Create e-invoices

On the Pro plan and above, a business established in Germany can turn any invoice or credit note into a ZUGFeRD e-invoice. The document keeps its number and looks the same. Its PDF is replaced by one with the invoice data embedded as XML, which the customer’s accounting software can read. You convert the documents your customers ask for, one at a time or several at once.

Before you start

Fill in your e-invoicing details first: Set up e-invoicing walks through them. The E-invoicing card on Automations reads Ready once they are complete.

Create an e-invoice

Open Documents and click Create e-invoice on the document’s row. On Orders, the same action is in the order’s documents menu.
The dialog checks the document. If something is missing, it lists what to fix with a link to the right place. Why can’t I create an e-invoice? explains each message.
When the document is ready, choose whether to tick Email the e-invoice to the customer. It starts ticked when Email delivery sends documents to customers and re-sends updated ones.
Click Create e-invoice. You will see “E-invoice created”.

The row now carries a green ZUGFeRD badge and a Download XML action.

Create several at once

Select the documents on Documents and choose Create e-invoices from the bulk actions. They are converted in the background, and the message tells you how many were queued, how many were already e-invoices and how many are not eligible. A document that cannot be converted yet gets an E-invoice: needs data badge. Hover it to see why, fix it, then click Retry e-invoice on its row. Bulk conversion never emails customers.

How this shows on your invoice

The PDF looks exactly as before. It is now saved as a PDF/A-3 file with the invoice data inside, so a person reads it as usual and accounting software imports the data. The embedded data includes your e-invoicing details, the customer, every line with its VAT, and the PO number when the order has one. Download XML gives you that data as a separate file, for a customer or accountant who asks for it.

What happens next

Everything uses the e-invoice. The download, the Download translated copy, customer emails, exports and the copies in Google Drive and Dropbox are the e-invoice from now on. Existing copies in Google Drive and Dropbox are replaced, as with an edit.
No automatic email. Creating an e-invoice does not trigger Email delivery. The customer only gets it when you tick Email the e-invoice to the customer, or send it yourself with Send via email.
Edits keep it an e-invoice. Editing the document regenerates it as an e-invoice.
Credit notes follow. A credit note for an order whose invoice is an e-invoice becomes an e-invoice too, with a reference to that invoice.
No extra documents. An e-invoice is the same document, so it does not count toward your monthly document limit.
After a downgrade below Pro, documents that are already e-invoices stay e-invoices and their credit notes follow, but you cannot convert new ones.