What is electronic invoicing and how does it work?

Everything you need to know about e-invoicing with Qonto.

What is e-invoicing?

E-invoicing allows businesses to exchange invoices in a structured electronic format, through platforms approved by the State (Plateformes Agréées, or PA).

It applies to B2B transactions between VAT-registered businesses in France, and will gradually replace paper invoices and unstructured PDFs.

Qonto is a Plateforme Agréée (PA), which lets you send and receive e-invoices directly from your Qonto interface, without any additional software. 

Sending and receiving: two different processes

This is the most important point to remember: sending e-invoices to your clients and receiving those from your suppliers are two separate things, governed by different rules.

Who is affected by e-invoicing?

E-invoicing applies to all French businesses subject to VAT that carry out B2B transactions. This includes:

• Companies (SARL, SAS, SA, etc.)
• Sole proprietorships (EI, EIRL)
• Self-employed entrepreneurs (auto-entrepreneurs), including those under the VAT basic exemption scheme (franchise en base de TVA). Not charging VAT does not mean being outside the scope of the reform: these businesses remain legally “subject to VAT” and are therefore affected, at least by the obligation to receive e-invoices.

This applies to all affected legal forms (SASU, EURL, EI, etc.): even if your company does not charge VAT because of its tax regime, you must be able to receive e-invoices from September 1, 2026.

Only entities that are not subject to VAT at all are not affected: individuals, certain nonprofits with no economic activity, and a few very specific cases provided for by law (for example, small photovoltaic electricity producers under 3 kWp).

If you are unsure about your situation, your chartered accountant can confirm your VAT regime.

When does e-invoicing become mandatory?

September 1, 2026 is the most important deadline: every business subject to VAT in France, regardless of size, must be able to receive e-invoices from that date. No exceptions, no phase-in: this deadline applies to everyone.

Issuing e-invoices, on the other hand, is being rolled out more gradually, depending on company size:

• September 1, 2026: large companies (GE) and mid-sized companies (ETI). In practice, these are businesses with around 250 employees and/or €50 million in revenue or more (the official criteria also take the balance sheet into account; ask your chartered accountant if you are unsure which category you fall into).
• September 1, 2027: all other businesses (SMEs, very small businesses and micro-businesses).

If your deadline has not arrived yet, you do not have to wait: you can start sending e-invoices whenever you want, and Qonto already supports it.

What is a Plateforme Agréée (PA)?

A Plateforme Agréée (PA) is a company registered with the French tax authority (DGFiP) to handle the exchange of e-invoices between businesses and the tax authority, via the Public Invoicing Portal (PPF). You may still come across the former name “Plateforme de Dématérialisation Partenaire” (PDP): it is the same thing under its old name.

The benefits of choosing Qonto as your PA:

• Automatic reception of supplier invoices in the Supplier invoices section, ready to be reviewed and paid.
• Automatic, compliant sending of client invoices to your clients’ platform
• Real-time tracking of the status of each invoice.
• Included with Qonto Invoicing (free) and in every paid Qonto subscription, at no extra cost.

Is Qonto a certified PA?

Yes, Qonto is registered as a Plateforme Agréée with the DGFiP.

Beyond registration with the DGFiP, Plateformes Agréées must also pass the “PA-Ready” label audit, a compliance audit certifying that the platform meets the regulatory requirements expected of a PA. Qonto is preparing to undergo this audit; we will update this section with the result once it is finalized.

Is e-invoicing included in my Qonto subscription?

Yes. Both sending and receiving e-invoices are included with Qonto Invoicing as well as in every paid Qonto subscription, with no limit. No hidden fees, no cost per invoice.

Qonto Invoicing is free and offers the same e-invoice sending and receiving, without the payment part: online payment and payment links require Qonto Pro.

How do I enable the reception of my supplier invoices?

This step only concerns receiving. There is nothing to set up for sending (see the question on sending below).

1. Go to Settings > E-invoicing
2. Register Qonto as your Plateforme Agréée (PA) by completing the registration to the national directory. It takes about a minute and is free
3. Once registered, your company is added to the national directory. This step usually takes up to 5 business days, during which your status in Settings > E-invoicing shows In progress: there is nothing to do, and we will let you know once it is done

Once registration is complete, your suppliers’ e-invoices arrive automatically in Supplier invoices. There is no address to generate or share.

Already have a PA? No problem: you can switch to Qonto yourself from the web or mobile app: go to Settings > E-invoicing and click Switch to Qonto

What does the status shown in Settings > E-invoicing mean?

Once the registration process has started, your Settings > E-invoicing page shows one of the following statuses:

• In progress: your registration is being processed. This can mean: (1) a normal registration to the national directory (up to 5 business days); (2) that the tax authority (DGFiP) has not yet confirmed your eligibility, or that your company does not appear in the directory yet. This is not a refusal. In all cases, there is nothing to do: we will let you know once it is complete.
• Pending: your e-invoicing configuration has been created; the final directory update is in progress (usually 1 to 2 business days).
• Enabled: everything is ready: you can send and receive e-invoices. Remember to tell your suppliers that Qonto is your registered PA.
• Deactivation in progress: your deactivation request is being processed; you will keep receiving e-invoices until it is finalized.
• Registered with another platform: your company is already registered for e-invoicing with another PA; you can switch to Qonto yourself from your app in Settings > E-invoicing > Switch to Qonto.

My status stays “In progress” beyond 5 business days: what should I do?

An “In progress” status is not a refusal: your request is being processed. Activation usually takes up to 5 business days. If this time has passed, check these three points:

• Has your organization been validated? With Qonto Invoicing, activation starts once your organization has been validated (ID and proof of address). It is then automatic.
• Were you already with another Plateforme Agréée (PA)? In that case, the switch also depends on your previous PA, which has up to 5 business days to respond. Check that you have validated the confirmation emails you received.
• Is your company listed in the official PA directory? If it is very recent, activation cannot be completed until it is registered there.

If your status is still “In progress” after these checks, contact our support from the in-app chat, providing:

• the name and SIREN of the company concerned (one message per company if you have several);
• the date of your activation request;
• a screenshot of the status in Settings > E-invoicing;
• if you were switching PA: the name of your previous PA and whether you received the confirmation email.

How can I tell if my clients or suppliers are already set up for e-invoicing?

Qonto displays an e-invoicing badge next to any client or supplier already active in e-invoicing. You will find it:

• in your client list
• in the details of an invoice
• on a supplier’s profile

If a client does not have this badge yet, you can invite them to activate e-invoicing directly from their profile, in one click.

How do I send an e-invoice through Qonto?

No PA activation is needed for sending. Only one thing is required: a one-time declaration of your company size, in the “Send e-invoices to your clients” section. If you see the “Company size required” message there, click it and select your size. Whatever you choose, sending becomes available.

1. Create your invoice as usual from Clients > Client invoices
2. Finalize it: it then receives its final number
3. That’s it: if your client can receive e-invoices, Qonto detects it and automatically sends the invoice to their platform. Whether this sending is mandatory or optional depends on your company size: if your company is large, sending the invoice electronically is mandatory and applies with no possibility of choice; if not, you can choose not to send a given invoice electronically when you create it.
4. Track the sending status directly in Client invoices

Can I add a buyer reference or a purchase order number to my invoice?

There is no dedicated field for this yet. The buyer reference (BT-10) and the purchase order reference (BT-13) will have their own field in Qonto starting mid-October 2026.

In the meantime, you can add them yourself when creating the invoice. Go to Clients > Client invoices > New invoice, then to the Products and services section. Open Custom messages > Additional notes. Enter each reference on a separate line, for example:

Buyer reference: XXX
Purchase order reference: XXX

Both lines appear at the bottom of your invoice and are included in the note field of the e-invoice sent to your client.

⚠️ This is a temporary workaround. If your client’s system requires the reference to be in a dedicated field (which is often the case for public buyers going through Chorus Pro), your invoice may be rejected. In that case, wait until the dedicated fields are available before sending e-invoices to this client.

Why am I asked for my company size?

• The law makes issuing e-invoices mandatory on different dates depending on company size, so Qonto needs to know which one applies to you. It is a one-time declaration.
• Large company or ETI: issuing has been mandatory since September 1, 2026, so every eligible invoice is sent electronically, with no invoice-by-invoice choice.
• For all other businesses: issuing will become mandatory on September 1, 2027. Until then, you can send your invoices electronically whenever you want, or choose not to for a given invoice.
• This declaration never prevents you from sending your invoices: it only determines which of the two regimes applies to you.

What happens if my client has no active PA address?

You have nothing to decide here: Qonto automatically detects your client’s situation. Two cases are possible:

• Client not found in the national directory → the invoice is sent by email as usual, nothing changes on your side
• Client found in the directory, but with no active PA address → Qonto still files the invoice with the tax authority (PPF), with the status Submitted and the reason NON_TRANSMISE. Your invoice is fully compliant and recorded; it simply did not reach your client electronically, so you will need to send it to them yourself through a traditional channel (email or PDF).

Do you want this client to receive your future invoices electronically? They must first register with a Plateforme Agréée. Once that is done, add their e-invoicing address to their client profile in Qonto: your next invoices will then be routed automatically.

What does NON_TRANSMISE mean?

NON_TRANSMISE is a reason attached to the Submitted status. It simply means that your invoice was filed with the tax authority, but could not be transmitted electronically because your client does not yet have an active PA address.

This is not a rejection: your invoice is valid and recorded. You simply need to send a copy directly to your client (email or PDF) so that they receive it.

How do I receive e-invoices through Qonto?

Once reception is set up (see above), your suppliers can send you their invoices directly through your Qonto e-invoicing address.

They appear automatically in Clients > Supplier invoices, and you receive an email notification for each one of them.

Qonto also tries to automatically match each received invoice with the corresponding bank transaction.

My supplier is not sending me e-invoices: what should I do?

This is normal in most cases. SMEs, very small businesses and micro-businesses have until September 1, 2027 to issue e-invoices: until then, your supplier can keep sending you an invoice in PDF format, which remains valid.

It is not up to you to chase your supplier: the obligation to issue an e-invoice is theirs, not yours. On your side, just check that Qonto is registered as your PA (see “How do I enable the reception of my supplier invoices?”)

Can I receive my e-invoices separately for each of my establishments?

Not yet. Your e-invoicing address is registered at your SIREN level, which means that all your suppliers’ invoices arrive at a single address, regardless of the establishment concerned.

If you check the directory, you will therefore see your address registered at SIREN level rather than SIRET level: this is normal, there is no error in your registration.

The ability to have one address per establishment is coming soon.

How do I track the status of my e-invoices?

Go to Clients > Client invoices, then open the invoice concerned. The e-invoicing status appears in the invoice details; if the invoice is in a critical state, for example rejected or refused, you will also see it directly in the invoice list. Here is what the statuses mean:

• Submitted → the invoice has been filed and is being processed. If your client has no active PA address, you will also see the reason NON_TRANSMISE attached (see above)
• Rejected → the invoice was rejected on issue or on receipt, usually because of a compliance issue such as a duplicate
• Refused → your client reviewed the invoice and refused it, for example because of an error in its content
• Approved → your client validated the invoice

Can I edit an e-invoice after sending it?

No: once sent, an e-invoice can no longer be edited. If you spot an error, issue a credit note to cancel the original invoice, then create a new, corrected invoice.

Which invoice formats does Qonto accept?

Qonto works with:

• Factur-X: a hybrid PDF/A-3 containing embedded XML data, readable by both humans and machines
• UBL 2.1 (Universal Business Language): a structured XML file, designed to be read by software rather than by a person. Qonto automatically generates a readable PDF version, which you can open directly in the app like any other invoice.
• CII (Cross Industry Invoice): also a structured XML file, designed to be read by software rather than by a person. Qonto also generates a readable PDF. 

All three formats comply with the European standard EN 16931 and with the requirements of the French reform (the AFNOR standard), and all three provide you with a readable version of the invoice: Factur-X, because the format includes one by design, and UBL 2.1 and CII, because Qonto generates one for you.

What is e-reporting?

E-reporting is the automatic transmission of transaction data to the DGFiP. It covers transactions that fall outside mandatory e-invoicing: cross-border B2B sales, international purchases and B2C sales.

Not to be confused with e-invoicing:

• E-invoicing → exchange of invoices between businesses via a PA
• E-reporting → transmission of transaction data to the DGFiP, without an invoice necessarily being exchanged

Qonto offers e-reporting in beta for cross-border B2B transactions (Flow 10.1), on web only, for the French market.

Why can’t I read an invoice I received?

E-invoices are standardized digital documents exchanged directly between platforms. Under this standard, the platform sending the invoice must always produce an XML file containing all the invoice data, in one of three formats: Factur-X, UBL 2.1 or CII.

Factur-X embeds a readable PDF by design, and Qonto also automatically generates one for UBL 2.1 and CII invoices. In most cases, you should therefore be able to open and read any invoice you receive directly in Qonto.

If the invoice you are viewing only shows a raw data file, with no readable preview, this is the underlying XML file, which is not meant to be read on screen. The invoice has still been received: you will find all its details (supplier, amount, date, due date) in Accounts receivable > Supplier invoices, and it is matched to the corresponding transaction as usual, even when the file preview is not readable.

If you need a readable copy quickly, you can ask your supplier to send you one directly, or contact our customer support for help: this should not normally happen, so we will look into what went wrong.

Can I switch my Plateforme Agréée (PA)?

Yes, you can leave Qonto’s Plateforme Agréée for another PA at any time. To meet the requirements of the PDPready audit, Qonto makes its PA portability procedure available to its clients here: Procedure for porting from one Plateforme Agréée to another. The entire transfer takes place directly between your new PA and Qonto: you only have to confirm the request.

How does it work?

1. Contact your new PA and ask them to initiate the portability request with Qonto on your behalf. The transfer takes place from platform to platform: you do not need to request a token yourself, and Qonto cannot provide one to you directly either. This mechanism ensures that you are never left without an e-invoicing address during the switch.
2. You will receive a confirmation email from Qonto with a short form to complete. This step simply verifies that the request really comes from you (useful, for example, if it was initiated by your chartered accountant).
3. Once your confirmation is received, the switch takes effect within 5 business days. Your new PA automatically receives everything it needs to finalize the migration.

What to know before switching PA:

• Cost: Qonto’s Plateforme Agréée is included with Qonto Invoicing and in every paid Qonto subscription, at no extra cost. Your new PA may charge its own fees.
• Confirmation email not received? Check your spam folder first, then contact support.

⚠️ Did you not initiate this switch request? Do not complete the form, and contact our support team immediately.

I currently use another platform. How do I switch to Qonto?

You can start the switch yourself, on web, iOS and Android. Your company must be verified first. To switch platforms:

1. Go to Settings > E-invoicing.
2. Click Switch to Qonto.
3. Check the pre-filled information about your current platform and your company. You do not need to enter the platform name or your SIREN.
4. Tick the consent box and confirm.

Then:

• Qonto sends the request to your current platform. You do not need to contact them yourself.
• Your current platform has 5 business days to respond. The switch usually takes up to a week.
• You can follow progress in Settings > E-invoicing, where the status shows each step.
• Your consent is available to download on this same page, a few seconds after you confirm.

If your current platform refuses the request (status Portability refused), contact us and we will help you resubmit it.

My chartered accountant registered another PA for me (for example Sage): how do I check and switch?

If your chartered accountant has registered another Plateforme Agréée (PA) for your company, your suppliers’ invoices are received by that PA and not by Qonto.

How do I check? Go to Settings > E-invoicing. If the status shown is “Registered with another platform”, another PA is already registered for your company.

How do I switch? You can do it yourself from the app, without going through support:

1. Go to Settings > E-invoicing.
2. Click Switch to Qonto.
3. Check the pre-filled information, tick the consent box and confirm.

For the steps and timelines in detail, see “I currently use another platform. How do I switch to Qonto?”.

How do I deactivate e-invoicing on my Qonto account?

If you no longer want to use Qonto as your PA, ask your new PA to initiate the portability request with Qonto on your behalf (see the questions on switching PA above). You do not need to request anything yourself. You will receive a confirmation email from Qonto with a form to validate, and the transfer of your e-invoicing configuration will take effect within 5 business days.

⚠️ Important: from September 2026, having a PA becomes mandatory for all French businesses subject to VAT. From that date, it is no longer possible to deactivate e-invoicing without first signing up with another PA: staying without a PA is not an option.

💡 Note for companies based in Italy: in Italy, e-invoicing is already a legal obligation, so it cannot be deactivated for Italian accounts.

Do I need to take any other steps with the DGFiP once Qonto is designated as my PA?

No, no further action is needed on your part: transmission to the DGFiP is handled automatically by the Plateforme Agréée.