User manual

# FAQ

Click a question to open it.

# Pricing & payment

# How are the prices of swiDOC determined?

Prices depend on the number of users, the storage capacity and the subscription term. Longer terms come with better rates. Current packages and prices are on the pricing page (opens new window); how packages work is explained under Subscription.

# Do I need to install anything?

No. swiDOC is a web application: open it in your browser and start archiving. On a phone, you can add it to your home screen to open it with one tap.

# Can I pay monthly?

Yes. You can pay monthly by credit card, or request an annual invoice. See Subscription.

# Which payment methods are accepted?

Credit card or invoice.

# Which features can I use during the trial period?

The trial runs for 30 days and gives you the features of the trial package you choose when you register, not every feature swiDOC has. The two packages are aimed at different things: Package S at a single business, Manage | Trustee Starter at a trustee managing several clients, and they differ in storage and in how many users are included.

Each package card lists what it contains before you pick it. See Getting Started, and the pricing page (opens new window) for what the paid packages add.

# What happens after the free trial ends?

If you have not subscribed, you can still open and download your documents, but uploads, automatic imports and invitations are refused until you subscribe. Your documents are not deleted at that moment. Subscribing before the trial ends keeps everything running without interruption. See Trial.

# Can I change my subscription later?

You can upgrade at any time, yourself: the new package is active immediately and you pay only the difference for the days left in the current period. See Subscription.

Downgrading is not self-service. Contact us (opens new window) and we will arrange it.

# Which packages are available for trustees?

The Manage | Trustee packages are built for fiduciaries: they are multi-client, so you manage many client organizations from a single subscription. See Subscription for both package families.

# I have several companies. Do I need multiple licenses?

No. A Manage | Trustee package lets you manage several organizations under one subscription. How many depends on the package; see the pricing page (opens new window).

# About swiDOC & archiving

# Who is behind swiDOC?

swiDOC is a joint project by OriginStamp AG (Kreuzlingen) and meinThurgau AG (Weinfelden).

# What is a digital archive?

A protected data space for storing files and documents electronically, in a way that satisfies legal retention requirements.

# Do I still need to print and file my documents?

No. swiDOC is certified according to Swiss regulations (KRM) for electronic archiving.

# Why do I need a digital archive?

It keeps important documents secure, compliant and protected, and it makes them easy to organize, search and manage, without physical storage.

# Is swiDOC a document management system (DMS)?

No. swiDOC focuses on archiving: secure, legally compliant long-term storage of business documents.

# Is SharePoint compliant?

No. SharePoint offers features like restricted access and change logs, but it cannot guarantee the long-term data integrity GeBüV requires.

# Which documents must I archive?

Companies are legally required to archive ledgers, tax-relevant records, contracts and business correspondence. Our blog post on Swiss retention obligations (opens new window) covers the common cases. It is published in German only.

# Which correspondence must be archived?

Any communication containing invoices, orders or contracts. Because separating those out is difficult in practice, we recommend archiving all emails and deleting them after 10 years. You can archive them with the email integration.

# Where can I get support?

By email at info@swidoc.ch, or through the contact form on swidoc.ch (opens new window).

# Does swiDOC have an API?

Yes. See swiDOC API for what it does and how to get your key, and api.docs.swidoc.ch (opens new window) for the full reference.

# What happens to my documents if I cancel?

Cancelling takes effect at the end of the billing period you have already paid for, and you keep full access until then. After that a grace period runs, during which you can still export your archive, and once it passes, all stored documents are permanently deleted.

The cancellation dialog names the exact deadline. See Cancelling and renewing, and start the export well before the end: it is a paid export and can take up to 24 hours to prepare.

# What if I change my accounting software or trustee?

As long as your license is active, your documents stay archived and compliant. If you change trustee, you can adjust access rights in Access Management. To move the organization to your own Package S, M or L, contact us (opens new window).

# Data & compliance

# Can I prove the authenticity of my documents?

Yes. Each document receives a digital fingerprint (a "hash") that is stored on the blockchain, so authenticity can be proven at any time. An administrator can download the proof from the document's detail page. Downloading the proof is an administrator's action, while the document itself downloads for anyone who can see it.

# Is the data encrypted?

Yes. Your data is stored in an ISO 27001-certified data center in Switzerland and encrypted with AES-256. Staff have no direct access to document content.

# Where is my data stored?

In Switzerland, in an ISO 27001-certified data center. When you use the AI assistant, the document and your questions may be processed outside Switzerland, within the EU, and they are not used to train AI models. See What happens to your data.

# How much storage do I need?

That depends on your document volume; each package's storage allowance is on the pricing page (opens new window), and you can see how much you are using under Subscription. You can upgrade at any time.

Videos and high-resolution images are not a good fit for swiDOC, which is built for business records.

# Can a document be deleted by mistake?

No. A document cannot be deleted while its retention period runs, and that applies to administrators too. It is not a permission anyone can be granted. Once the period expires the document moves to the Recycle Bin and waits there; nothing is removed automatically.

If you want deletion to need two people even then, turn on the four-eye principle: a deletion becomes a deletion request that both named approvers have to approve.

# How can I keep my data compliant after canceling?

Request a data export. You receive your complete archive as a download with the identical folder structure. It is a paid export and takes up to 24 hours to prepare, so do not leave it until your access is about to end.

# Where can I find the Data Processing Agreement (DPA)?

You can request a DPA from swiDOC by email at info@swidoc.ch.

# Features & integrations

# Can I archive emails?

Yes. With the email integration, each member gets their own address for each organization. Forward a message and both the email and its attachments are archived.

# How long are documents archived?

10 years by default, with presets for document types that require longer, and a custom option. See retention periods.

# Which accounting software is compatible?

bexio and Pebe Live connect directly. A number of partner tools archive into swiDOC in the background, including infinity.swiss, Blond, MILKEE, Pfeffersack, ArchiveNinja and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Beyond those, Zapier (opens new window) and the API connect swiDOC to almost anything else. The current list is on Integrations.

# Can I ask questions about a document instead of reading it?

Yes. The AI assistant answers questions about your archived documents and does not use your data to train AI models. It is available to administrators, and an Editor or a Viewer does not see it. See roles.

# Can I grant limited access to tax authorities?

Yes, if your package includes Access Management. With it you can restrict a person to specific folders, a single financial year for example, and nothing else. Do not make them an administrator for this: administrators always see every folder.

# Can I set different retention periods for subfolders?

Not as a folder setting. The retention period is chosen per document at upload, and can be extended later on the document's detail page.

# Is a full export available?

Yes. See What happens to my documents if I cancel? above, and data export for the cost, the limits and how to request one.

# Account & collaboration

# Can I add multiple users?

Yes. How many depends on your package. See User Management for roles and invitations, and Subscription to check your current seat usage.

# What can each role do?

There are four (Creator, Administrator, Editor and Viewer), and the differences go beyond deleting. An Editor can move documents and manage folders but cannot delete a document or use the AI assistant; a Viewer changes nothing. The full matrix is under roles.

# Can I secure my account with more than a password?

Yes. Turn on two-factor authentication under My Profile → Account Security. swiDOC sends a one-time code by SMS, so a stolen password on its own is not enough to reach your archive.

If you sign in with Google, your password and second factor live in your Google account.

Check your spam folder first. If it is not there, sign in to swiDOC. Until your address is confirmed, swiDOC shows Please Verify Your Email Address, and its Send a New Confirmation Email button sends you a fresh link.

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