Marketing is constantly evolving—and with it, customer expectations. Mass emails and broad campaigns often no longer deliver the desired results. Companies are therefore looking for
Since January 2025, companies in the B2B sector are required to be able to receive electronic invoices.
The obligation to issue e-invoices—meaning to send them out yourself—will be introduced gradually until December 31, 2027.
That means: now is the perfect time to familiarize yourself with e-invoicing and make your processes future-proof.
An e-invoice is much more than a PDF file. It is a structured, machine-readable file that can be processed automatically.
In Germany, two formats are particularly relevant:
This ensures your invoices can be not only stored in compliance with legal requirements but also processed directly by accounting and ERP systems.
At first, the transition may sound like extra work, but it comes with significant benefits: less paper, fewer errors, faster processes. Those who start early will have far less stress later—especially once e-invoicing for outgoing invoices becomes mandatory in 2027.
To issue a compliant e-invoice, you need three things:
If these three conditions are met, you are technically on the safe side.
The short answer: Yes—but only to a limited extent.
There are online portals that allow you to create e-invoices manually (for example, the free ZRE portal provided by the German federal government). However, this approach is only practical for a small number of invoices. Once you start issuing invoices regularly, it quickly becomes too time-consuming.
There are also some providers—such as XRechnung.io, Cosinex E-Rechnung, orGovernikus—that offer free web forms. These allow you to manually enter XInvoices and generate them directly as XML files.
My tip: For freelancers or self-employed individuals with very few invoices, the portal or online forms can work. For everyone else, using software that automates the process and reduces errors is definitely worthwhile.
Not all software is the same. Make sure your solution:
Good software doesn’t just save time—it also saves nerves, especially as your invoice volume grows.
To make the choice easier, we compared five providers:
| Provider/Software | Price / month (excl. VAT) | Free trial | E-invoicing functions* |
|---|---|---|---|
|
sevDesk |
from 8,90 € |
14 days |
Create, send, receive, process, validate, visualize, archive/store, DATEV integration |
|
Lexware Office
(ehemals lexoffice)
|
from 6,45 € |
30 Tage |
Create, send/transmit, receive |
|
Accountable |
free paid from €15.50 |
14 Tage |
Create, send, receive |
|
WISO Mein Büro |
free paid from 9,00 € |
mone |
Create only |
|
FastBill |
from 9,00 €
|
14 Tage |
Create, send, receive |
* Please note: Under “e-invoicing functions” we have only listed the features explicitly communicated by the respective provider. FELLOWPRO assumes no responsibility for the completeness of this information.
By following these steps, you not only create a legally compliant XInvoice but also align your processes with the future.
The earlier you begin the transition, the smoother things will be when the obligation to issue XInvoices takes effect in 2027. With the right software and a clear process, you save time, reduce errors, and make your company ready for the digital future.
Marketing is constantly evolving—and with it, customer expectations. Mass emails and broad campaigns often no longer deliver the desired results. Companies are therefore looking for
Digitalization is rapidly changing the world of work. Document processing in particular shows how much companies can benefit from automation: invoices are entered faster, data
– and how to avoid common mistakes Imagine sending an important email to a customer – and the address is wrong. Or ordering goods you
When Processes Become Not Just Faster, but Smarter Imagine your company as an orchestra. Every employee, every department plays its own instrument. Everything works, but
How many minds can process documents more intelligently than one Imagine you are standing in front of a mountain of documents: invoices, delivery notes, contracts.
More stability, better user guidance and enhanced functions With DocBits, we focus on continuous development so that our solution for intelligent document processing remains not
We are excited to announce a promising new partnership between FELLOWPRO and partners 2 innovate!
What happens if you continue to process manually? – and why automation pays off. In many companies, central processes such as the processing of invoices,