E-invoices or PDF invoices? There's a clear winner

Remember the last time you received or sent a PDF invoice via email? The manual data entry, the risk of it getting lost in your inbox, delayed payment... sound familiar?
We've all been there. And a lot of European countries still are.

Why was ViDA created?In Sweden, 65% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) send PDF invoices via email, while 77% receive them the same way. In the Netherlands, these numbers are even higher, with 70% sending and 78% receiving PDF invoices through email. In Belgium, SMB SaaS companies report that 93% of their customers receive invoices as PDFs through email; all highlighting the significant opportunity for businesses to transition to more efficient e-invoicing solution.
We're not going to go full myth busters on you here but there's one thing we need to get straight from the beginning: 
PDF invoices are not electronic invoices. They are just digital paper.
 While PDFs are technically a digital invoicing method, they are simply digital paper transferred over email, designed to be read by humans. E-invoices are made up of machine-readable data, designed to be processed by business systems. That's the main difference. 

Why you should offer electronic invoicing to your customers

1. All electronic documents, a single API solution
   Your customers shouldn't juggle between multiple systems. With Inexchange's single API, you provide your customers with a modern and reliable way to deliver electronic documents, such as invoices and order documents for B2B, B2G, and B2C. You read it right, one API integration covering all electronic document transactions.
   And don’t fear taking your business international. E-invoicing ensures cross-border connectivity and allows your customers to do business easily across borders too.
   
   

2. Invoicing automation reduces errors and saves time
   The days of invoicing being a full-time job are behind.
   E-invoicing eliminates lost emails, manual errors, and tedious data entry while improving accuracy. E-invoices offer more comprehensive and accurate data than PDFs or scanned PDFs, making both booking and approval processes easier.
   With e-invoicing, your customers can save up to 50% time compared to handling paper invoices. More time for growth, less time for chasing paper - physical or digital. 

3. Boost your customers' cash flow
   Emails get buried in the mailbox. Paper gets lost in the mail. E-invoices get paid.
   Near real-time delivery to the right system means 90% on-time payments and an improved cash flow. Real-time tracking increases transparency in invoice processing, meaning no invoice gets lost again. 

4. Enhanced fraud protection
   Technology is advancing quickly, and that's obviously great. But it also means that cyber crimes will become more advanced. It’s only getting more difficult to spot a fraudulent invoice.
   E-invoicing offers protection for your customers through secure networks, encryption, and both traceable and transparent transactions. Some e-invoicing solution providers, such as Maventa, offer an additional level of security through performing automatic checks on purchase invoices and their senders, helping mitigate the risks such as fraudulent invoices ending up in payment.

E-invoice vs. PDF invoice: A detailed comparison

What are the differences in features and functionality between e-invoices and PDFs? If you’re looking to dive deeper into the comparison between e-invoices and PDFs, we’ve done the work for you.