Helpful tips for sending your invoices with PDF-2-FLOW

Here are a few tips to make sure your PDF invoice will make it to your customers:

1. Double check the minimum invoice requirements.

2. Make sure you have completed all steps required by your customer prior to sending your invoice, such as company registration (AKA, onboarding). Read more on that here.

3. Include clear data labels. For example, if you state a purchase order (PO) number on the invoice, then the label should be something like "purchase order number" or "PO number" so that the information is easily identifiable. 

4. Make sure there is customer-identifying information on the invoice. In addition to the company name and address details, be sure to include a Chamber of Commerce and VAT number, and, if you are sending invoices to a government customer, an OIN number.

5. Specify at the line level which VAT category applies to that particular line but do not perform a VAT calculation at line level. The European e-invoice works with VAT at the invoice level. VAT calculation is therefore only done on total VAT and rounding of VAT is only done on the invoice level.

6. Provide a clear invoice description and/or internal or customer reference on your invoice. For example, "Regarding: Delivery of 17 Flowers for Customer X" or "Customer Reference: 12345"

7. Always include a purchase order number if your customer works with purchase orders or your invoice may be refused. The Dutch government, for example, is very strict about this.

8. Always include at least one of your email addresses on the invoice, especially in the case that you are sending invoices to the central government in the Netherlands as it is mandatory in this instance. If no email address is listed on the invoice, it will not be accepted. 

9. Check our example invoice here.