Electronic invoices

What is an electronic invoice?

An electronic invoice is an invoice that has been issued, transmitted and received in a digital format, thanks to a fully automated invoicing process. An electronic invoice is only valid if the issuer is formally identified, its content cannot be edited, and it is legible and complete. Like paper invoices, electronic invoices must include certain mandatory information.

Docaposte offers the most complete range of services on the market for processing your supplier and customer invoices, adapted to the needs of all organisations, from small businesses to large groups.

What are the advantages of electronic invoicing?

Implementing electronic invoicing for your suppliers and customers offers a number of advantages over traditional paper invoicing, including lower costs and faster processing time within a secure and reliable environment. Furthermore, it will mean you are ready for the upcoming French electronic invoicing regulations.

The Docaposte solution provides all the benefits of electronic invoicing:

Guaranteed process safety and improved traceability through automated validation and control systems
30% increase in productivity thanks to automated data entry and control
Process automation cuts processing, printing, sending and archiving costs by 50 to 75%.
Smoother relations between customers and suppliers.

Regulations/rules on the dematerialisation of invoicing

Already in place for the public sector since 2020, the e-invoicing obligation will soon be extended to B2B exchanges between VAT-registered companies and associations established in France. Ultimately, this reform of electronic invoicing will simplify business processes, reduce payment times and combat VAT fraud.

The reform will take place in two stages:

From September 1, 2026: receipt obligation for all companies and an emission obligation for large and mid-sized companies.
From September 1, 2027: emission obligation for small and medium-sized enterprises and microenterprises.

Given the stakes for businesses, these entry into force dates may be adjusted by one quarter to ensure reliable deployment.

Get ahead of the game now and trust Docaposte to help you dematerialise your supplier and customer invoices.

Why dematerialise your customer and supplier invoices?

Optimise and speed up the processing of customer and supplier invoices

Reduce costs and control payment times

Smoother exchanges with customers and suppliers

Improvement in the management of supplier and customer disputes

With Docaposte, you are choosing a reliable, secure solution that complies with current regulations. As a trusted third-party partner, Docaposte ensures that your dematerialised documents are legally irrefutable and archived in total security, in compliance with standards (NF 461 certified archiving - NF Z42-013 compliant - and RGS electronic signature).

Why choose our electronic invoicing solution?

Reliable, secure, interoperable solution compliant with French, European and international regulations
Presence and support for customers in France and abroad for the deployment of electronic invoicing projects
One-stop shop for processing all your invoices
Innovative and state-of-the-art technologies: artificial intelligence, intelligent document capture, RPA (robotic process automation)...
Dedicated customer and supplier portals
Support for electronic invoicing (post-2026 transition)
Secure data hosting in France, in our own data centers

What format for electronic invoices?

To be compliant, an electronic invoice must be transmitted in specific formats: Cross Industry Invoice (CII), Universal Business Language (UBL) or a mixed format consisting of a structured data file in XML format and a PDF file. In addition, Docaposte continues to accept EDI formats by converting them into one of the authorised formats.

Docaposte handles B2B or B2G invoicing (via Chorus Pro) and can process all authorised invoice formats (EDI, XML, signed PDF, Factur-X, etc.).

The most comprehensive electronic invoice package on the market

Our solution is designed to meet your needs and adapt to your constraints. It is available as a modular solution, in API mode or via a portal, with a customized pathways designed for businesses. Our solution includes the processing of supplier and customer business cycles.

Procure-to-pay - supplier invoice management

The key steps:

Multi-channel sending of orders
Receipt of invoices: Single window for multi-format reception (PDF, EDI, XML, Factur-X, etc.)
Control of regulatory and business data
Automation of supplier invoice processing: automation and optimisation of validation circuits, optimisation of invoice reconciliation, automatic accounting allocation
Automatic and secure payment
Management of supplier disputes
Monitoring and control: complete and real-time vision from flow management to payment

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Order to cash - customer invoice management

Manage and control your order-to-cash chain. The customer cycle management process includes:

Automation of order, invoice and data processing
Centralization and control of data
Dematerialisation of invoices
Multi-channel sending according to the format expected by your customer (PDF, EDI, Factur-X, Chorus Pro, etc.)

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Docaposte, Partner Dematerialization Platform

SERES, a subsidiary of Docaposte and specialist in electronic invoicing, has obtained its provisional registration number as a Partner Dematerialization Platform.

Frequently Asked Questions About Electronic Invoices

What is an e-invoice?

An e-invoice is an invoice that has been issued, transmitted, and received in a structured electronic format that allows for automated and electronic processing.

This makes it possible to process in a simplified and structured manner exchanges between customers and suppliers of small and medium-sized businesses (TPE / PME), mid-sized businesses (ETI) or large businesses (GE). An e-invoice has the same legal value as a paper invoice, but requires the entire process to be conducted electronically and through certified applications. Just like the classic paper invoice, it must also contain all the mandatory information required.

How to create an e-invoice?

To create an e-invoice, it is necessary to equip yourself with a suitable tool which allows you to easily edit any invoice and which must comply with French legislation.

An e-invoice should not be confused with a dematerialized (paperless) invoice. It must include the same mandatory information as a paper invoice:

Date
Identity of the issuer and recipient
Invoice number / client's SIREN number
Description of the product or service
Quantity
Date of sale
Amount excluding tax and including tax, and penalties for late payment
VAT number and rate
Legal notices

Docaposte's electronic invoice solution will guide you through all of these steps. You can also speed up this process by adding an electronic signature and an electronic archiving system (EAS) of your invoices.

How can an invoice be certified as compliant?

An invoice can be certified as compliant through:

By means of an electronic signature authenticated using a qualified electronic certificate.
By establishing one or more controls that create a reliable audit trail, tracing the relationship between the invoice and the delivery of goods or provision of services.
In the form of a message structured in accordance with a security standard previously defined by the parties involved, allowing automated interpretation. This structuring can be carried out through different means such as integrated management software packages (ERP), electronic data interchange (EDI), XML format, sending by email with a PDF file attached, or even receiving a fax in electronic form, for example.

All the conditions for an invoice to be certified as compliant have been further specified with the introduction of the VAT Fraud Prevention law on January 1, 2018.

Who is affected by electronic invoicing?

All businesses subject to VAT in France are affected by electronic invoicing. The implementation of electronic invoicing will be gradual according to a schedule defined by the upcoming Finance Law for 2024.

What is a partner dematerialization platform?

A partner dematerialization platform (PDP) is a trusted and secure third party specialized in the processing, receipt, and transmission of electronic invoices, having undergone a registration procedure with the French administration. These platforms ensure the continuity and reliability of the invoicing processes.