Do I still need a PDF if I run INVOIC?

For the B2B relationship, no — EDIFACT INVOIC is a fully accepted document. For internal archive and auditors, many companies still keep a PDF generated from the INVOIC.

How do I handle credit notes?

Emit a new INVOIC with function code 384 (credit note) referencing the original invoice via RFF.

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Category: Comerț B2B

INVOIC

Quick answer: The EDIFACT commercial invoice message — exchanged directly between supplier and customer (different from the fiscal e-Invoice).

Key takeaways

INVOIC = B2B, direct supplier↔retailer exchange, EDIFACT/EANCOM standard, validation via VAN
e-Invoice (Romanian SPV, Italian FatturaPA, etc.) = mandatory state portal, XML UBL 2.1, fiscal validation

Definition

INVOIC is the EDIFACT message used to electronically transmit the commercial invoice between supplier and customer. Contains: header (issuer, beneficiary, number, date, due date), lines (GTIN, quantity, price, VAT), totals, payment.

INVOIC vs e-Invoice (state portals)

INVOIC = B2B, direct supplier↔retailer exchange, EDIFACT/EANCOM standard, validation via VAN

e-Invoice (Romanian SPV, Italian FatturaPA, etc.) = mandatory state portal, XML UBL 2.1, fiscal validation

Professional companies run both in parallel: INVOIC for automatic retailer reconciliation, e-Invoice for the fiscal obligation. Azuvio generates both from a single source.

Typical content

BGM: document type, invoice number, function (original/credit/cancel)

DTM: issue date, due date, delivery date

NAD+SU / NAD+BY / NAD+IV / NAD+DP: parties (supplier, buyer, invoicee, delivery)

LIN + QTY + PRI + TAX: lines with quantity, price, VAT

MOA: totals (subtotal, VAT, grand total)

RFF: references to ORDERS and DESADV

Why DESADV correlation matters

Modern retailers auto-reconcile 3-way: ORDERS (what we ordered) ↔ DESADV (what you shipped) ↔ INVOIC (what you invoice). Any discrepancy blocks payment. INVOIC without DESADV reference = rejected invoice.

Frequently asked

Do I still need a PDF if I run INVOIC?: For the B2B relationship, no — EDIFACT INVOIC is a fully accepted document. For internal archive and auditors, many companies still keep a PDF generated from the INVOIC.
How do I handle credit notes?: Emit a new INVOIC with function code 384 (credit note) referencing the original invoice via RFF.

Where Azuvio fits

Related terms

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) — Structured exchange of commercial documents between B2B partners, without emails or manual data entry.
ASN / DESADV (Advance Shipping Notice) — EDI shipping notice sent before goods physically arrive at the retailer — describes pallet, batch, quantity.
Order-to-Cash (O2C) — The end-to-end cycle from order receipt to invoice payment. A key cash-flow health indicator.
DSO (Days Sales Outstanding) — Average number of days from invoice issue to cash collection. Key cash-flow indicator.

Last updated: 2026-07-17