Purpose: Learn what e-invoicing is, how it works, and what it means for you and your country.
What is e-invoicing?
E-invoicing (Electronic Invoicing) is the process of creating, sending, receiving, and processing invoices in a structured digital format. These formats can be automatically read and processed without manual data entry.
Key benefits:
- Better tax compliance
- Faster payment processing
- Lower processing costs
- Reduced risk of errors
- Environment-friendly (paperless)
E-invoice formats
E-invoices must be created in a structured, machine-readable format.
- XML
- JSON
⚠️ Important: PDF is not a standardized e-invoicing format and cannot be automatically processed. It is not recommended for e-invoicing.
E-invoicing standards (PEPPOL)
E-invoicing regulations and standards vary by country. In Europe, the main standard is PEPPOL (Pan-European Public Procurement Online).
PEPPOL is an international network that enables the secure, fast, and standardized exchange of electronic invoices. It should be seen as a network rather than a single system.
Learn more about PEPPOL
Watch the official introduction video to understand how PEPPOL works and how invoices are exchanged across countries.
How e-invoicing works
The e-invoicing process typically follows these steps:
- The seller creates an invoice in a structured format (e.g. XML or JSON)
- The invoice is sent via:
- Government portal
- Certified e-invoicing system
- Direct system-to-system integration
- The buyer’s system automatically validates and records the invoice
- (In some countries) The tax authority receives the invoice in real time (tax compliance)
In this process, Sendcloud acts as the seller, and you, our user, are the buyer.
E-invoicing regulations per country
There are two main types of e-invoicing:
- B2G (Business to Government)
- B2B (Business to Business)
| Country | B2G | B2B |
| Italy | Mandatory | Mandatory |
| Belgium | Mandatory | Mandatory (since Jan 2026) |
| Netherlands | Mandatory | Not mandatory |
| Germany | Mandatory | Not mandatory |
| Austria | Mandatory | Not mandatory |
| Spain | Mandatory | Not mandatory |
| France | Mandatory | Not mandatory |
| UK | Mandatory | Not mandatory |
E-invoicing in Italy
Italy uses a national platform called SDI (Sistema di Interscambio) to process e-invoices.
E-invoicing is mandatory for:
- B2C (Business to Consumer)
- B2B
- B2G
Codice Destinatario (SDI code)
Italian customers can add their Codice Destinatario in their billing address. This code identifies where electronic invoices should be delivered within the SDI system.
More about the SDI code
The Codice Destinatario is a unique identifier used to route e-invoices to the correct recipient within the SDI network.
E-invoicing in Belgium
Since January 2026, Belgium has introduced new e-invoicing requirements. The main network used is PEPPOL.
E-invoicing is mandatory for:
- B2G: All businesses
- B2B: All Belgian VAT-registered businesses for domestic transactions (BE ↔ BE)
Important: Sendcloud is not a Belgian VAT-registered business. We invoice Belgian customers via our Dutch entity. Since B2B e-invoicing is not mandatory in the Netherlands, we are not required to provide e-invoices to Belgian customers.
More information
Refer to the official Belgian government website for full details about e-invoicing requirements.
FAQ
Can Belgian users request an e-invoice?
No. Sendcloud does not provide e-invoices to Belgian users, because we are not a Belgian VAT-registered business.
We would like to refer you to the official Belgian government FAQ, where exceptions to the regulation are explained.