Invoicing Volkswagen: the essentials
Requirements differ by the receiving company inside the group. What counts is always the handbook of the entity you are invoicing.
Which invoice formats does Volkswagen accept?
Volkswagen draws a sharp line between approved channels and the file format. A PDF invoice sent to a Volkswagen mailbox is ruled out for tax reasons.
Accepted
- FIN 3.0 web form: structured entry in the portal, a PDF can be attached as an image copy
- EN 16931 as ZUGFeRD or XML, delivered through a service provider approved by Volkswagen
- PDF only through an approved service provider
- EDIFACT VDA 4938 Global INVOIC for invoices, credit notes and freight invoices
Not accepted
- PDF invoices sent straight to a Volkswagen e-mail address
- Posting an invoice that has already been submitted through FIN
- EDI transmission without a signed EDI agreement
EDIFACT VDA 4938 is a format of the recipient. Invoice Portal does not support this standard and does not emulate it by any detour.
What has to be on the invoice?
Mandatory fields in FIN are marked with an asterisk and accept digits only, so no letters and no special characters.
General invoice details
- Invoice number (BT-1) and issue date (BT-2)
- VAT identification number or tax number of the supplier (BT-31)
- Invoice lines, tax rates and totals
- Exemption reason (BT-120) as soon as a line carries 0.00 percent
Additional requirements from Volkswagen
- Order number (BT-13), digits only, no additions
- Release number for call-off contracts
- Despatch advice number (BT-16) for the order type production material
- Requester (BT-11) and ordering department (BT-19) when there is no purchase order
Simplified sample view. The colouring shows typical categories of data, not the legal status of each individual field.
How can e-invoices reach Volkswagen?
Volkswagen names three approved routes. Which one applies to you depends on your integration and on the invoiced entity.
FIN 3.0 web form
The main channel. Manual entry of the invoice data on vwgroupsupply.com in five steps, free of charge. Registration with supplier number and DUNS.
Approved service providers
Delivery as PDF or in EN 16931 format through a provider approved by Volkswagen. Terms differ by provider.
EDI
EDIFACT VDA 4938 Global INVOIC, developed together with the German automotive association. Requires a signed EDI agreement.
Whether a particular provider is approved by Volkswagen is something only Volkswagen can tell you. We are not aware of an approval of Invoice Portal for this channel and we do not claim one.
Order types and invoicing rules
The order type governs how line items are captured in FIN and which fields become mandatory on top.
Purchase order
Line items are taken over from the order automatically.
Construction invoice
Line items are taken over automatically and a PDF upload is mandatory as proof of performance.
Production material
The despatch advice number has to be entered and the line items are captured manually.
Without a purchase order
Only in exceptional cases. The requester and the ordering department then become mandatory.
Attachments
PDF only, 9 MB at most.
Tax rate 0.00 percent
Requires a written reason for the exemption.
Creating an invoice for Volkswagen with Invoice Portal
For Volkswagen the benefit depends on the channel you use. The invoice data can be produced and checked in Invoice Portal, the submission itself goes through the route Volkswagen has approved.
Capture the invoice data
Create the invoice or import the export from your ERP, with the order number as digits only in the field provided for it.
Produce and validate the format
Create a file that conforms to EN 16931 and validate it against the standard before you send it.
Submit through the approved route
Enter the data in FIN 3.0 or hand it to a service provider approved by Volkswagen.
Invoice Portal is not connected to FIN 3.0 and does not support EDIFACT VDA 4938. Entering the data in the Volkswagen portal, or handing it to an approved provider, remains your part of the work.
Frequent questions about invoicing Volkswagen
Which formats does Volkswagen accept?
Can I send a PDF invoice by e-mail?
Does the order number need a particular format?
What applies when there is no purchase order?
Is attaching the PDF enough?
Create e-invoices and send them with confidence
With Invoice Portal you create, validate and send structured e-invoices over the delivery channels we support.
- Certified Peppol access point
- Creation, conversion and validation of structured e-invoices
- Integration over the API and the other interfaces we support
Prefer to write? info@invoice-portal.de · +49 561 56014568
Volkswagen e-invoicing: get the full guide
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