Glossary
What is e-invoicing?
By Tim White · Last updated
E-invoicing is sending an invoice as structured data, not a PDF or paper, so the buyer's system reads it directly with no extraction step. A growing list of countries now mandate it for tax reasons, which is moving it from optional to required in many markets.
Structured data, not a document
A PDF is a picture of an invoice; something has to read it. An e-invoice is the data itself, in a format like UBL or a national standard, that software ingests as-is. No OCR, no confidence question, because nothing was interpreted.
Where extraction still matters
Most small businesses still receive a mix: some e-invoices, plenty of PDFs, and photos of paper. Until that tail disappears, you need something to turn the documents into the same clean data. InvoiceJet handles the PDF, image, and email side and gives it back structured, ready to export or send onward.
Commonly confused with emailing a PDF
Sending an invoice as a PDF attachment is not e-invoicing, even though it travels electronically. The PDF is still a picture that a person or software has to read. True e-invoicing sends the invoice as structured data the buyer's system books straight from, often through a government or network channel. So a supplier who says they do e-invoicing may only mean they email PDFs. Worth checking which one they mean before you assume there is nothing left to extract.
Common questions
Does InvoiceJet do e-invoicing?
InvoiceJet works on the document side, turning PDFs, images, and forwarded emails into structured data. An invoice that already arrives as a structured e-invoice has nothing to extract.
What is the difference between an e-invoice and a PDF invoice?
A PDF is an image of an invoice that software has to read and interpret, while an e-invoice is the structured data itself, ingested directly with no extraction step.
What formats are used for e-invoicing?
Common formats include UBL and country-specific standards, often exchanged over networks such as PEPPOL. The exact format depends on the buyer's country and its tax rules.
Sources
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