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Electronic invoice processing

Learn about the benefits of electronic invoice processing for businesses today. Meet international mandates and achieve time & cost savings.

Transalis
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What is electronic invoice processing?

Electronic invoice processing means exchanging and validating invoices through automated software rather than manually keying data from paper or PDF documents. It captures invoice data at the point of entry, checks it against expected values, and feeds it directly into your finance or ERP system. This reduces errors such as missing VAT numbers and supports compliance as more governments mandate e-invoicing.

Companies are increasingly exchanging invoices via automated software platforms as they realise how electronic invoice processing can reduce costs compared with paper or digital image-based systems.

If your company processes hundreds or even thousands of invoices every month, you inevitably have a resource issue to manage. Here are some reasons why you should switch to electronic invoice processing…

According to Swiss global market analyst Billentis*, businesses and organisations across the world exchange around 550 billion bills and invoices annually, with a roughly equal split between goods and services.

Billentis also forecasts the volume of invoices managed through electronic transmission and automated processing to quadruple by 2035.

Whether the need is driven by government or businesses themselves, there are many benefits of switching to electronic invoice processing…

Growing need for compliance

Business innovation has traditionally been the main catalyst for the market growth of electronic invoice processing.

However, it is now being increasingly mandated by governments too. in an effort to close the so-called VAT gap; the difference between VAT revenue forecasts and what is actually collected ‘on the ground’ governments are pushing for electronic invoice processing to combat the problem.

In Europe, Billentis* estimates the annual VAT gap to be a massive €140 billion or 11% of expected revenue.

Avoiding the risk of error

Everyday frustrations will include dealing with invoices that contain mistakes in financial information such as missing out essential VAT numbers. These are a natural and inevitable consequence of manual input.

To rectify this, staff need to be involved hands-on, but further manual input and re-keying to iron out the issue simply brings with it a similar risk of human error. Manual input is also not cost-effective when staff could be reallocated to higher-value tasks.

According to Billentis*, switching to electronic invoice processing can, in some cases, reduce costs by up to 80%.

Savings are generated through faster processing, fewer errors, healthier cashflow and more scope for compliance with the requirements of governments and regulators.

With electronic invoice processing, you can efficiently process invoices from point of entry across all back-office systems to achieve smoother, more cost-efficient data flows and you can digitise invoice storage for auditing and reporting.

Transparency and choice

Here at digital supply chain technology provider Transalis, we have developed an electronic invoice processing platform, Transalis eInvoice™, that offers a host of benefits for both Accounts Receivable (AR) and Accounts Payable (AP) teams.

Unlike other providers, we offer you flexibility on service input and complete transparency on cost with our range of eInvoice product bundles.

The choice is yours and depends on the exact functionalities you require for your electronic invoice processing.

Outbound invoice automation

Scalable digital compliance for outbound invoice processes. Build the ideal solution for your AR team.

Inbound invoice automation

Convert & integrate inbound files with 60-80% ROI. Ideal for AP teams manually processing 2,000+ invoices per month.

Larger companies with international partners, need to comply digitally with complex tax regulations can benefit specifically from configuring to their own requirements using Transalis eInvoice™ Freedom.

This includes a dedicated Success Manager to help with the onboarding of trading partners and ensure all is working well with your digital transformation.

Like the other bundles, Transalis eInvoice™ Freedom helps you increase efficiency through easy integration with your ERP and financial systems. It provides automated validation of invoice data along with a deep-store archive to reduce auditing time and costs.

* Billentis Report: The development and future of eInvoicing from 2019 to 2025

Frequently asked questions

Why are governments mandating electronic invoice processing?

Governments are pushing electronic invoicing mainly to close the VAT gap, the difference between the VAT they expect to collect and what actually reaches them. Structured, validated e-invoices are harder to falsify or miscalculate than paper or PDF documents, giving tax authorities clearer, real-time visibility over transactions across the supply chain.

When does the UK's e-invoicing mandate take effect?

The UK's e-invoicing mandate is set to take effect from April 2029, following a four-corner Peppol model. Businesses that start moving to electronic invoice processing now will find the transition far smoother than those waiting until the mandate is close, since systems, formats and trading partner connections all take time to bed in.

Can accounts receivable and accounts payable use the same e-invoicing platform?

Yes, though each side typically needs different functionality. Accounts receivable teams need scalable compliance for outbound invoices, while accounts payable teams need to convert and validate high volumes of inbound documents. A flexible e-invoicing platform lets you configure the bundle of features each team actually needs, rather than paying for one size fits all functionality.

Does electronic invoice processing work across borders?

Yes, provided the platform supports the right standards. France is introducing mandatory e-invoicing from September 2026, and Belgium's mandate is already live, alongside the UK's from April 2029. A certified AS4 Peppol Access Point lets you exchange invoices compliantly across these different national mandates without separate systems for each country.

Want this working in your business?

We will look at how you trade today, and show you what moving to Transalis involves, while your business keeps trading.