> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.procuros.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # E-Invoicing > Learn what e-invoicing means for your business and how Procuros helps you send and receive e-invoices. An e-invoice contains invoice data in a structured format. Accounting software can read and process it directly, instead of having to extract the data from a PDF document. Common examples are XRechnung, an XML file, and ZUGFeRD, a PDF with structured invoice data embedded inside. A scan or an ordinary PDF without structured invoice data is not an e-invoice. It is the format and the data that matter, not whether you send the invoice by email. > [!NOTE] > > The ZUGFeRD profiles MINIMUM and BASIC WL do not qualify as e-invoices under Germany's requirements. ## What changes, and when In Germany, these dates apply to invoices between German companies: | Date | What changes | | - | - | | 1 January 2025 | Every company must be able to receive e-invoices. | | 1 January 2027 | Companies with more than €800,000 turnover in the previous year must send e-invoices. | | 1 January 2028 | All companies must send e-invoices. | Invoices to consumers, invoices up to €250 and travel tickets do not need to be e-invoices. Small businesses do not have to send e-invoices, but they must be able to receive them. > [!NOTE] > > EDI is still allowed from 2028. EDI that meets the e-invoicing requirements can continue. EDI that does not meet them is allowed until 31 December 2027. ## How Procuros handles e-invoices > [!TIP] > > The receiver decides the format. Suppliers keep sending invoices the way they do today, and Procuros delivers each invoice in the format the receiver asks for. ### If you are a buyer Your suppliers can switch to e-invoices at any time. You keep receiving their invoices in your format and through your connection, as today. See [E-invoices Procuros accepts](https://docs.procuros.io/en/general/e-invoicing/receiving.md). ### If you are a supplier If your customer requires e-invoices, Procuros delivers your invoices in the format they ask for. You keep sending invoices the way you do today. See [E-invoices Procuros delivers](https://docs.procuros.io/en/general/e-invoicing/sending.md). ## Procuros can receive * XRechnung * ZUGFeRD / Factur-X, with the profile BASIC or higher * Peppol BIS Billing 3.0, as a file. Procuros does not receive invoices over the Peppol network. ## Procuros can send * XRechnung 3.0 * ZUGFeRD / Factur-X, with the profile EN 16931 or EXTENDED, or with the XRechnung profile * Peppol BIS Billing 3.0, over the Peppol network ## Key terms | Term | What it means | | - | - | | EN 16931 | The European standard that sets out what an e-invoice must contain. | | XRechnung | The German version of the standard. It is an XML file. | | ZUGFeRD (Factur-X in France) | A PDF that people can read, with the invoice data embedded for software to read. | | Peppol | A European network for exchanging e-invoices between companies. Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 is its invoice format. | | UBL and CII | Two ways of writing the same e-invoice data. The buyer's requirements say which one is needed. | ## Frequently asked questions > **We already use EDI. Do we need to switch to XRechnung or ZUGFeRD?** > > Not necessarily. EDI can also meet Germany's e-invoicing requirements, as long as all the required invoice information can be extracted from it correctly and completely. > > Whether you need to change anything depends on your current EDI setup and the buyer's requirements. Send those requirements to [help@procuros.io](mailto:help@procuros.io), and we check your existing connection before you switch. > **Which invoice format and delivery method are we using?** > > The format is how the invoice data is structured, for example EDI, XRechnung or ZUGFeRD. The delivery method is how the invoice travels, for example email, SFTP, AS2 or the Peppol network. Both can differ from one customer to the next. > > To find out what a connection uses, contact us at [help@procuros.io](mailto:help@procuros.io) with your company name and the customer or supplier involved. > **Can a supplier use Procuros for buyers who receive PDF invoices today?** > > We check this buyer by buyer. An existing connection does not automatically cover the supplier's other buyers. > > Send us the buyers to include, how they receive invoices today, and any format they ask for. We then explain the options and what needs to be set up. Invoices keep going the way they do today until we confirm the switch. > **What does e-invoicing cost?** > > It depends on your agreement and the setup you need. Contact us at [help@procuros.io](mailto:help@procuros.io) and tell us whether you want to send invoices, receive them or both, which customers or suppliers are involved, and roughly how many invoices you exchange each month. Questions about e-invoicing? Contact us at [help@procuros.io](mailto:help@procuros.io). This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.