ZEP supports structured, machine-readable invoice formats based on the ZUGFeRD, XRechnung and Swiss QR standards. Setup requires several steps – from company data through to activation per customer and project.
Available Formats
ZUGFeRD 2.x: Hybrid format – the PDF contains an embedded XML file. Recommended for exchange with German and European business customers. Available versions: 2.0.1 (outdated), 2.1.1 (outdated), 2.2 and 2.3.2.
XRechnung: Purely XML-based format, mandatory for invoices to public sector clients in Germany. Available versions: current version (recommended) as well as 2.1 (1 Feb 2022), 2.2 (1 Aug 2022), 2.3.1 (1 Aug 2023) and 3.0.1 (1 Feb 2024).
Swiss QR Code and Swiss QR+Swico: Swiss standard for electronic payment instructions.
Note: The availability of machine-readable formats depends on your ZEP licence. Contact your ZEP account manager if the options are not displayed.
Step 1 – Enter Company Data
Before machine-readable invoice formats can be used, your company data must be completely maintained. Go to Administration > My Company > Company Data and verify:
Company name, address (street, postcode, city, country)
Phone and email
Commercial register number and court of registration (if applicable)
Management (for the imprint section of the invoice)
For ZUGFeRD and XRechnung: Global ID number (e.g. GLN) and ID type in the seller identification section
Also under Administration > My Company > Bank details: your company's bank details must be stored, as they are included in the invoice.
Step 2 – Activate Format per Customer
The machine-readable format is configured per customer address. Open Customer > [Customer Name] > General > Addresses and select the desired format from the Machine-readable invoice format field.
Warning: Once a machine-readable format has been selected, the invoice address can no longer be freely edited during invoice creation. The change is only applied when all mandatory fields are present at the customer: postcode, city, country code and address line 1.
Note: The format can also be set for multiple customers simultaneously via bulk editing in the customer overview.
Additional Requirements for ZUGFeRD
At the customer under Addresses: enter the ZUGFeRD country code.
Under Customer > [Customer Name] > General > Data > Invoice tab: check the customer's VAT ID.
Warning: Once ZUGFeRD is activated for a customer, invoices to that customer are only permitted in ZUGFeRD format.
Additional Requirements for XRechnung
Under Customer > [Customer Name] > General > Data > Invoice tab: enter the Buyer reference (BT-10). The buyer reference uniquely identifies the public sector client's invoice recipient department.
Step 3 – XRechnung Fields per Project
Once a machine-readable format is activated for the customer, the XRechnung tab appears in the associated project under Project > [Project Name] > General > Data & Plan. There you can enter optional BT fields at project level:
Project reference (BT-11): The buyer's reference to the project.
Contract reference (BT-12): Identifier of the underlying contract.
Allocation number (BT-17): Reference to the procurement procedure, e.g. for public sector contracts.
Object number (BT-18): Object identifier, e.g. a construction project ID.
Paymentterms (BT-20): Payment terms as free text.
Comment (BT-22): General note text for the invoice.
Step 4 – Check Invoice File Format
Make sure that under Administration > Billing > Settings, the invoice file format selected is compatible with the machine-readable format. PDF/A is required for ZUGFeRD; for XRechnung an additional XML file is generated automatically.