In some countries, e-invoicing must be used instead of traditional invoicing in every transaction. In other countries, it is only mandatory to use e-invoicing for transactions with government agencies.

Rentman supports both manual export and automatic generation of e-invoice files in multiple formats.

E-invoices must use a structured data format—typically XML based on standards like UBL—to meet regulatory and interoperability requirements. Unstructured formats such as PDF or Word documents do not qualify as valid e-invoices, unless they embed structured data (as in formats like ZUGFeRD or Factur-X).

This article outlines the basic settings required to set up e-invoicing, and how to add a buyer reference and purchase order reference to your invoice.

Supported formats

In Rentman, you can export every invoice in an e-invoice format.

In addition to the existing UBL 2.3 format, we have re-enabled support for UBL 2.1 alongside it. This allows you to select the appropriate format for ledgers and export purposes, depending on regional requirements.

We've added support for the ZUGFeRD format as an alternative to XRechnung to comply with German e-invoicing regulations. Because ZUGFeRD is fully compatible with the Factur-X standard, it can also be used for e-invoicing in France. The exported PDF now meets the PDF/A-3b standard required by e-invoicing platforms such as Chorus Pro.

XRechnung: the German e-invoicing standard, used for invoices to German public authorities and other customers who need a structured e-invoice. Make sure your identification number and scheme are set up so the invoice includes your electronic address. XRechnung also needs a Buyer reference on the invoice and your seller contact details.

We've also added support for the Isacompta export format for French accounts. This format organizes invoice data by ledger, and invoice totals match the values in Rentman.

Important when using Isacompta

To make the export work correctly, you must fill in the ‘Numéro de comptabilité’ field in the contact details (first tab). Enter the full code exactly as required in this field. If this field is empty, the value will be taken from the ‘Database number’ field instead.

Note: Without these codes, the export will not work properly, as the system relies on them to correctly count the INs and OUTs of account numbers.

This hybrid format embeds the structured XML data directly into the PDF file, so there's no need to generate or send a separate XML file. When this format is enabled for automatic delivery, the XML is always included in the PDF, making it easy to email or download a single, compliant file for your clients.

For Italian customers, the Fattura is also available in XML format.

Set up your VAT scheme

Go to settings Configuration module > Financial > VAT schemes.
Double-click on a VAT scheme to open it.
Enter the right Tax category for each rate. Look here for the different rates: EDIFACT code (5305 Norm)
Click Confirm
Repeat for each VAT scheme.

Example (based on the Dutch VAT scheme and Tax category)

Configure your e-invoicing settings

Go to settings Configuration module > Financial > Electronic invoicing, and fill in the fields from the table below.

Available XML formats	Check the support formats here.
Attach XML automatically	You can now automatically generate and send UBL e-invoices in Rentman by enabling the Automatic XML generation option. When activated, the structured e-invoice file is automatically attached to outgoing invoices. For ZUGFeRD / Factur-X, the XML data is embedded directly into the PDF, so there’s no need to send a separate XML file. The correct XML format is selected automatically based on your country. FatturaPA (Italy) is not supported at this time.
Identification number	The unique number that identifies a business, based on the country's identification scheme. For many European countries, this scheme is the VAT. Take a look at the European Business Identifier here to find your ID number (Germany and Austria only). For German customers: If your business mostly works in the EU, UST-ID is the best option. It is also possible via DUNS-Nummer. Please find the one that works for you.
Identification scheme	The code that identifies your country and business. Check this list if you do not know your country's identification scheme.
Currency code	Select your currency code if it is not already set by default. Check this article out on your currency code.
Bank account number	The unique account identifier where payments should be sent - for example, an IBAN or other bank account number.
Seller contact name, phone, and email	The person your customers can contact about your invoices. Rentman adds these details to the seller contact section of every e-invoice. When you first get this update, Rentman fills these fields in once with the contact person from Configuration > Company data. You can change them at any time. These fields are required for XRechnung. For other formats, they are optional.

Note: Due to their uniqueness, Rentman does not offer support for locating or identifying your business ID number, scheme or currency code. Please consult your financial advisor and review this code list from Peppol.

Please keep in mind that Identification number and Identification scheme are mandatory for PEPPOL exports. For XRechnung, Rentman uses these fields to generate the seller's and buyer's electronic address (BT-34/BT-49); if either is missing, your email address is used instead, so the field is always included. The e-invoice validation panel on the invoice preview will only flag an XRechnung invoice if neither the identification details nor an email address are available.

Configure your contacts' e-invoicing settings

Fill in your contacts' data to generate e-invoices.

Go to contact_phone Contacts.
Double-click on a contact to open it.
Go to the Electronic invoicing tab.
Fill in the identification number and identification scheme.
Optional: fill in the Buyer reference if this customer has given you one. Rentman copies it to every new invoice for this contact.

For PEPPOL, this information is mandatory. For XRechnung, Rentman falls back to the contact's email address if it's missing - the validation panel only flags it when no email is available either.

If you do not know the identification number of a contact, request it to them or check in your country's identification scheme database.

Add a buyer reference and purchase order reference

Your customer's accounting system reads e-invoices automatically. To process your invoice quickly, it often looks for one or both of these references:

Field	What it is
Buyer reference	A code your customer gives you so their system knows where to send your invoice, for example a department, cost center, or supplier number. For invoices to German public authorities, this is the Leitweg-ID. In the e-invoice standard, this is field BT-10.
Purchase order reference	Your customer's purchase order number. It lets them match your invoice to their order. In the e-invoice standard, this is field BT-13.

In the screenshot, (1) shows the Buyer reference field and (2) shows the Purchase order reference field.

In the Financial module, go to the Invoices submodule.
Create an invoice or open an existing one.
In the Details section, fill in the Buyer reference and the Purchase order reference if your customer gave you these.
Save the invoice.

If you entered a buyer reference on the contact, Rentman fills it in automatically when you select that contact as the client on a new invoice. You can change or remove it on each invoice. Rentman always uses the value on the invoice, not the one on the contact.

Rentman adds both references to every e-invoice format: XRechnung, ZUGFeRD, UBL, and Peppol. When a field is empty, Rentman leaves it out of the e-invoice.

Which references you need depends on the e-invoice format:

Format	What you need
Peppol (including sending through Billit)	Fill in the Purchase order reference or the Buyer reference. Either one is enough.
XRechnung	Fill in the Buyer reference. For German public authorities, enter their Leitweg-ID.
All other formats	Both fields are optional.

Not sure what to fill in? Enter something your customer recognizes, such as their purchase order number. If you do not have a reference and the format does not need one, leave the field empty. An empty field is better than a wrong value, because your customer's system may reject an invoice with an incorrect reference.

To show the purchase order reference on your PDF invoice as well, add it to your invoice template.

What is a Leitweg-ID?

A Leitweg-ID is a routing ID that German public authorities use to receive e-invoices. The authority gives it to you, usually in the order or contract. Without it, their e-invoicing portal rejects your invoice. You only need it for invoices to German public authorities, not for invoices to businesses.

Do I need to fill in these fields for every invoice?

Only when your customer asks for them, or when the e-invoice format needs one. For Peppol, every invoice needs at least one of the two. For XRechnung, every invoice needs a buyer reference. If you leave a field empty, Rentman leaves it out of the e-invoice.

Why do I now get an error when I send an invoice through Peppol?

Before this update, Rentman filled in a reference automatically, using the project reference, project number, or invoice number. That value was not always correct for your customer, so Rentman now only uses the references you enter. Fill in the Purchase order reference or the Buyer reference on the invoice and send it again. Either one is enough.

Are the references copied to credit notes?

Yes. When you create a credit note, or an invoice from a project, Rentman copies the buyer reference and purchase order reference.

Export an e-invoice

After creating an e-invoice, you can download e-invoices directly from the Invoice overview module.

Both the PDF and XML files are downloadable in one place.
XML and PDF filenames are now aligned for better clarity and consistency.

In the monetization_on Financial module, go to Invoices submodule.
Create an invoice or select an existing one from the list.
When editing the invoice, click on the download button to 'Download PDF files'.
Or choose 'Export for accounting software and e-invoices'.

Rentman does not export an XRechnung file when the invoice has no buyer reference. Add the buyer reference in the invoice's Details section and export again.

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Exporting Invoices in E-Invoice Formats