How to enable XRechnung & ZUGFeRD / Factur-X compliance
Generate XRechnung-compliant e-invoices and ZUGFeRD / Factur-X hybrid PDFs for your customers
Ayoub Amine
Last Update hace 5 dĆas
This guide covers theĀ XRechnungĀ andĀ Factur-XĀ standards. For an overview of all e-invoicing formats and how to enable the feature, seeĀ How to enable E-invoicing (EN 16931)Ā first.
XRechnung is the German standard for electronic invoicing (EN 16931), required for invoicing public sector entities. ZUGFeRD (German) and Factur-X (French) are the same standard ā they create hybrid PDF/A-3 invoices with embedded XML data, readable by both humans and machines. This format is used for compliance in Germany, France, and across the EU.
Enable XRechnung for a customer
Once e-invoicing is enabled for your business, you can set the standard for each customer that requires German or French compliance.
- Go to the "Customers" page, select a customer, and clickĀ Edit.
- Scroll to theĀ E-invoicingĀ section.
- Open theĀ E-invoicing standardĀ field and pickĀ XRechnung (Germany)Ā orĀ Factur-X (France).
- Fill in the additional required details, such asĀ reference,Ā Tax ID, and full address information (city,Ā postal code,Ā country, etc.).
- ClickĀ "Save changes".
š” Any invoice or credit note issued to a customer with XRechnung or Factur-X selected will automatically be compliant. Invoiless embeds the XML data directly into the exported PDF using the ZUGFeRD / Factur-X hybrid format.
Understanding ZUGFeRD / Factur-X and validating your invoices
ZUGFeRD and Factur-X are the same hybrid invoice standard under different branding ā ZUGFeRD in Germany and Factur-X in France. These invoices are standard PDF files with structured XML data embedded inside them. This means they look and work like any normal PDF, but also contain machine-readable invoice data for automated processing.
Invoiless generates compliant PDFs using theĀ
FACTUR-X-EN16931Ā format with the latest v2.3.3 schema. We always verify that every PDF export from Invoiless is valid against this schema.
What about customers who don't have XRechnung enabled?
Invoices for customers without XRechnung enabled will export as normal PDFs with no embedded XML data. Only customers withĀ "Enable XRechnung for this customer"Ā turned on will receive ZUGFeRD / Factur-X compliant invoices.
Do I need to enable XRechnung for every customer?
No. You only need to enable it for customers that require XRechnung-compliant e-invoices, such as German public sector entities. All other customers will continue to receive standard PDF invoices.
Does XRechnung apply to both invoices and credit notes?
Yes. Any invoice or credit note issued to a customer with XRechnung enabled will automatically include the embedded XML data in the ZUGFeRD / Factur-X format.
