your template in the consent field.
Set up access controls
Restrict form response access to finance and procurement team members in your Schweizerform dashboard.
Integrate with your ERP
Use webhook or CSV export to automatically import vendor master data into your ERP or accounts payable system.
Archive securely
Ensure completed forms including IBAN and insurance certificates are stored in a secured, access-controlled archive with a defined retention period.
Vendor onboarding best practices for Swiss businesses
Effective vendor onboarding is the foundation of secure, compliant procurement. In Switzerland, businesses must navigate the requirements of the Swiss Code of Obligations (OR), the nFADP, the Anti-Money Laundering Act (GwG), and sector-specific regulations when establishing new supplier relationships. A structured digital onboarding form reduces manual errors, creates auditable records, and accelerates the time from vendor selection to purchase order.
The Swiss UID: your key vendor identifier
Every Swiss legal entity with a commercial or tax presence is assigned a Unternehmens-Identifikationsnummer (UID) in the format CHE-XXX.XXX.XXX. The UID is the anchor for trade register lookups (Zefix), VAT registration verification (MWST-Nummernpruefer), and IBAN ownership validation. Always cross-check the UID provided by a new vendor against the official zefix.ch registry to detect shell companies or impersonation attempts.
IBAN validation and payment fraud prevention
Business email compromise (BEC) attacks targeting vendor bank account changes are among the most common fraud vectors affecting Swiss SMEs. A formalised vendor onboarding process with dual-control validation — where a second authorised employee independently verifies the IBAN against the vendor's official documentation — significantly reduces this risk. Never update vendor banking details based solely on an email request without completing the full onboarding verification process.
Insurance requirements for Swiss vendors
Depending on the nature of services provided, you may require vendors to hold specific insurance coverage. Common requirements include: general liability insurance (Betriebshaftpflicht) with a minimum coverage of CHF 1-5 million per event; professional indemnity / errors and omissions insurance (Berufshaftpflicht) for professional service providers; and, for construction or facility vendors, accident insurance per SUVA / UVG requirements. Capturing insurance certificate details and requiring file upload at onboarding ensures you have current coverage proof on file.
Frequently asked questions
Is a data processing agreement mandatory for all vendors?
No. A DPA is required only when a vendor processes personal data on your behalf as a processor (Auftragsbearbeiter) under the nFADP. If a vendor merely provides goods or software tools that you operate independently, a standard supply contract is sufficient. However, vendors who provide cloud storage, IT services, marketing platforms, HR systems, or similar services that involve access to personal data do require a DPA.
How long should vendor banking data be retained?
Under Swiss commercial law (OR Art. 958f), business accounting records must be retained for 10 years. Payment records including the IBAN used for each transaction form part of the accounting record and should be retained for this period. However, the underlying vendor onboarding form with full identity details should be reviewed and updated regularly and deleted promptly when the vendor relationship ends, subject to the 10-year commercial retention minimum.