E-Invoicing Deutsche Bahn:
What You Need to Know

Suppliers invoicing the Deutsche Bahn must use the XRechnung e-invoicing standard (as of 27^th November 2020).

The Federal Government in Germany funds the Deutsche Bahn. And the Federal Government now obligates that all its clients invoice them electronically.

Those requirements extend to affiliate companies of the Federal Government, including Deutsche Bahn.

And this is affecting many businesses the world over! After all, the Deutsche Bahn is one of the world’s biggest transport companies.

Deutsche Bahn Invoicing Requirements

The requirements for invoicing are described in detail on Deutsche Bahn’s official website.

The requirements are:

Each Invoice Must Refer To Just One Order

Yes, that means collective invoices for numerous orders are NOT accepted. And it doesn’t matter how many invoices you need to send to them. The same rule applies if you have 2 orders or 100 orders to send to the Deutsche Bahn.

Each invoice must refer to just one order.

Each Invoice Must Be Sent Electronically

And more than that, each invoice must be sent in the XRechnung format.

Each Invoice Must Include The Following Information

The recipient’s name and address (in full);
Goods/service recipient’s name and address (in full);
Ordering party’s email address;
Valid order number (if available);
Date/time period of the service provided;
Invoice line item number (consecutive);
Description of the delivery and/or service provided;

The delivery note number;
Quantity of the bill with a unit of measurement;
Price per single unit, as well as the total cost of the package/item(s);
Currency via ISO code (e.g. EUR, GBP, USD);
Terms of payment and IBAN (BIC);
Delivery conditions according to INCOTERMS;
Assignment details provided by the ordering party (if applicable)

P.S: Make Sure You Meet The Requirements!

The Deutsche Bahn claims they will return your invoice without processing it if you fail to invoice them as per their requirements. So save yourself the hassle! Get it right the first time!

XRechnung Format for Deutsche Bahn Invoicing

The XRechnung format is a German e-invoicing format. It is compatible with the European standard ‘EN-16931’ – which is now a legal requirement for governments throughout Europe.

The key feature of the XRechnung – as well as the European EN-16931 standard – is that it can be processed automatically by computer systems.

XRechnung invoices require one of two XML languages:

Universal Business Language (UBL)
or UN/CEFACT Cross Industry Invoice (CII).

Humans (usually) cannot read XML documents. But that is not the purpose of XRechnung invoices.

Computers/software, however, are able to process XML automatically. That’s why Deutsche Bahn requires invoicing with such documents.

After all, such enormous international businesses process enormous numbers of invoices. So automating the invoicing process saves a LOT of time for them.

Creating Invoices in XRechnung Format

You convert your human-readable invoices into XRechnung format easily, with the correct software.

It is possible, in fact, to convert your invoices using the Deutsche Bahn’s own platform (under the subheading ‘XRechnungsgenerator’) – and their service is completely free.

But using this web form can be extremely time-consuming if you have more than just a few small invoices to submit.

Many business owners value their time more than the basic, free-of-charge XRechnung formatting service provided by Deutsche Bahn.

If you also value your time more, then you might want to consider investing in a suitable e-invoicing software, such as the Invoice-Portal.

Transferring Invoices to Deutsche Bahn Using an ERP or CRM System

Unfortunately, many ERP and CRM systems do not convert invoices into XRechnung. As a result, since the introduction of e-invoicing requirements, many businesses’ invoicing processes are failing them.

Ask your ERP/CRM suppliers if they can convert invoices to XRechnung. That is

However, you can transfer XRechnung invoices using solutions such as the Invoice-Portal.

With the Invoice-Portal, your business’s invoicing systems can be processed in a single, simple place…

Invoicing Deutsche Bahn Using the Invoice-Portal

Deutsche Bahn suppliers make up a significant number of Invoice-Portal users.

The Invoice-Portal also makes invoice creation and management simple.

From within the portal, you can:

Copy old invoice templates and create new invoices from them
Create a new invoice template
Create lists of goods/products/services
Manage multiple customers
Manage multiple customer addresses

REMEMBER:

Include the information that Deutsche Bahn requires for your invoice. Your invoice might be rejected if you don’t.

Refer back to this page for the outline of those requirements.

Invoicing Deutsche Bahn Workflow

The solution allows users to do all that is required for the process of dealing with the Deutsche Bahn.

From within the portal itself, you can:

Create invoices (1)
Send invoices directly to Deutsche Bahn (2)
Check the shipping status of your packages (3)
Receive feedback from Deutsche Bahn (4)
Change your message status in the portal (5)
Send notification by email(6)

E-Invoicing Deutsche Bahn: What You Need to Know

Deutsche Bahn Invoicing Requirements

Each Invoice Must Refer To Just One Order

Each Invoice Must Be Sent Electronically

Each Invoice Must Include The Following Information

P.S: Make Sure You Meet The Requirements!

XRechnung Format for Deutsche Bahn Invoicing

Creating Invoices in XRechnung Format

Transferring Invoices to Deutsche Bahn Using an ERP or CRM System

Invoicing Deutsche Bahn Using the Invoice-Portal

REMEMBER:

Invoicing Deutsche Bahn Workflow

E-Invoicing Deutsche Bahn:
What You Need to Know