You have just started your business and the first quote is signed. Now you need to send a compliant invoice, ideally without spending the whole day on it. The good news is that setting up your online invoicing takes less than an hour when you follow the right order. The bad news is that the reform of electronic invoicing is changing the rules of the game: a simple PDF sent by email will soon no longer be considered a valid invoice.
Approved platform and invoicing software: two distinct components to connect
Before customizing an invoice template, it is important to understand a technical distinction that many entrepreneurs discover too late. The software that generates your invoices is not necessarily the platform that transmits them to the administration and your clients.
The reform requires using an approved platform by the DGFiP to issue and receive electronic invoices. This platform is listed in an official directory. Your invoicing software must be connected to it; otherwise, your documents will not be compliant.
In practical terms, the first step in the setup is to check if your current tool is already connected to an approved platform. If not, you will need to choose one and activate the connection. On the Génération Entreprise online platform, the process of linking is detailed step by step for small businesses.
Why start there? Because all the subsequent steps (invoice format, mandatory mentions, automatic sending) depend on this connection. Configuring a nice invoice template without an approved platform is like decorating a house without foundations.
Factur-X format and structured data: the technical test to perform before any sending
A standard PDF file contains text readable by a human. A compliant electronic invoice also contains structured data readable by a machine. The accepted formats are UBL, CII, or Factur-X (which combines a PDF and an integrated XML file).
You do not need to master these acronyms. What matters is to check a specific point during the setup: when you generate an invoice from your software, does the produced file contain this structured data?
To test it, create a draft invoice and examine the output format in your tool’s settings. Most recent software offers Factur-X by default. If you cannot find this option, your tool is probably not compatible with the reform.
What this changes in your setup
Choosing the right format from the start avoids having to recreate all your templates later. An invoice template configured in Factur-X works just as well as a PDF for your clients, with the added benefit of regulatory compliance.
Enriched client file: the mandatory fields that no one fills in at the start
Most quick setup guides suggest entering the client’s name, their address, and that’s it. The reform requires more. Here is the information to collect for each client file before sending your first invoice:
- The SIREN number of the client, which allows identification on the dematerialization platform and conditions the automatic transmission of the invoice.
- The category of the operation (delivery of goods, provision of services, mixed operation), as it determines the applicable VAT rules and the mentions to display.
- The delivery address when it differs from the billing address, a piece of information often forgotten that can block validation on the platform side.
- The client’s VAT information (intra-community number if applicable, VAT regime), necessary for e-reporting.
Filling in these fields takes a few minutes per client. Creating your complete client files from the start prevents blocks at sending. A well-configured software will alert you to missing fields before validation, provided you have activated this check in the settings.
Online invoice template setup: the settings to validate as a priority
Once the approved platform is connected, the format verified, and the client files filled in, you can move on to the invoice template. This step is the quickest if the previous ones are done correctly.
Legal mentions and numbering
Your software offers a default template. Before using it, check that the numbering of invoices follows a continuous chronological sequence, without gaps. This is a legal obligation, not an aesthetic preference. Most tools manage this point automatically, but some allow you to modify the prefix or the initial counter, which can create inconsistencies if you change software during the year.
Also check the presence of mandatory mentions: issue date, delivery or execution date, details of products or services, VAT rates line by line, payment terms, and late payment penalties.
Automation of sending and reminders
Set up automatic sending via the approved platform rather than through regular email. If your software offers automatic reminders for unpaid invoices, activate them now. Defining a reminder period (for example, after the due date) takes less than a minute and will save you from chasing payments manually.
Receiving supplier invoices: the forgotten parameter
Setting up your online invoicing is not only about issuing invoices. The reform also requires receiving invoices from your suppliers via an approved platform. This aspect is often overlooked during the initial setup.
Check that your platform is configured for receiving. In most cases, it is enough to activate the option in your account settings. Your suppliers will then be able to send you their electronic invoices directly, without going through email.
This setting takes a few clicks, but its absence can prevent you from recovering deductible VAT on your purchases if the reception circuit is not compliant.
The complete setup, from connecting to the approved platform to activating reception, indeed takes about an hour if you have prepared your client information in advance. The trap is starting with the invoice template when the technical foundation is not in place. By following the reverse order (platform, format, client files, template, reception), each step flows without going back.
